[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 29, Number 45 (Monday, November 15, 1993)]
[Page 2312]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks Honoring the Vietnam Women's Memorial Project

 November 10, 1993

    The President. I want to welcome Diane Evans and all the members of 
the Vietnam Women's Memorial Project who are here to do an unveiling of 
a model of the statue which will be formally commemorated tomorrow on 
Veteran's Day. I have a few other remarks I want to make in a moment, 
but let me just say that the people who have worked on this project 
deserve the thanks of the Nation. They have worked for years and years, 
and today and tomorrow are very big days for them.
    I wanted to give them the opportunity to be seen today by the United 
States in bringing this model to the White House, where it will be on 
permanent display. And I want to introduce Diane now to say whatever 
she'd like to say and then do the unveiling.

[At this point, Ms. Evans thanked the President and presented a replica 
of the monument to him. Following the presentation, sculptor Glenna 
Goodacre explained how the monument was designed to honor the women who 
served in the Vietnam war.]

    The President. This is wonderful.
    Secretary Babbitt, Mr. Brown, do you want to say anything?
    Secretary Babbitt. It's a great pleasure to be here. It's really 
incredible. I sense that this brings this Mall together in its meaning 
and in its remembrance and its healing effect. I guess I'm just really 
pleased, Mr. President, to be the landlord.

    The President. And you're about to witness the transfer.

    Secretary Brown. Mr. President, I'd just like to make one 
observation. It appears to me that this memorial here is a living 
memorial. It speaks to all people who pass by, that freedom is not free, 
that there is a cost for war when you place people in armed conflict. 
And that I think in that respect, it will serve our Nation very, very 
well as a symbol of peace and the extent with which we will go to make 
sure that peace comes about in our world.

    The President. These documents, first of all, are witnesses that I 
am going to sign attesting the conveyance of the memorial to the 
Department of the Interior. This is a proclamation which names the 
National Women's Veterans Recognition Week, that on this year is 
Veteran's Day, to recognize the special importance of that. So I am 
going to sign these with all these pens so that all the people here can 
have----

[At this point, the President signed the memorandum of understanding and 
the proclamation, and Ms. Evans presented the President with a 
commemorative program.]


    The President. Thank you. Thank you all very much.

NAFTA Debate

    Q. Mr. President, we know you're happy with the performance of the 
Vice President. Is there going to be any effect on Capitol Hill?

    The President. I think so. We'll talk more about it in the press 
conference in a few minutes.

Note: The President spoke at 1:17 p.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Diane Evans, chair, Vietnam 
Woman's Memorial Project, and Jesse Brown, Secretary of Veterans 
Affairs. A tape was not available for verification of the content of 
these remarks.