[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 39, Number 28 (Monday, July 14, 2003)]
[Pages 881-883]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on the 100th Anniversary of Flight in Dayton, Ohio

July 4, 2003

    The President. Thank you all very much. Thanks for the warm welcome. 
Want to be seated? Be seated. [Laughter] It's kind of a long speech. 
[Laughter] Thanks for coming. It's great to be in the great State of 
Ohio. I am proud to be at Wright-Patt, the birthplace, the home, and the 
future of aerospace.
    I had the honor of meeting Amanda Wright Lane and Steve Wright, 
descendants of the Wright brothers. They were quick to remind me that 
Dayton is where the Wright brothers first drew up the plans for their 
flying machine. I wonder what Wilbur and Orville would have thought if 
they'd have seen that flying machine that I came in on today. [Laughter]
    I'm truly honored to join you in celebrating the 227th anniversary 
of our Nation's independence. The Fourth of July, 2003, finds our 
country facing many challenges. And we're rising to meet them. Today and 
every day, the people of this land are grateful for our freedom, and we 
are proud to call ourselves citizens of the United States of America.
    I want to thank Governor Bob Taft and the First Lady of Ohio for 
their friendship and their leadership for the State of Ohio.
    I appreciate so very much my friends Senator George Voinovich and 
Senator Mike DeWine for coming out to greet with me today and to be here 
with you all. They're great United States Senators. I want to thank 
Congressman Michael Turner, Congressman David Hobson, and Congressman 
John Boehner for their service to the State of Ohio.
    I was so honored that a great American, former Senator John Glenn, 
and his wife, Annie, came out to say hello at the airport, and I'm 
honored they are here today. I want to thank them for coming.
    I appreciate members of the State Government: The Lieutenant 
Governor, Jennette Bradley, is with us today; Treasurer Joe Deters; and 
Doug White, the senate president. I want to thank the mayor of the city 
of Dayton, Mayor McLin, for coming today as well and all those involved 
with city government.
    I appreciate the generals on this base that make this fantastic base 
function so well, starting with Les Lyles, the commander. I want to 
thank Brad Tillson, who is the chairman of Inventing Flight Commission, 
and John Barry, who is chairman of the Air Force Museum Foundation.
    Today when I landed, I had the opportunity to meet a fellow citizen 
named Becky Lundy.
    Audience member. Yeah!
    The President. Somebody has heard of her. [Laughter] Becky Lundy is 
the spouse of a active duty Air Force member. What makes her unique is 
she's a volunteer at the Family Support Center at Wright-Patterson Air 
Force Base. She takes time out of her day to comfort those who need 
comfort. She understands that service to our country means helping 
somebody in need.
    Listen, we're a strong and powerful nation because we've got a great 
military. But we're also strong because we're a nation of fine hearts. 
If those of you are looking for some way to serve your country, go to 
usafreedomcorps.gov on your Internet. Look up a place to help a neighbor 
in need. Join the armies of compassion, just as Becky Lundy does. We are 
changing America one heart, one soul, one conscience at a time, and we 
need your help.
    But most of all, I want to thank you all for coming today. I 
appreciate the families from this base and citizens from all across the 
State of Ohio who have come to celebrate our Independence Day. During 
the last year, people at this base have met hardships together. You 
looked out for each other. You've given strength and support to our men 
and

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women in uniform. Like military communities across the country, you have 
played a vital part in our Nation's cause, and America is grateful.
    Every year on this date, we take special pride in the founding 
generation, the men and women who waged a desperate fight to overcome 
tyranny and live in freedom. Centuries later, it is hard to imagine the 
Revolutionary War coming out any way other than it--how it came out. Yet 
victory was far from certain and came at great cost. Those brave men and 
women were certain only of the cause they served, the belief that 
freedom is the gift of God and the right of all mankind.
    Six years passed from the fighting at Concord Bridge to the victory 
at Yorktown, 6 years of struggle and hardship for American patriots. By 
their courage and perseverance, the Colonies became a country. The land 
of 13 States and fewer than 4 million people grew and prospered. And 
today, all who live in tyranny and all who yearn for freedom place their 
hopes in the United States of America.
    For more than two centuries, Americans have been called to serve and 
sacrifice for the ideals of our founding, and the men and women of our 
military have never failed us. They have left many monuments along the 
way, an undivided Union, a liberated Europe, the rise of democracy in 
Asia, and the fall of an evil empire. Millions across the world are free 
today because of the unselfish courage of American veterans. And today 
we honor our veterans.
    And today we honor the current generation of our military, which is 
answering the call to defend our freedom and to bring freedom to others. 
The 23,000 men and women of Wright-Patt, military and civilian, have 
been crucial to our victories in Afghanistan and in Iraq.
    Research done at this base has helped give America the finest Air 
Force in history. The Predator drone, which is serving us so well 
overseas, was developed right here. Doctors and specialists from this 
base cared for wounded soldiers and for wounded prisoners. Many critical 
medical evacuations were carried out by the skillful pilots and crews of 
the mighty 445th Wing of Wright-Patt. C-141s from this base transported 
troops and equipment to serve in both Operation Enduring Freedom and in 
Operation Iraqi Freedom. And B-1 bombers supported from this base made 
their presence known in Baghdad, striking the dictator's regime until 
the regime was no more.
    Our United States military is meeting the threats of a new era. 
People in every branch of the service and thousands of Guard and Reserve 
members called to active duty have carried out their missions with all 
the skill and the honor we expect of them. This Nation is grateful to 
the men and women who wear our Nation's uniform.
    And on this Fourth of July, we also remember the brave Americans we 
have lost. We honor each one for their courage and for their sacrifice. 
We think of the families who miss them so much. And we are thankful that 
this Nation produces such fine men and women who are willing to defend 
us all. May God rest their souls.
    Our Nation is still at war. The enemies of America plot against us, 
and many of our fellow citizens are still serving and sacrificing and 
facing danger in distant places. Many military families are separated. 
Our people in uniform do not have easy duty, and much depends on their 
success. Without America's active involvement in the world, the 
ambitions of tyrants would go unopposed, and millions would live at the 
mercy of terrorists. With Americans' active involvement in the world, 
tyrants learn to fear, and terrorists are on the run.
    By killing innocent Americans, our enemies made their intentions 
clear to us. And since that September day, we have made our own 
intentions clear to them. The United States will not stand by and wait 
for another attack or trust in the restraint and good intentions of evil 
men. We are on the offensive against terrorists and all who support 
them. We will not permit any terrorist group or outlaw regime to 
threaten us with weapons of mass murder. We will act whenever it is 
necessary to protect the lives and the liberty of the American people.
    America's work in the world does not end with the removal of grave 
threats. The Declaration of Independence holds a promise for all 
mankind. Because Americans believe that freedom is an unalienable right, 
we value the

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freedom of every nation. Because we are committed to the God-given worth 
of every life, we work for human dignity. We protect our friends, and we 
raise up former enemies to be our friends.
    We bring food and disaster relief to the nations of the world in 
times of crisis. And in Africa, where I'll go next week, the United 
States is leading the effort to fight AIDS and save millions of lives 
with the healing power of medicine.
    Just as our enemies are coming to know the strong will of America, 
people across the Earth are seeing the good and generous heart of 
America. Americans are a generous people because we realize how much we 
have been given. On the Fourth of July, we can be grateful for the unity 
of our country in meeting great challenges, for the renewal of 
patriotism that adversity has brought, and for the valor we have seen in 
those who defend the United States.
    In recent events, we have learned the names of some exceptional 
young men and women who have shown the strength and character of 
America. At a hospital in Washington, I met Master Gunnery Sergeant 
Guadalupe Denogean, an immigrant from Mexico who has served in the 
Marine Corps for 25 years. In March, he was wounded in combat in Basra 
and sent back to America for treatment. When I asked if he had any 
requests, the Master Gunnery Sergeant had just two. He wanted a 
promotion for the colonel who rescued him, and he wanted to be an 
American citizen.
    I was there the day that Guadalupe Denogean took the oath of 
citizenship. From the hospital where he was recovering, this son of 
Mexico raised his right hand and pledged to support and defend the 
Constitution of the United States of America. He had kept that oath for 
decades before he took it. I'm proud to call him a fellow American.
    To be an American, whether by birth or choice, is a high privilege. 
As citizens of this good Nation, we can all be proud of our heritage and 
confident in our future. The ideals of July 4th, 1776, still speak to 
all humanity. And the Revolution declared that day goes on. On July the 
4th, 2003, we still placed our trust in divine providence. We still 
pledge our lives and honor to freedom's defense. And we will always 
believe that freedom is the hope and the future of every land.
    May God continue to bless the United States of America.

Note: The President spoke at 12:13 p.m. outside the U.S. Air Force 
Museum at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. In his remarks, he referred 
to Gov. Bob Taft of Ohio and his wife, Hope; Mayor Rhine McLin of 
Dayton; Gen. Les Lyles, USAF, commander, Air Force Materiel Command; and 
former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq. This item was not received in 
time for publication in the appropriate issue.