[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
[November 11, 2008]
[Pages 1354-1358]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks at a Rededication Ceremony at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space 
Museum in New York City
November 11, 2008

    Thank you all. Thank you for the warm welcome. Be seated. Charles and Rich, 
thanks a lot. I gratefully accept the Freedom Award. And I'm honored to 
be with you today as we rededicate a great monument to freedom, the 
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. At this ceremony, we recognize nearly 
55,000 Americans who served aboard the USS Intrepid, including some who 
are here today. And we commemorate Veterans Day by honoring all those 
who have worn the uniform of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and 
Marine Corps. Thank you for serving our great Nation.
    I am proud to be traveling with the First Lady of the United 
States, Laura Bush, the most patient woman in 
America. [Laughter] Governor, thank you 
for joining us. Secretary Kempthorne, 
Senator Hillary Clinton, I'm proud to 
be with you. Thank you for being here. Congressman Pete King, Congressman Charlie Rangel, Congressman Anthony Weiner, 
thank you all for joining us today. Looking forward to that lame duck 
session, aren't we? [Laughter]

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    What an awesome guy General Jim Conway 
is, Commandant of the United States Marine Corps and member of the Joint 
Chiefs. Christine Quinn, thank you for 
your remarks. Bill White, the Vanna 
White of the Intrepid. He's a--[laughter]. 
Arnold Fisher and the Fisher family, what a 
fabulous contribution the Fishers have made to the United States of 
America, and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
    John Rich, fellow Texan; John, tell them we're 
coming home, and we're coming home with our heads held high.
    Members of the Intrepid Museum and Foundation board of trustees; 
wounded warriors. You know, oftentimes they ask me, ``What are you going 
to miss about the Presidency?'' And first reaction is, I say, ``No 
traffic jams in New York.'' The truth of the matter is, I will miss 
being the Commander in Chief of such a fabulous group of men and women, 
those who wear the uniform of the United States military.
    Veterans Day has a long and solemn history. The event that inspired 
it took place 90 years ago today in a small railway car in a French 
forest. November the 11th, 1918, the Allied Powers and Germany signed an 
armistice that ended one of the bloodiest wars the world had ever 
witnessed. By the time that day arrived, World War I had raged for more 
than 4 years, and more than 8 million soldiers had given their lives. 
But on the 11th hour of the 11th day of that 11th month, the guns fell 
silent, and peace began to return to Europe.
    To commemorate the war's end, President Woodrow Wilson declared that 
November the 11th should be remembered as Armistice Day, a holiday to 
honor the brave sacrifices of the American soldiers who defended 
democracy and freedom overseas. Today, we know it as Veterans Day, a day 
when we celebrate and thank and honor every man and woman who have 
served in our Armed Forces.
    These noble Americans are our sons and daughters, they are our 
fathers and mothers, they are our family, and they are our friends. They 
leave home to do the work of patriots, and they lead lives of quiet 
dignity when they return. Today we send a clear message to all who have 
worn the uniform: Thank you for your courage, thank you for your 
sacrifice, and thank you for standing up when your Nation needed you 
most.
    In the years since we began celebrating Veterans Day, America's 
Armed Forces have defended our freedom in many conflicts. And in those 
conflicts, they have often relied on the might of the USS Intrepid.
    The great ship's keel was laid on December 1, 1941. Less than a week 
later, Pearl Harbor was attacked, and America entered World War II. In 
the years to come, as the United States Navy defended the freedom in the 
Pacific, the men of the ``Fighting I'' would be in the thick of the 
battle. The Intrepid participated in the invasion of the Marshall 
Islands. She played a key role in the amphibious assault on Okinawa. She 
was part of one of the greatest sea battles in history, the Battles of 
Leyte Gulf.
    In that massive engagement, American forces faced some of the most 
formidable elements of the Japanese Navy. The Japanese fleet included 
the Yamamato [Yamato]* and the Musashi; these were the heaviest and the 
largest battleships ever constructed. The Imperial Navy approached the 
coast of the Philippines from three different directions, and it was a 
fearsome challenge, but the men of this ship were ready. The Intrepid's 
air group fought courageously and without rest. By the time the battle 
ended 3 days later, the United States Navy had sunk the Musashi to the 
ocean floor and lifted hopes for victory in the Pacific.
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    *White House correction.
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    The war ended the following year, but the Intrepid's mission did not 
end. As the

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United States raced into the new frontier of space, the Intrepid stood 
by to retrieve astronauts returning to Earth. During the cold war, she 
patrolled the Mediterranean and helped force the surrender of pro-Castro 
terrorists who had hijacked a freighter in the Caribbean, and did three 
tours off the waters of Vietnam. For our Nation's bicentennial 
celebration, the United States Congress paid a fitting tribute to this 
ship's extraordinary service when they selected the Intrepid to 
represent the United States Navy in Philadelphia.
    After more than 30 years at sea, the Intrepid was permanently 
decommissioned. Despite her amazing history, she was destined to be 
scrapped. But thanks to the work of the Intrepid Museum Foundation, she 
found a home in New York City. Since 1982, she has been a museum that 
educates new generations of Americans about the high price that those 
who came before them paid for their freedom.
    One of the veterans who has been honored here was a Navy pilot who 
flew Avenger torpedo planes during World War II. When he was invited 
onboard the Intrepid for the 50th anniversary of D-day, he was moved to 
see that the museum had arranged for a vintage Avenger, painted in the 
style of his unit, to be right here on the deck. It just so happens that 
it was flanked by two of the men who had flown in his squadron. The man 
the Intrepid honored that day is a great American. He's a dedicated 
servant to this country, and I can tell you from personal experience 
he's a fabulous father.
    Even as a museum, the Intrepid still answered the call to service. 
I'm pretty certain most Americans don't understand what I'm about to 
tell you, but on September the 11th, when we came attacked just a few 
blocks from here, the Intrepid was used as an emergency command center. 
First-responders launched helicopters from the decks. It became clear 
that this ship, which helped defeat the great totalitarian threats of 
the 20th century, was front and center in the opening moments of a new 
struggle against the forces of hatred and fear.
    The war on terror has required courage; it has required resolve 
equal to what previous generations of Americans brought to the fields of 
Europe and the deep waters of the Pacific. And I'm proud to report to my 
fellow citizens, our Armed Forces, the Armed Forces of this generation, 
have showed up for the fight, and America is more secure for it.
    This morning, Laura and I flew up here with 
some brave 
men and women who are keeping us safe. I want to introduce 
them to you.
    Staff Sergeant Michael Noyce Merino 
was the first National Guardsman ever to be named the Army's 
Noncommissioned Officer of the Year. Senior Airman Alicia 
Goetschel was named one of the Air Force's 
Outstanding Airmen of the Year for her work in keeping dangerous 
extremists off the streets of Iraq. Chief Petty Officer Shenequa 
Cox won several awards recognizing her as one 
of the Navy's finest sailors. Petty Officer First Class Chris 
Hutto was honored as the Coast Guard's 
Enlisted Person of the Year. And United States Marine Sergeant John 
Badon's bravery earned him two Purple Hearts for 
his service in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Where are my new pals? God bless 
you.
    They are representatives of the finest our Nation offers. And they 
have the support of strong and caring and loving families. And so on 
this Veterans Day, not only do we honor those who have worn the uniform, 
those who are wearing the uniform, we honor their families. And we thank 
them from the bottom of our hearts.
    We have a moral obligation to support our families, and we have a 
moral obligation to support our veterans. It has been my privilege to 
work with Members of the United States Congress to nearly double the 
funding for those who have worn the uniform. It has been my privilege to 
work to implement the recommendations from

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the Dole-Shalala 
Commission, to make sure that we have a mental health care system and 
physical health care system worthy of the sacrifice of those who have 
worn the uniform.
    It has been my privilege to work with the United States Congress to 
expand education benefits for both members of our military as well as 
our veterans. It has been my privilege to say loud and clear to our 
veterans: We love you, we respect you, and we thank you for serving the 
United States of America.
    And I love what the Intrepid Relief Fund and the Intrepid Fallen 
Heroes Fund have done to support our veterans as well. They provided 
more than $100 million to military families in need. The Intrepid's 
Fisher House program has provided temporary housing for families of 
service men and women receiving medical treatment.
    At the center for the Intrepid's physical rehabilitation facility in 
San Antonio, Texas, America's wounded warriors receive some incredible 
medical care. I have seen what happens in this place of healing and hope 
firsthand. The Intrepid Center brings great compassion to those who have 
worn and are wearing the uniform. It also shows that the American people 
are incredibly generous in supporting the veterans. And I want to thank 
the Intrepid members and those who support the Intrepid foundations for 
your work on behalf of our country.
    Throughout the decades, our service men and women have shown a 
spirit of selfless courage. I was impressed by the story of Alonzo 
Swann, who on October 29, 1944, here on 
the deck of the Intrepid, had to help his fellow sailors deal with a 
kamikaze attack. He saw his best friend burning alive and caught in a 
gun mount. He rushed into the flames. He attempted to save his buddy, 
but before he could do so, an ammunition bin detonated; nine were 
killed, six injured, including Alonzo.
    For his bravery, he was awarded the 
Bronze Star. It's a high honor, but a lot of folks didn't think it was a 
high enough honor. They felt he deserved the Navy Cross, and many 
believed that he had been denied the Navy Cross because of the color of 
his skin--he was an African American. For 50 years his advocates 
petitioned the Government, and for 50 years they were unsuccessful. But 
he kept the faith. November 3, 1993, under the Presidency of my 
predecessor, President Bill Clinton, 
right here on the deck of the Intrepid, Alonzo Swann finally received 
his Navy Cross. And I want people to listen to what he said. He said, 
``If you think you're right, fight your heart out.'' That ought to be 
the motto of the modern United States military. You think you're right, 
and you're fighting your heart out for the sake of peace and freedom, 
and we thank you for it.
    Laura and I are honored to be here. We're 
honored to see this majestic place. I love the fact that parents can 
answer a child's question about ``Why fight?'' with this answer: These 
brave souls fought for freedom, they fought for liberty, and they fought 
to guarantee the rights given to us by our Creator. And that has been 
the history of our Armed Forces: brave folks, the mightiest defenders of 
those unalienable rights.
    So on behalf of a grateful nation, I thank our veterans for your 
service, for your commitment. May God bless you, and may God continue to 
bless the United States of America.

Note: The President spoke at 12:27 p.m. In his remarks, he referred to 
Charles de Gunzburg and Richard Santulli, cochairmen, and Arnold Fisher, 
chairman emeritus, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum board of trustees; 
Gov. David A. Paterson of New York; Christine C. Quinn, speaker, New 
York City Council; Bill White, president, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space 
Museum; television personality Vanna White; and entertainer John Rich.

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