    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [July 4, 2002]
    [Pages 1174-1177]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a ``Saluting Our Veterans'' Celebration in Ripley, West
    Virginia
    July 4, 2002

        The President. Thank you all very much. Thank you. Well, thank you,
    Shelley, and thanks for that warm
    welcome. I'm really proud to be in Jackson County, West Virginia.
        Today we mark the 226th birthday of the United States of America.
    Last year I spent my first Independence Day as your President in
    Philadelphia. This year I get to spend it in Ripley, West Virginia.
        Shelley told me about the Fourth of
    July celebration. She said I needed to come and meet the town. It looks
    like most of you showed up. [Laughter] I appreciate your hospitality. I
    appreciate all the hard work that went into making this Fourth of July
    celebration such a fantastic gathering of our fellow Americans. And
    thanks for having me.
        I want to thank Shelley Moore Capito for her friendship and her leadership in the Halls of
    Congress. I appreciate so very much one of my Cabinet officers, Tony

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    Principi, who is the head of the
    Department of Veterans Affairs, for not only serving the country and
    serving in Vietnam but also agreeing to come today to Ripley to
    represent the veterans from all across our country. Thank you for being
    here, Tony.
        I want to thank your Governor, Governor Wise,
    for joining us today. I appreciate you being here, Bob. And I appreciate
    Senator Jay Rockefeller coming as
    well. Thank you both for coming.
        I had the honor of meeting the mayor of Ripley, Mayor
    Guthrie. Thank you for being here, Mr. Mayor. I
    appreciate your hospitality, and tell all the folks who work in the city
    here, I'd like to stay around for the cleanup, but--[laughter].
        Audience member. We'll let you.
        The President. I'm sure you would let me, but--[laughter]. I also
    appreciate Mayor Ritchie of Ravenswood for
    coming over to say hello as well. Thank you, Mayor. I know the attorney
    general of West Virginia is here, General McGraw. I appreciate the secretary of state for West Virginia for being here. I want to thank all the
    members of the legislature. But most of all, I want to thank my fellow
    citizens.
        Today I had the honor and privilege of saying hello to two West
    Virginia citizens who are family members of some of West Virginia's
    finest. Earlier this year, U.S. Special Forces Sergeant Gene Vance, Jr.,
    and Anissa Ann Shero lost their lives in defense of our freedom. And I
    had the privilege of kissing Gene's wife, to
    express our sympathies and our love and our prayer. And I had the
    privilege of doing the same with Anissa's dad. And I would like you all to join me in welcoming them
    to this celebration today. Thanks for coming.
        The anniversary of America's independence is a day for gratitude and
    a day for celebration. On the Fourth of July, we count our blessings,
    and there are so many to count. We're thankful for the families we love.
    We're thankful for the opportunities in America. We're thankful for our
    freedom, the freedom declared by our Founding Fathers, defended by many
    generations, and granted to each one of us by Almighty God.
        Americans know that our country did not come about by chance. Our
    Nation was first designed as a colony, serving an empire and answering
    to a king. The Founders had other things in mind. In the summer of 1776,
    they declared that these colonies ``are, and of Right ought to be Free
    and Independent States.''
        With a great army massed against the Americans, these were not idle
    words. ``Stepping forward to sign the Declaration,'' said Dr. Benjamin
    Rush, ``was like signing your own death warrant.'' Yet he and 55 others
    put their name on the document, pledging to the cause their lives, their
    fortunes, and their sacred honor.
        And all Americans can draw a straight line from the free lives we
    lead today to that one moment when the world changed forever. From that
    day in 1776, freedom has had a home, and freedom has had a defender.
        Unlike any other country, America came into the world with a message
    for mankind, that all are created equal, and all are meant to be free.
    There is no America race. There's only an American creed: We believe in
    the dignity and rights of every person; we believe in equal justice,
    limited government, and in the rule of law; we believe in personal
    responsibility and tolerance toward others. This creed of freedom and
    equality has lifted the lives of millions of Americans, of citizens by
    birth and citizens by choice. This creed draws our friends to us. It
    sets our enemies against us and always inspires the best that is within
    us.
        In this 226th year of our independence, we have seen that American
    patriotism is still a living faith. We love our country only more when
    she's threatened. An Air Force pilot spoke for everyone when he was
    asked if anyone on his base had a personal connection to the victims of
    September the 11th. He said, ``I think we all do. They

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    were all Americans.'' Watching the events of that day, no American felt
    this was an attack on others. It was an attack on all of us--on each and
    every one of us. Every ethnic background is known and respected here in
    America. Every religious belief is practiced and protected here. Yet, in
    a moment we discovered again that we're a single people. We share the
    same allegiance. We live under the same flag. When you strike one
    America--when you strike one American, you strike us all.
        In the moments after September the 11th, Americans turned
    instinctively to the flag we share. The flag was lowered to half-staff
    in days of mourning, raised in respect over Ground Zero, hung in
    defiance from the wall of the Pentagon, carried with special pride at
    the Olympic Games, carefully folded at military gravesides and given to
    families. The American people, when we pledge our allegiance to the
    flag, feel renewed respect and love for all it represents. And no
    authority of Government can ever prevent an American from pledging
    allegiance to this ``one Nation under God.''
        More than ever in the lifetimes of most Americans, the flag stands
    for a truly unified country. We've been united in our grief, and we are
    united in our resolve to protect our people and to defeat the enemies of
    the United States of America.
        Sixty years ago, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, General George C.
    Marshall declared that ``before the Sun sets on this terrible struggle,
    our flag will be recognized throughout the world as a symbol of freedom,
    on the one hand, and of overwhelming power on the other.'' This is our
    purpose again today. Once again, history has called America to use our
    overwhelming power in the defense of freedom, and we'll do just that.
        In Afghanistan we defeated the Taliban regime, but that was just the
    first step. The liberation of that country was the beginning of the long
    and unrelenting struggle we have entered. America is a patient and
    determined country. We're working with our allies. We'll use every tool
    of diplomacy and law enforcement. We're organizing to protect the
    homeland against further attack, and we will take the battle to the
    enemy, wherever he hides and wherever he plans and wherever he dwells.
        The greatest asset we have in this conflict is the military of the
    United States of America. At this hour, more than 60,000 American troops
    are deployed around the world in the war against terror. Many of you
    here today have family members serving in the military. Wherever they
    are stationed, this Nation is depending on them, and you just need to be
    proud of them.
        Thousands of our men and women in uniform were born in other
    countries and now spend each day in honorable service to their adopted
    land. Many of them are still waiting for the chance to become American
    citizens because of the waiting period for citizenship. These men and
    women love our country. They show it in their daily devotion to duty.
    Out of respect for their brave service in this time of war, I have
    signed an Executive order allowing them an immediate opportunity to
    petition for citizenship in the United States of America.
        America has always depended on the courage and character of our
    people in the military. We're honored today by the presence of some of
    West Virginia's most distinguished citizens, veterans of American Armed
    Forces. These men and women served in different places, at different
    times, but all were ready when their country needed them, ready to
    sacrifice, to fight, and if necessary, to die for the sake of others.
    That's the highest form of citizenship. Whether the veterans here served
    in peacetime or in the worst battles, you have the Nation's gratitude
    and the respect of your fellow Americans. On this Fourth of July, it is
    my privilege to thank you for your service to your country.
        Veterans know better than anyone that love for country is shown in
    works. A spirit of service is alive and strong in America

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    today. Our response to tragedy and sudden national challenges has
    revealed the courage, and it has revealed the kindness of the American
    people. As we fight a war abroad, here at home Americans are answering
    the call of service, giving their time and energy to causes greater than
    self-interest. This Nation is confronting a terrible evil, and we are
    overcoming evil with good.
        There is much in modern America that the founding generation might
    not understand. Yet, they would recognize the Stars and Stripes, and
    they would know qualities of character that still define our country.
    They would take great pride, as I do, in the decent, responsible, caring
    citizens who are the true strength of our country. I am certain as well
    that, if they could survey this country of ours, they would join us all
    in giving thanks for all that we have.
        A year after independence was declared, the Second Continental
    Congress set the design of our Nation's flag. The stars on blue were to
    represent a new constellation, the different world our young Nation had
    begun to create. Today, as much as ever before, America bears the hope
    of the world. Yet, from the day of our founding, America's own great
    hope has never been in ourselves alone. The Founders humbly sought the
    wisdom and the blessing of Divine Providence.
        May we always live by that same trust, and may God continue to watch
    over the United States of America. God bless, and God bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 10 a.m. at Courthouse Square. In his
    remarks, he referred to Gov. Bob Wise, Attorney General Darrel V.
    McGraw, Jr., and Secretary of State Joe Manchin III of West Virginia;
    Mayor Roy Guthrie of Ripley, WV; Mayor W.S. Ritchie of Ravenswood, WV;
    Lisa Vance, widow of Sgt. Gene Vance, Jr., USA; and Clyde Shuttlesworth,
    father of Staff Sgt. Anissa Ann Shero, USAF.