    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [November 10, 2006]
    [Pages 2071-2073]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at the Dedication Ceremony for the National Museum of the Marine
    Corps in Quantico, Virginia
    November 10, 2006

        The President. Thank you all. Thank you for the warm welcome.
    General Hagee, thank you for your service
    to our country--Secretaries of the Army
    and Navy and Air Force. I'm proud to be here with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
    of Staff, General Pete Pace, the first United
    States marine to have ever held this position. Senator Warner and Congresswoman Davis;
    former Governor Warner and former Senator
    Glenn; honored guests; veterans; General
    Christmas and all those
    responsible for this fine museum; United States marines everywhere:
    Please join me in wishing a very happy Marine Corps birthday to every
    man and woman who has ever worn the eagle, the globe, and the anchor.
        As Jim Lehrer reminded you, we celebrate the
    231st birthday of one of the world's premier fighting forces. And we
    mark the opening of our Nation's most modern military museum. For too
    long, the only people to have direct experience of the Marine Corps have
    been the marines themselves and the enemy who's made the mistake of
    taking them on. The National Museum of the Marine Corps fixes this
    problem. In this museum, you will experience life from a marine's
    perspective. In this museum, you'll feel what it's like to go through
    boot camp--no, thanks--[laughter]--make an amphibious landing under
    fire, or deploy from a helicopter in Vietnam.
        The museum will not make you into a marine--only a drill instructor
    can do that--but by putting you in the boots of a marine, this museum
    will leave you with an appreciation of the rich history of the Corps and
    the pride that comes with earning the title United States marine.
        The history of the Corps is as important to each marine as his
    rifle. Every marine knows the Corps traces its founding to a
    Philadelphia tavern in 1775. Every marine can name the famous battles,
    legends, and heroes that stretch from the halls of Montezuma to the
    deserts of Iraq. Every marine understands that the Corps' reputation for
    honor and courage is a sacred inheritance from marines past and a solemn
    trust to be passed on to marines to come. The marines believe that you
    cannot know what you stand for if you do not know where

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    you came from, and they teach their history because they are determined
    to repeat it.
        The history of the Corps is now preserved within these walls. Many
    of you here today do not need a museum to tell you this history because
    you wrote it yourselves with your sweat and your sacrifice in places
    like Tarawa, Chosin, and Khe Sahn. These walls pay tribute to your
    contributions to American freedom. These walls remind all who visit here
    that honor, courage, and commitment are not just words. They are core
    values for a way of life that puts service above self. And these walls
    will keep the history of the Marine Corps alive for generations of
    Americans to come. This is an important place, and I thank you for
    supporting it.
        The museum is shaped in the form of the famous photograph of the
    flag raising on Iwo Jima. Iwo Jima is one of the most important battles
    in American history. It is fitting that Iwo Jima is one of the most
    important exhibits in this museum. The Japanese who defended that island
    had learned from costly battles that they could not defeat American
    forces. Yet they believed that by inflicting maximum casualties on our
    forces, they would demoralize our Nation and make America tire of war.
        In that battle, the Japanese succeeded in taking the lives of more
    than 6,000 men. They did not succeed in stopping the marines from
    achieving their mission. And that flag that was raised on Mount
    Suribachi would become an enduring symbol of American resolve and a
    lasting icon of a democracy at war.
        The history of the Corps is now being written by a new generation of
    marines. Since the attacks of September the 11th, 2001, more than
    190,000 men and women have stepped forward to wear the uniform of the
    Marine Corps. Like the marines who have come before them, this new
    generation is serving freedom's cause in distant lands. Like the marines
    who have come before them, this new generation faces determined enemies.
    And like the marines who have come before them, this new generation is
    adding its own chapters to the stories of liberty and peace. And years
    from now, when America looks out on a democratic Middle East growing in
    freedom and prosperity, Americans will speak of the battles like
    Fallujah with the same awe and reverence that we now give to Guadalcanal
    and Iwo Jima.
        Like the marines who have come before them, this new generation has
    also given some of its finest men in the line of duty. One of these fine
    men was Jason Dunham. Jason's birthday is November the 10th, so you
    might say that he was born to be a marine. And as far back as boot camp,
    his superiors spotted the quality that would mark this young American as
    an outstanding marine: his willingness to put the needs of others before
    his own.
        Corporal Dunham showed that spirit in April 2004, while leading a
    patrol of his marines in an Iraqi town near the Syrian border. When a
    nearby Marine convoy was ambushed, Corporal Dunham led his squad to the
    site of the attack, where he and his men stopped a convoy of cars that
    were trying to make an escape. As he moved to search one of the
    vehicles, an insurgent jumped out and grabbed the corporal by the
    throat. The corporal engaged the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. At one
    point he shouted to his fellow marines, ``No, no, no, watch his hand.''
    Moments later, an enemy grenade rolled out. Corporal Dunham did not
    hesitate; he jumped on the grenade to protect his fellow marines; he
    used his helmet and his body to absorb the blast.
        A friend who was there that terrible day put
    it this way: ``Corporal Dunham had a gift from God. Everyone who came in
    contact with him wanted to be like him. He was the toughest marine but
    the nicest guy. He would do anything for you. Corporal Dunham was the
    kind of person everybody wants as their best friend.'' Despite surviving
    the initial blast and being given the

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    best of medical care, Corporal Dunham ultimately succumbed to his
    wounds. And by giving his own life, Corporal Dunham saved the lives of
    two of his men and
    showed the world what it means to be a marine.
        Corporal Dunham's mom and dad are with us today on what would have been this brave
    young man's 25th birthday. We remember that the marine who so freely
    gave his life was your beloved son. We ask a loving God to comfort you
    for a loss that can never be replaced. And on this special birthday, in
    the company of his fellow marines, I'm proud to announce that our Nation
    will recognize Corporal Jason Dunham's action with America's highest
    decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor.
        As long as we have marines like Corporal Dunham, America will never
    fear for her liberty. And as long as we have this fine museum, America
    will never forget their sacrifice.
        May God bless you, may God bless the Marines, and may God bless the
    United States.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:12 p.m. at the National Museum of the
    Marine Corps. In his remarks, he referred to former Gov. Mark R. Warner
    of Virginia; former Sen. John H. Glenn, Jr.; Lt. Gen. G.R. Christmas,
    USMC (Ret.), president, Marine Corps Heritage Foundation; Jim Lehrer,
    anchor of PBS's ``NewsHour with Jim Lehrer''; and Dan and Deb Dunham,
    parents of Corp. Jason Dunham, USMC, who was killed near Husaybah, Iraq,
    on April 14, 2004.