[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
[July 5, 2003]
[Pages 838-839]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



The President's Radio Address
July 5, 2003

    Good morning. Every Fourth of July, we take special pride in the 
first generation of Americans, the men and women who waged a desperate 
fight to overcome tyranny and live in freedom. Centuries later, it is 
hard to imagine the Revolutionary War coming out any other way. Yet 
victory was far from certain and came at great cost.
    Six years passed from the fighting at Concord Bridge to the victory 
at Yorktown, 6 years of struggle and hardship for American patriots. By 
their courage and perseverance, the Colonies became a country. That land 
of 13 States and fewer than 4 million people grew and prospered. And 
today, all who live in tyranny and all who yearn for freedom place their 
hopes in the United States of America.
    For more than two centuries, Americans have been called to serve and 
sacrifice for the ideals of our founding, and the men and women of our 
military have never failed us. They have left many monuments along the 
way, an undivided Union, a liberated Europe, the rise of democracy in 
Asia, and the fall of an evil empire. Millions across the world are free 
today because of the unselfish courage of America's veterans.
    The current generation of our military is meeting the threats of a 
new era and fighting new battles in the war on terror. People in every 
branch of the service and thousands of Guard and Reserve members called 
to active duty have carried out their missions with all the skill and 
honor we expect of them. This Nation is grateful to our men and women in 
uniform.
    On this Fourth of July weekend, we also remember the brave Americans 
we've lost in Afghanistan and Iraq. We honor each one for their courage 
and sacrifice. We think of the families who miss them so much. And we 
are thankful that this Nation produces such fine men and women who are 
willing to defend us all.
    At this hour, many are still serving, sacrificing, and facing danger 
in distant places. Many military families are still separated. Our 
people in uniform do not have easy duty, and much depends on their 
success. Without America's active involvement in the world, the 
ambitions of tyrants would go unopposed, and millions would live at the 
mercy of terrorists. With America's active involvement in the world, 
tyrants have learned to fear, and terrorists are on the run.
    This Nation is acting to defend our security, yet our mission in the 
world is broader. The Declaration of Independence holds a promise for 
all mankind. Because Americans believe that freedom is an unalienable 
right, we value the freedom of every nation. Because we are committed to 
the God-given worth of every life, we work for human dignity in every 
land. We protect our friends and raise up former enemies to be our 
friends. We bring food and disaster relief to the nations of the world 
in times of crisis. And in Africa, where I will go next week, the United 
States of America is leading the effort to fight AIDS and save millions 
of lives with the healing power of medicine. Just as our enemies are 
going to know the strong will of America, people

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across this Earth are seeing the good and generous heart of America.
    As citizens of this good Nation, we can be proud of our heritage and 
confident in our future. The ideals of July 4th, 1776, still speak to 
all humanity, and the Revolution declared that day goes on. As we 
celebrate our independence in 2003, we still place our trust in divine 
providence. We still pledge our lives and honor to freedom's defense. 
And we will always believe that freedom is the hope and the future of 
every land.
    May God continue to bless the United States of America. Thank you 
for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 11:01 a.m. on July 3 in the Cabinet 
Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on July 5. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
July 4 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office of 
the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this 
address.