    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2007, Book II)]
    [December 22, 2007]
    [Pages 1590-1591]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    December 22, 2007

        Good morning. Christmas is just a few days away. As Americans gather
    around the tree with family and friends, we remember the soldiers,
    sailors, airmen, marines, and Coast Guard men and women who will be
    spending this holiday far away from their homes and loved ones.
        America is blessed to have men and women willing to step forward to
    defend our freedoms and keep us safe from our enemies. We are thankful
    for their courage and their dedication to duty. We pray for their
    safety, and we wish them a Merry Christmas, wherever they serve.
        America is also blessed to have military families willing to
    sacrifice for our country. The husbands and wives, mothers and fathers,
    sons and daughters of those in the military serve our country as well.
    For many of them, service means packing up their belongings and moving
    on short notice, or living in a different country for a time, or missing
    a family member as he or she serves overseas. And this Christmas, many
    will sit down for dinner thinking of their loved ones half a world away.
    These families deserve the thanks and the prayers of our whole Nation.
        Some military families are helping loved ones recover from injuries
    sustained in combat. These families are a special source of hope and
    strength for our wounded warriors. Through their encouragement and
    devotion, they help heal the body and the

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    spirit, and they remind our wounded warriors that our Nation stands
    behind them.
        Other military families have felt the pain of losing a loved one in
    battle. This Christmas, we hold them in our hearts. We lift them up in
    our prayers. And we are inspired by the example that many of these
    families have set by turning their grief into extraordinary acts of
    compassion and love.
        One such inspiring example is the family of Army Specialist Michael
    Rodriguez of Knoxville, Tennessee. During his deployment in Iraq,
    Michael often wrote home to his family about the children he met on
    patrol. In April, Michael was killed by a suicide bomber. Now his family
    is honoring his memory by helping to collect school supplies for
    students in an Iraqi school for girls.
        We are also grateful for Kirsten Yuhl-Torres of San Diego, California. In 2006, Kirsten lost her
    son, Sergeant Joseph Perry, in Iraq. To honor Joseph's memory, she
    started sending care packages and writing letters of support to other
    soldiers serving there. Kirsten says, ``Joe was our only son, but now we
    have hundreds.''
        Our Nation is also inspired by Bob Lehmiller, whose son, Sergeant Mike Lehmiller, was killed in 2005
    while serving in Afghanistan. To honor his son, Bob created Mike's
    Guardian Eagle Foundation. The foundation gives financial assistance to
    military families who need extra help when their loved ones deploy or if
    they're wounded or killed on the field of battle.
        All these families have already given so much to America, and yet
    they have found a way to give even more. We thank each of them. And we
    thank every one of our citizens who supports our troops with letters and
    donations or prayers.
        At this time of year, we acknowledge that love and sacrifice can
    transform our world. The miracle of Christmas reminds us that God's
    grace is revealed in the humblest places. Two thousand years ago, the
    fullness of that grace was found in a tiny manger, and the life born
    that day changed our world forever. As Christmas approaches, Laura and I extend to all Americans our best wishes, and we
    hope every family is brought closer together during this season of
    reflection and rejoicing.
        Thank you for listening, and Merry Christmas.

    Note: The address was recorded at 7:30 a.m. on December 21 in the
    Cabinet Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on December
    22. The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press
    Secretary on December 21, but was embargoed for release until the
    broadcast. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
    language transcript of this address.