    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book I)]
    [May 26, 2003]
    [Pages 537-538]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a Memorial Day Ceremony in Arlington, Virginia
    May 26, 2003

        Thank you all very much for the warm welcome. Mr.
    Secretary, thank you for your leadership.
    Secretary Principi, Members of the
    United States Congress, General Myers,
    members of the Joint Chiefs, General Jackson and Colonel Ray and Colonel
    Steedley, veterans, honored guests, and my
    fellow Americans, we come to this Memorial Day with deep awareness of
    recent loss and recent courage.
        Beyond the Tomb of the Unknowns, in Section 60 of Arlington
    Cemetery, we have laid to rest Americans who fell in the battle of Iraq.
    One of the funerals was for Marine Second Lieutenant Frederick Pokorney,
    Jr.,  Jr. of Jacksonville, North
    Carolina. His wife, Carolyn, received a
    folded flag. His 2-year-old daughter, Taylor, knelt beside her mother at the casket to say a final
    goodbye. An uncle later said of this fine
    lieutenant,  Jr. ``He was proud of what
    he was doing and proud of his family, a hard-working guy--the best guy
    you can ever know. I hope the American people don't forget.'' This
    Nation does not forget.
        Last month, in Section 60, First Lieutenant Rob Jenkins was buried,
    along with five other members of a bomber crew. They were lost when
    their plane was shot down over North Africa in 1942. Rob Jenkins had
    joined the Army Air Corps after Pearl Harbor, and he was 20 years old on
    his final mission. Six decades later, his plane was found and the
    remains of the crew were carefully identified, returned home, and buried
    with military honors. Rob's sister, Helen,
    said, ``We were very proud that the Government would care that much.
    After all, it was such a long time ago.'' This Nation does not forget.
        On Memorial Day, Americans place flags on military graves, walk past
    a wall of black granite in Washington, DC, and many families think of a
    face and voice they miss so much. Today we honor the men and women who
    have worn the Nation's uniform and were last seen on duty. From the
    battles of Iraq and Afghanistan to the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam to
    the trials of World War to the struggles that made

    [[Page 538]]

    us a nation, today we recall that liberty is always the achievement of
    courage. And today we remember all who have died, all who are still
    missing, and all who mourn. And on this day, especially, our Nation is
    grateful to the brave and fallen defenders of freedom.
        In every generation of Americans, we have found courage equal to the
    tasks of our country. The farms and small towns and city streets of this
    land have always produced free citizens who assume the discipline and
    duty of military life. And time after time, they have proven that the
    moral force of democracy is mightier than the will and cunning of any
    tyrant.
        The widow of one of our marines in Iraq made this point very simply.
    ``There is good and evil in the world,'' she said. ``That's what's going
    on, and he was the good.'' All the good people we honor today were
    willing to die in the service of our country and our cause. Yet all of
    them wanted to live. And the images they carried with them at the end
    were the people they loved and the familiar sights of home.
        Not long before his death last month, Army Captain James
    Adamouski of Springfield, Virginia, wrote
    this to his wife, Meighan. ``I do my job
    110 percent and don't get distracted or discouraged when I'm out flying
    on missions. However, when I have some down time and get to really
    thinking, I realize that for all the good times we're--all the good
    things we're doing here, I just plain miss you.''
        In his last letter home from the Middle East, Staff Sergeant Lincoln
    Hollinsaid of Malden, Illinois, said how
    much he appreciated getting mail from his family. He added, ``I wish my
    truck and boat knew how to write.'' [Laughter] ``I sure do miss them.''
    [Laughter] He went on, ``Today would be a beautiful fishing day. I can
    see it now: Drop my electronic anchors, kick my feet up, three poles out
    with hooks in search for that elusive yet lovable catfish.''
        Americans like these did not fight for glory but to fulfill a duty.
    They did not yearn to be heroes; they yearned to see mom and dad again
    and to hold their sweethearts and to watch their sons and daughters
    grow. They wanted the daily miracle of freedom in America, yet they gave
    all that up and gave life itself for the sake of others.
        Their sacrifice was great but not in vain. All Americans and every
    free nation on Earth can trace their liberty to the white markers of
    places like Arlington National Cemetery. And may God keep us ever
    grateful.
        Almost 7 weeks ago, an Army Ranger, Captain Russell
    Rippetoe, was laid to rest in Section 60.
    Captain Rippetoe's father, Joe, a retired
    lieutenant colonel, gave a farewell salute at the grave of his only son.
    Russell Rippetoe served with distinction in Operation Iraqi Freedom,
    earning both the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart. On the back of his
    dog tag were engraved these words from the Book of Joshua: ``Have not I
    commanded thee? Be strong and of good courage. Be not afraid, neither be
    thou dismayed, for the Lord thy God is with thee.'' This faithful Army
    captain has joined a noble company of service and sacrifice gathered row
    by row. These men and women were strong and courageous and not dismayed,
    and we pray they have found their peace in the arms of God.
        May God bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:33 a.m. in the Amphitheater at Arlington
    National Cemetery. In his remarks, he referred to Secretary of Defense
    Donald H. Rumsfeld; Maj. Gen. James T. Jackson, USA, commander, and Col.
    Kerry Steedley, USA, chaplain, Military District of Washington; and Col.
    Harold Ray, USAF, 11th wing chaplain, Bolling Air Force Base. The Prayer
    for Peace, Memorial Day proclamation of May 22 is listed in Appendix D
    at the end of this volume.