[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.