    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 29, Number 22 (Monday, June 7, 1993)]
    [Pages 999-1001]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks Honoring the Observance of the 50th Anniversary of World War II

     May 31, 1993

        Good morning. Please be seated. It's a great honor for the First
    Lady and for me to have all of you here in the White House today. I want
    to welcome all of you, and a few by name, beginning with the Secretary
    of Veterans Affairs Jesse Brown; the Deputy Secretary of Defense Dr.
    William Perry; Marvin Runyon, the Postmaster General; Lt. General Claude
    Kicklighter, the Executive Director of the World War II Commemoration
    Committee; Mr. Roger Durbin, a World War II veteran and the initiator of
    the World War II Commemorative Coin legislation. Also here with me,
    representing all World War II veterans, is Admiral Eugene Fluckey. I'd
    like to welcome Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur from Ohio, an ardent
    supporter of veterans' cause who heeded the call of her constituent, Mr.
    Durbin, and took the lead on the legislation to issue the World War II
    50th Anniversary Commemorative Coin, to fund a building of the World War
    II Memorial here in Washington with no net cost to the United States
    Treasury. I wonder if we might undertake some other programs with that
    device. [Laughter]
        I'd like to thank our good friend, Senator Jay Rockefeller from West
    Virginia, another great advocate for veterans, for being here with us;
    Secretary Shannon from the Army; Admiral Kelso, wearing both his Chief
    of Naval Operations and Navy Secretary hats today; Secretary Donley from
    the Air Force; Admiral Jeremiah, the Vice Chair of the Joint Chiefs;
    General Sullivan, the Army Chief of Staff who took me to West Point on
    Saturday for one of the better days of my life, thank you, General;
    General McPeak, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force; General Mundy, the
    Commandant of the Marine Corps; and Admiral Kime, the Commandant of the
    Coast Guard. I'm delighted to welcome the many representatives of
    veteran service organizations who are here with us today.
        I want to say a special word of thanks to the veterans
    organizations, and the VA particularly, for working with the health care
    task force that the First Lady is chairing so closely on health care.
    Hillary visited the Washington, DC, VA medical centers on May 29th, and
    she talked to me in our brief stay at Camp David for 30 or 40 minutes
    about how impressed she was about what she saw there. And we are very,
    very hopeful that we can work with the active military health operations
    and with the VA in working through this health care issue. I think you
    have a major role to play.
        I'd also like to say a special word of thanks to the people who were
    involved in the May 28th kickoff of this weekend's Memorial Day
    remembrances. There I had the opportunity to speak with three VA medical
    centers, a telephone conversation that initiated a program replacing the
    old system of isolating

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    veterans in these hospitals from their families and friends by replacing
    it with a system where telephones are placed alongside their beds and
    are usable by veterans even with severe disabilities. We now are having
    five hospitals so equipped, but eventually will have 174 veterans
    hospitals where veterans will be able to call from their bedside to
    their families and friends.
        This is an important issue. One of the men I talked with in Queens
    has three children; two of them are in the service and are overseas. And
    now, even though he is quite ill, he'll be able to talk on this day to
    both of his children who, like him, are serving in the armed services.
        In just a few moments I'm going to sign a resolution and a
    proclamation designating this May 31st through June 7th as a period of
    national observance, as part of the 50th anniversary of World War II.
    But before I do that, and before Postmaster General Runyon and I unveil
    this year's additions of the World War II Commemorative Stamps, I'd like
    to say just a few things about the debt that all of us owe to our
    veterans.
        Fifty years ago, the United States and its allies were engaged in a
    monumental struggle to defeat a totalitarian Axis bent on controlling
    the world, to preserve the dignity of mankind and to protect individual
    freedom. Americans from every walk of life were called upon to sacrifice
    their freedoms and their comforts, to undergo great danger to shore up
    our Nation's future, and to fight for democracy.
        As we observe the 50th anniversary of World War II, our country must
    remember and honor the million who defended democracy and defeated
    aggression. We learned from those early defeats in World War II that we
    must remain vigilant and always prepared to resist future aggression and
    that all nations dedicated to freedom must stand together. The freedoms
    we enjoy today are results of our victory over aggression, and the
    efforts the United States makes today to work with all other nations who
    love and believe in freedom are a testimony to the wisdom of the lessons
    learned then.
        We must be committed now to leave our children a world free of the
    horrors of war: hatred, violence, and inhumanity. Franklin Roosevelt
    once said, ``We must cultivate the science of human relationships, the
    ability of all people to live and work together in the same world at
    peace.'' I think Admiral Fluckey, a courageous man, would agree that
    while courage and deeds of warriors are indeed heroic, the ultimate goal
    of this courage is to make it unnecessary for future generations.
        President Kennedy once said, ``It is an unfortunate fact that we can
    secure the peace only by preparing for war.'' Our Nation stands
    committed to defend itself and our allies by remaining strong and
    vigilant and ready. And therefore, it is very fitting that this week-
    long period of national observance of the 50th anniversary of World War
    II begins on Memorial Day, a day when we remember and honor our Nation's
    war dead. As we work toward a more peaceful future, it is appropriate
    that we remember and thank the brave and selfless patriots who served
    our Nation 50 years ago.
        During this commemoration, Americans of all ages must also remember
    those who gave their lives and dedicated themselves in other wars so
    that our Nation could remain free and strong, so that the deeds, the
    commitment, and the sacrifice of those who made this commitment will not
    have been in vain.
        I have asked the Secretary of Defense Les Aspin, who is in Brussels
    today, in conjunction with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jesse
    Brown, to continue coordinating the commemorative events of the 50th
    anniversary of the Second World War. I want to urge all the veterans,
    the Government, the civic, the business, and the patriotic organizations
    to join together in expression so that a grateful Nation will remember.
    Our Nation will rededicate itself during this time to studying the
    lessons of the past.
        I want to say in closing, again, how grateful I am to have all of
    you here in the White House today. This is your house. You have paid the
    price for it, and those whom you represent made the fact that it is
    still standing possible. We are all very, very grateful to you.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:15 a.m. in the East Room at the White
    House. Following his remarks, he signed Proclamation 6568--Time for

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    the National Observance of the Fiftieth Anniversary of World War II.