    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
    [August 20, 2008]
    [Pages 1146-1150]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks to the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention in Orlando,
    Florida
    August 20, 2008

        Thank you all very much. Thank you for the warm welcome. And I am
    proud to address the Veterans of Foreign Wars. I spoke to you when I was
    a Presidential candidate, and this is the fifth time that I have spoken
    to your national convention as your President. And every time I've been
    honored to meet with members of the VFW, I come away from these meetings
    with my--inspired by your love of country, by your devotion for duty,
    and for the example you set for those who wear the uniform today.
        I also appreciate the fact that you're here in spite of the weather.
    [Laughter] Tropical Storm Fay set a challenge for this convention, but
    your members were wise enough to hang around. I do want to thank the
    citizens of--the officials of the State of Florida for working hard to
    make sure that people were ready to address the storm. We watched this
    very carefully, and I must say that the people of this State worked hard
    to make sure that this convention and other lives were saved. We
    appreciate the work of the local officials. And of course, we'll
    continue to monitor the storm as it moves through the area.
        I do want to thank my friend George Lisicki for his leadership as your national commander. He's done a
    fine job on behalf of the VFW. I know firsthand; I've had him to the
    Oval Office. He's not afraid to speak his mind; I listen. And I know
    you're proud of the job he has done. And I'm also--[applause]. And I
    want to thank his wife Gloria for putting up
    with him. [Laughter]
        I do want to thank Bob Wallace, the
    executive director of the VFW. He has worked very hard to represent you,
    and he's done so in fine fashion.
        I'm proud to be here with Glen Gardner,
    incoming national commander-in-chief of the VFW, and his wife
    Jean. I've known Glen for a long time; I admire
    him. I told him I'm fixing to retire, so I'm not going to be around to
    work with him. But no doubt in my mind he'll do a fine job on behalf of
    the VFW.
        I want to thank Virginia Carman,
    national president of the Ladies Auxiliary. Dixie Hild is the incoming national president of the Ladies
    Auxiliary. I want to thank the rest of the leadership for letting me
    come by to visit with you.
        I met an interesting person here today, a woman named Keela
    Carr. When I go to a city, I like to herald
    people who are volunteering on behalf of the country. Keela has walked
    from California to Washington, DC, to thank the veterans for their
    service to the United States of America. And I'm proud to have met Keela
    Carr. And I want to thank you for doing what you're doing, Keela.
        And I want to thank the members of the Armed Forces that are here
    today. There is no greater honor than being the Commander in Chief of
    the United States

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    military, and I'm proud to be in your presence.
        America owes the men and women of the VFW a debt that can really
    never be repaid. You fought for our freedoms, and then when you came
    home, you volunteered to continue to serve this Nation. Together with
    your Ladies and Men's Auxiliaries, members of this organization donate
    13 million hours of community service every year. You mentor youth
    groups; you sponsor blood drives. You send packages to the military
    units deployed overseas; you provide vital services to your fellow
    veterans at home. In the VFW, we see the best of the American spirit,
    and America honors your service in and out of uniform.
        When the history of the last 8 years is finally written, it will
    show how closely and effectively my administration and the VFW have
    worked together on behalf of Americans' veterans. My budget includes
    nearly $94 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs, which means
    we have nearly doubled the funding for veterans since I took office.
        We've worked together to modernize and expand VA facilities and got
    $5.5 billion of taxpayers' monies in the budget to do so. The VFW and my
    administration have worked hard to expand grants to help homeless
    veterans in all 50 States and the District of Columbia because we
    strongly believe no veteran who served in distant lands should have to
    live without shelter in the land they fought to defend.
        We believe that combat-injured and severely disabled veterans
    deserve to receive both their military retired pay and their VA
    disability compensation. I was the first President in more than 100
    years to sign concurrent receipt legislation.
        We have worked effectively and diligently to provide for those
    returning home from the frontlines today. My administration implemented
    recommendations from Senator Dole and
    Secretary Shalala to help our wounded
    warriors build lives of hope and promise and dignity. We're investing
    hundreds of millions of dollars to develop new treatments for conditions
    like traumatic brain injuries and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
        Earlier this year, I was pleased to sign a piece of legislation that
    the VFW has long championed, a GI bill for the 21st century.
        We also owe something to your brothers-in-arms who never returned
    home. We will always cherish the memories of those who made the ultimate
    sacrifice. We will never stop searching until we can account for every
    missing soldier, sailor, airman, coastguardsman, and marine.
        Over the past 7\1/2\ years, I have seen the VFW's devotion to our
    men and women in uniform. I have been impressed, I have been inspired by
    your support of the military. You understand that our men and women in
    uniform deserve our full support because they are defending America in
    our Nation's first war in the 21st century. That war reached our shores
    on September the 11th, 2001, a day that you have not forgotten, and
    neither have I. On that day, 19 men armed with box cutters brought
    killing and carnage to our homeland. We're at war against determined
    enemies, and we must not rest until that war is won.
        This war cannot be won, however, if we treat terrorism primarily as
    a matter of law enforcement. Law enforcement is an essential part of our
    strategy, but our strategy cannot be limited to law enforcement alone.
    After the world--first World Trade Center attack in 1993, our law
    enforcement community succeeded in tracking down several of the killers,
    prosecuting them, and putting them into jail. But 8 years later, Al
    Qaida terrorists came back to finish the job. The lesson is this: In
    order to do our duty, our solemn duty, which is to protect the homeland
    from further harm, we must keep the pressure on the enemy, we must keep
    the extremists on the run. In order to do so, we must use all assets of
    national power, including the United States military.

    [[Page 1148]]

        So in this war, with your strong support, we are taking the fight to
    the enemy. Over the past 7 years, America and our allies have captured
    or killed hundreds of Al Qaida leaders and operatives in more than two
    dozen countries. We'll continue to battle the terrorists overseas so we
    do not have to face them here at home.
        We're on several fronts in this war on terror. A major front is
    Afghanistan, where we removed a dangerous regime that harbored the
    terrorists who plotted the September the 11th attacks. Because we acted,
    the Afghan people have been liberated, a nation that was once a training
    ground for terrorists has become an ally in the war on terror. We built
    a strong coalition of nations including every member of the NATO
    alliance to help the Afghan people defend their young democracy. And we
    will ensure that that country never becomes a safe haven again for
    terrorists who seek to launch attacks on America or our allies.
        Another front in the same war against the extremists is Iraq. We
    removed a brutal dictator who murdered his own people, who paid the
    families of suiciders, who invaded his neighbors, who was an enemy of
    the United States, who repeatedly defied the United Nations. Because we
    acted, the dictator is gone, 25 million Iraqis are free. Removing Saddam
    Hussein was right then, and it is right today.
        In 2006, as you well know, the situation in Iraq was deteriorating.
    Some back in Washington said the war was lost. They were willing to give
    up on the mission; they were willing to leave a struggling democracy to
    its own fate. But failure in Iraq could have spread chaos across the
    region, emboldened Iran, emboldened the terrorists, and given them a new
    base from which to launch operations against America and allies. I
    believe this would have been a disaster for America, and so do the men
    and women of the VFW.
        Early last year, after consultations with our commanders--and the
    Commander in Chief must always listen to the commanders and not the
    latest opinion poll--I ordered a surge of forces into Iraq. I remember
    briefing the leaders of the VFW on my decision. Since the surge began,
    violence in Iraq has dropped; civilian deaths and sectarian killings are
    down. Slowly but steadily, political and economic progress is taking
    place. Iraq's a rising democracy; Iraq's an ally against these
    extremists. And our troops have become home--begun to come home under
    our policy of return on success. We all look forward to the day when
    even more of our troops come home. And the VFW understands that the only
    way to bring them home is with victory.
        To ensure that we have the capabilities to prevail in Iraq and
    Afghanistan, or wherever the terrorists make their stand, we've
    transformed the United States military. Our branches of the military are
    working together better than ever. We've more than doubled funding for
    our Special Operations Command so our forces can hunt the terrorists no
    matter where they hide. We've increased the number of unmanned aerial
    vehicles in our arsenal. We're moving American forces from cold war
    garrisons in Europe and Asia so they can deploy rapidly anywhere in the
    world. We're going to increase the size of our ground forces. We'll make
    our troops more lethal and more agile so they can remain on the offense
    against the enemy. America's future leaders must remember that the war
    on terror will be won on the offense, and that's where our military must
    stay.
        We're keeping the pressure on the enemy. And as we've done so, we've
    defended this homeland. Nearly 7 years have passed without another
    attack on our soil. This is not for the lack of trying by the
    terrorists. Our intelligence and law enforcement professionals have
    worked with our allies to stop major Al Qaida attacks, including a plot
    to blow up transatlantic flights from London and a plan to strike the
    tallest skyscraper in Los Angeles. We owe these fine professionals our
    thanks, and

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    we owe them something more: the tools necessary to be able to do their
    job.
        Since 9/11, we've given American defenders what they need. We formed
    a new Department of Homeland Security. We overhauled the Nation's
    intelligence community. We shifted the FBI's focus from investigating
    terrorist attacks to preventing terrorist attacks. We passed the PATRIOT
    Act, which tore down the wall that once prevented law enforcement and
    intelligence officers from sharing vital information. We created a new
    National Counterterrorism Center. We established a program at the CIA to
    interrogate key terrorist leaders captured in the war on terror. We
    worked with Congress to pass legislation that allows our intelligence
    professionals to quickly and effectively monitor terrorist
    communications.
        We have used all these tools to stop new attacks. And I'm pleased to
    report to the American people that these tools will be available for
    future administrations to protect the American people for years to come.
        And in this war, we're countering the terrorists' dark and hateful
    ideology by offering a more hopeful vision, and that's one based on
    freedom. On September the 11th, we saw how the terrorists exploit
    hopelessness and despair to recruit young men for their evil plots
    against America. We learned that our Nation's security depends on
    combating the conditions that give rise to terror by aiding the rise of
    free societies. We're engaged in the great ideological struggle of our
    time, between the forces of freedom and the forces of tyranny. So we,
    America and our allies, will support young democracies. We're standing
    with brave democratic reformers.
        Over the past 7 years, we've seen liberty on the march; seen
    citizens in Afghanistan and Iraq establish representative governments
    after decades of tyranny. We've seen the people of Lebanon take to the
    streets and demand their independence. We've seen citizens of the former
    Soviet republicans--republics stand up for their right for free and fair
    elections.
        One of the most inspiring chapters of history was written by the
    Georgian people during the Rose Revolution of 2003. In the years that
    followed, the Georgian people have held free elections, they've
    established a democratic form of government. Georgia's also sent troops
    to Afghanistan and Iraq to help others realize the blessings of liberty.
    Georgia has stood for freedom around the world; now the world must stand
    for freedom in Georgia.
        For nearly 2 weeks, the world has watched Georgia's young democracy
    come under siege. Russian forces invaded the country in a
    disproportionate response to a long-simmering conflict in Georgian
    regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The world has come together to
    condemn this assault. Yesterday Secretary Rice met with members of the NATO alliance to discuss
    the ongoing situation. Our countries agreed that Russia must honor its
    commitment to withdraw its troops from Georgia and to return to the
    status quo before the hostilities began on August the 6th.
        The alliance is considering seriously the implications of Russia's
    actions for the NATO-Russia relationship. The alliance determined that
    business as usual cannot continue with Russia. And the alliance agreed
    to help Georgia by sending NATO teams to assess the country's needs and
    by forming a new NATO-Georgia Commission.
        The United States of America will continue to support Georgia's
    democracy. Our military will continue to provide needed humanitarian aid
    to the Georgian people. South Ossetia and Abkhazia are part of Georgia.
    And the United States will work with our allies to ensure Georgia's
    independence and territorial integrity.
        The people in this room understand the benefits of liberty because
    you fought to defend it and bring it to others. As young men, many of
    you battled the forces of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan on the
    battlefields of World War II. In

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    those days, it would have been hard for you to imagine that the enemies
    you were fighting would become some of America's closest allies. Six
    decades later, Germany and Japan are strong democracies; they are two of
    our closest allies.
        In your own lifetimes, you have seen firsthand the power of liberty
    to transform societies and yield the peace we all want. I believe, and
    people in this hall believe, that the power of freedom is unstoppable. I
    believe it because I believe in an Almighty that has given every man,
    woman, and child on the face of the Earth freedom. And I know freedom
    yields the peace we want. If America maintains our confidence in our
    ideals, is willing to take the lead, freedom will once again prevail.
    And we'll be able to look at a generation of Americans coming up and
    say, ``We did our duty; we defended America and laid the foundation of
    peace for generations to come.''
        We can also be confident, in every generation, freedom has found
    brave defenders in the men and women of our Armed Forces. You know,
    through the years, I've received a lot of heartfelt letters from our
    military families. One of them was from a woman in Texas named Sue
    Stoner. Sue's husband is a decorated Air Force
    veteran of Vietnam and the Gulf war. Last year during a trip to Fort
    Hood, the couple witnessed their 6-year-old granddaughter Mikayla do
    something that every American should do as well. The little girl bounded
    over to a wounded stranger in Army fatigues and said, ``I just wanted to
    say thank you for serving our country.'' As Mikayla's proud grandmother
    tells it, the soldier leaned forward on his walker and said,
    ``Sweetheart, I did it for you.''
        Every one of you put on the uniform for the same reason. You risked
    your life, you sacrificed so Americans like Mikayla could grow up in
    freedom. We will always honor your service. We will never forget your
    sacrifice.
        This is the last time I will address a veterans convention as the
    Commander in Chief. Over the past 70 years--7\1/2\ years, I've been
    honored to get to know many of your members. I've relied on your
    counsel. I have benefited from your wisdom. I have been extremely
    grateful for your prayers.
        I know you share with me a deep love for America and an awesome
    pride in those who defend her. When I meet with our troops, they always
    inspire me with their sense of duty and honor. They are America's finest
    citizens. I am confident that our troops will always be able to count on
    the fellowship and the support and the love of the men and women of the
    VFW. May God bless you, and may God bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 11:46 a.m. at the Orange County Convention
    Center. In his remarks, he referred to former Sen. Robert J. Dole and
    former Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna E. Shalala,
    Cochairs, President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded
    Warriors. A portion of these remarks could not be verified because the
    tape was incomplete.