[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2005, Book II)]
[November 9, 2005]
[Pages 1690-1694]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks on Presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom
November 9, 2005

    The President. Welcome to the White House. Laura and I are so pleased that you could join us on this 
proud and happy occasion. It's a special honor for us to be in the 
company of these distinguished honorees. We welcome the honorees. We 
welcome their family members, and we welcome their friends.
    The Presidential Medal of Freedom is America's highest civil award 
and is presented for meritorious achievement in public service, in 
science, the arts, education, athletics, business, and other fields of 
endeavor. The award was created through the Executive order by President 
John F. Kennedy and first presented here in the White House by President 
Lyndon B. Johnson. All who receive the Medal of Freedom can know that 
they have a special place in the life of our country and have earned the 
respect and affection of the American people.

    Alan Greenspan, Ph.D., is one of the most 
admired and influential economists in our Nation's history. So you may 
be surprised to learn that Alan studied music at Juilliard. He began his 
career playing the saxophone and clarinet in a jazz orchestra. Even 
then, he showed his mathematical side--his fellow band members had him 
fill out their tax returns. [Laughter] He was on his way to a lifetime 
of achievement in the field of economics, from Wall Street to the White 
House to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

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    The era of Chairman Greenspan will always 
be known as one of phenomenal economic growth, high productivity, and 
unprecedented innovation and opportunity for all our citizens. He is a 
believer in economic freedom, open and flexible markets, and boundless 
human creativity. In his 18 years as Fed Chairman, he applied those 
principles with consistency, with calm, and with wisdom. As he prepares 
to conclude his Government service, Alan Greenspan leaves behind a 
standard that will always define a successful Chairman, intellectual 
depth, analytical skill, and credibility beyond question. And he leaves 
the Fed with the utmost respect and thanks of his fellow citizens.
    Like Chairman Greenspan, Vinton 
Cerf and Robert Kahn are brilliant men who found great success in their chosen 
field and have played an extraordinary role in the story of our time. 
Thirty-two years ago, Dr. Kahn, an engineer, and Dr. Cerf, a computer 
scientist, figured out how to transmit data between separate computer 
networks, and to do so quickly, effectively, and routinely. Dr. Kahn 
called it ``internetting.'' By developing a common digital language for 
computers across networks, these two men prepared the way for a 
technological revolution.
    The Internet is one of the greatest innovations ever launched and 
even now has vast potential as a force for great good. And it's source 
of pride to all of us--it is a source of pride to all of us that this 
progress was set in motion by two talented Americans. Our economy, our 
lives, and our world have all been enriched by the imagination and the 
efforts of Robert Kahn and Vinton Cerf.
    Sonny Montgomery has given the 
United States a lifetime of service. He wore the Army uniform in World 
War II, earning a Bronze Star for valor in Europe, and returned to 
active duty to serve in the Korean war. He is a retired major general in 
the Mississippi National Guard and served the people of that State in 
public office for 40 years. In three decades as a Congressman, Sonny 
Montgomery was a tireless advocate for American service men and women, 
past and present. His forward-looking spirit helped to equip and train 
the finest fighting force in the world. And the Montgomery GI education 
bill has helped millions of veterans find opportunity in the nation they 
defended.
    I know from my visits to Mississippi that all you have to say is 
Sonny Montgomery's name, and they 
still cheer. Folks remember him and love him, and so do our veterans. 
Sonny, you're a great man. Congratulations to you.
    Air Force General Richard B. Myers 
became Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff less than 1 month after the 
attacks of September the 11th, 2001. And he was the right man for the 
job. As the principal military adviser to the President during a time of 
grave danger to our country, Dick Myers was a source of wisdom, clear 
analysis, and broad vision. As Chairman, he helped design a thorough and 
innovative military strategy for victory in the war on terror. During 
his watch, America and our allies liberated more than 50 million people 
from tyranny. And General Myers helped set the military on a vital and 
necessary course of transformation so that America will be ready to 
confront and overcome the challenges of the future.
    This fighter pilot is a model officer, deliberate, unflinching, and 
calm in a storm. He's respected in every branch and throughout the ranks 
of our Armed Forces. With his recent retirement after 40 years in 
uniform, the Nation returned Dick Myers in 
``as-is'' condition to his wife, Mary Jo. 
[Laughter] He left the service with four stars on his shoulder, and his 
place in America history is secure. The United States of America is a 
stronger and safer nation for the integrity and the courage and 
leadership of General Richard Myers.
    The conflicts of this young century demand a clear-eyed 
understanding of the

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great dramas and tragedies of the 20th century. And perhaps no scholar 
has studied that time with as much diligence or intellectual courage as 
Robert Conquest. His life began in 1917, the 
year of the Russian Revolution, whose evil consequences he would so 
thoroughly and faithfully detail in ``The Great Terror'' and other 
memorable writings. The truths he told were not always in fashion, but 
the cautionary lessons he taught about murderous ideologies and the men 
who served them will always be relevant. His books have been translated 
into 20 languages, and there have been times and places when those books 
were carefully hidden.
    Today, the empire he revealed is gone 
forever, and the works of Robert Conquest are an enduring testament of 
the truth. This wise and eloquent man is greatly admired by his fellow 
Americans and by all who love freedom.
    Paul Rusesabagina also bears witness 
to an evil of the 20th century. He was a hotel manager in his native 
Rwanda when the horror began to unfold in 1994. That hotel soon became a 
haven amid the carnage, with Paul, his family, and more than a thousand 
other men, women, and children inside the compound. Without that 
shelter, every one of them would have almost surely have been killed 
during those weeks and months of merciless terror. This good man saved 
them by holding off the enemy with his commanding presence, his shrewd 
manner of negotiating, and his incredible calm amid the crisis and 
chaos.
    Paul has insisted, quote, ``I'm not a 
hero. I'm simply a man who made a decision to hold on to my family, my 
life, and my beliefs until the end.'' But the world came to know the 
story, and people everywhere can recognize heroism. And we're so honored 
that Paul is with us here today.
    This morning across the United States, millions of Americans started 
their day listening to Paul Harvey. [Laughter] 
People everywhere feel like they know the man and his wife, 
Angel, too. And for so many 
Americans, no morning, Monday through Saturday, is quite complete 
without ``Paul Harvey News and Comment.'' This tireless broadcaster is 
up every day before the sun, writing his own scripts and ad copy for an 
audience tuning in to more than 1,200 radio stations and the American 
Forces Network.
    He first went on the air in 1933, and he's 
been heard nationwide for 54 years. Americans like the sound of his 
voice. His friend Danny Thomas once said to him, ``You'd better be 
right, because you sound like God.'' [Laughter] And over the decades we 
have come to recognize in that voice some of the finest qualities of our 
country, patriotism, the good humor, the kindness, and common sense of 
Americans. It's always a pleasure to listen to Paul Harvey, and it's a 
real joy this afternoon to honor him as well.
    Carol Burnett is known not just for one 
voice but for many, from ``Eunice'' to ``Scarlet O'Hara''--``Starlet 
O'Hara.'' [Laughter] All those who've heard it will never forget her 
Tarzan yell. [Laughter] Her variety show ran for 11 years and received 
25 Emmys. An even higher tribute to the show is that millions of 
Americans still laugh at the memory of the sketches and characters from 
the ``Carol Burnett Show.''
    True to her theatrical training at UCLA, Carol has also given unforgettable performances in serious 
roles. Yet, it is far more than talent that has endeared Carol Burnett 
to the American people. It is her goodness of heart, her sincerity, and 
the wonderful spirit that comes through. She spent her early years in 
San Antonio, Texas, where they still think of her with great affection. 
The same goes for the whole country. Carol Burnett is welcome in every 
home in America. And she's welcome here at the White House today, as we 
pay tribute to this noble woman.
    Here at the White House, we get an interesting mix of visitors. 
Already today

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I've met with the Secretary of State, 
Secretary of Defense, and the Dalai Lama--and the sheriff of Mayberry. 
[Laughter] Andy Griffith first came to the 
people's attention with his gift for storytelling, and his own life is a 
mighty fine story by itself. He started out as a high school teacher, 
and in his amazing career, he has gained fame as an actor and received a 
Grammy Award for his singing. He will always be remembered for the 
``Andy Griffith Show'' and ``Matlock.'' Yet, he has also given powerful 
dramatic performances in such movies as ``A Face in the Crowd.''
    Looking back on his Mayberry days, Andy 
explained the timeless appeal of the show. He said, ``It was about love. 
Barney would set himself up for a fall, and Andy would be there to catch 
him.'' [Laughter] The enduring appeal of the show has always depended, 
and still does, on the simplicity and sweetness and rectitude of the man 
behind the badge. TV shows come and go, but there's only one Andy 
Griffith. And we thank him for being such a friendly and beloved 
presence in our American life.
    A week ago today, the flag of the United States flew at halfstaff in 
memory of Rosa Parks. And in Detroit, at Mrs. Parks's funeral, 
worshipers heard Aretha Franklin sing 
``I'll Fly Away.'' Generations of Americans have stood in wonder at the 
style and voice of Aretha Franklin. One record executive put it this 
way: ``Aretha is still the best singer in the world, bar none. She finds 
meanings in lyrics that the composers didn't even know they had.'' 
[Laughter] ``She chills you, heats you, affects your soul. It's 
exhilarating.'' When Aretha Franklin recorded the song ``Respect,'' it 
became the number one hit in America, and she won the first of 17 Grammy 
Awards.
    The Queen of Soul has been a singer 
all her life, thanks to the early encouragement of her mother, Barbara, 
and her father, the Reverend C.L. Franklin. They raised their daughter 
to be a woman of achievement, deep character, and a loving heart. And I 
know they would be filled with pride this afternoon as our Nation honors 
Ms. Aretha Franklin.
    Frank Robinson was born in Beaumont, 
Texas. And though it has been awhile, we are still proud to claim this 
Hall of Famer as a Texan. He first achieved greatness as a member of the 
Cincinnati Reds nearly 50 years ago. As a Red, he was the Most Valuable 
Player in the National League. As an Oriole, he was the Most Valuable 
Player in the American League. He won the American League Triple Crown 
in 1966, an achievement so rare that only one player has done it since. 
His 586 home runs make him sixth on the alltime list. His teams won five 
league championships and two World Series titles. Thirty years ago, he 
became the first African American manager in Major League Baseball. He 
has been named Manager of the Year in both leagues. He serves today as 
the skipper for the hometown team, the Washington Nationals.
    Frank Robinson is a man who leads by 
example. His wife, Barbara, 
said, ``He believes in rules, and he respects the game. He reveres the 
game.'' Baseball fans across America will tell you the feeling is 
returned. In the game we love, few names will ever command as much 
respect and esteem as the name of Frank Robinson.
    Last year in Ohio, I ran into Jack Nicklaus and asked if he had any advice for my golf game. He said, 
``Sure. Quit.'' [Laughter] The game of golf takes a rare combination of 
raw ability and sustained concentration. Jack Nicklaus earned the 
distinction as one of the greats early in his career. When he edged out 
Arnold Palmer at the U.S. Open in 1962, 
Arnie said, ``Now that the big guy is out of the cage, everybody better 
run for cover.'' [Laughter] The Golden Bear went on to win 17 more 
professional majors and more than 70 PGA Tour events.
    Galleries across the world have admired the intense focus and 
unyielding competitiveness that Jack Nicklaus brings to the game. They admire, just as much, the man

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himself. In every aspect of his life, Jack holds himself to a high 
standard. He's a great gentleman. And for his skill, grace, and class in 
every circumstance, Americans will always look up to the example of Jack 
Nicklaus.
    Only a few athletes are ever known as the greatest in their sport or 
in their time. But when you say, ``The Greatest of All Time'' is in the 
room, everyone knows who you mean. It's quite a claim to make, but as 
Muhammad Ali once said, ``It's not bragging if 
you can back it up.'' [Laughter] And this man backed it up. From the day 
he won the gold medal at the 1960 Olympic games, we all knew there was 
something special about this young fighter from Louisville, Kentucky. 
And his record of 56 and 5, including 37 knockouts and 19 successful 
title defenses, hardly begins to tell the story. Far into the future, 
fans and students of boxing will study the films, and some will even try 
to copy his style. But certain things defy imitation, the Ali shuffle, 
the lightning jabs, the total command of the ring, and above all, the 
sheer guts and determination he brought to every fight.
    This is a man who once fought more than 10 
rounds with a fractured jaw. And he fought to complete exhaustion and 
victory in that legendary clash of greats in Manila. The real mystery, I 
guess, is how he stayed so pretty. [Laughter] It probably had to do with 
his beautiful soul. He was a fierce fighter, and he's a man of peace, 
just like Odessa and Cassius Clay, Sr., believed their son could be. 
Across the world, billions of people know Muhammad Ali as a brave, 
compassionate, and charming man, and the American people are proud to 
call Muhammad Ali one of our own.
    Our country and our world have been improved by the lives of the men 
and women we honor today. And now I ask the military aide to read the 
citations.

[At this point, Lt. Col. John Quintas, USAF, Air Force Aide to the 
President, read the citations, and the President presented the medals.]

    The President. Thank you all for coming. Congratulations to our 
winners. And now Laura and I would like to invite 
you to a reception here on the State Floor.
    God bless you all.

Note: The President spoke at 2:36 p.m. in the East Room at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Lynne ``Angel'' Harvey, wife of 
Paul Harvey; and professional golfer Arnold D. Palmer.