[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 46 (Monday, November 15, 2004)]
[Pages 2807-2808]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to Reporters Following a Visit With Wounded Troops at Walter 
Reed Army Medical Center

November 9, 2004

    Listen, I've--Laura and I have just toured one of the wards 
upstairs. I am--every time I come to Walter Reed, I'm struck by the 
courage and bravery of our men and women

[[Page 2808]]

who wear the uniform. It's such an honor to meet the troops who are 
wounded. And it's so uplifting to see their spirit, their drive to 
become rehabilitated, their love of their country, their support of the 
mission.

    Laura and I spent time with the moms and dads and husbands and wives 
of those who are wounded, and I was struck by just the patriotic sense 
that they have and that--their strong support for their loved ones.

    Every time I come to the hospital, one of the things I try to 
determine is to--whether or not our troops and their families are being 
treated with first-class care. It's very important for all of us 
involved in decisionmaking to know that a troop who had been injured in 
Iraq or Afghanistan is immediately brought to care. And to a person, 
they were very strong in their support and praise to how this hospital 
is run.

    I want to thank the generals, the doctors, the nurses for running 
this hospital. I mean, it's--it's such a comforting sense for me to be 
able to tell a loved one, your person hurt, your loved one will get the 
best care possible.

    And finally, we've got troops in harm's way in the Fallujah area 
right now, and our prayers are with the soldiers and their loved ones as 
they're doing the hard work necessary for a free Iraq to emerge. There 
are still terrorists there who are trying to stop the march of freedom. 
And at the request of the Allawi Government and alongside of Iraqi 
troops, coalition forces are now moving in to Fallujah to bring to 
justice those who are willing to kill the innocent and those who are 
trying to terrorize the Iraqi people and our coalition, those who want 
to stop democracy. And they're not going to succeed.

    And so we wish our troops all the best and Godspeed to them as well. 
Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 3:01 p.m. In his remarks, he referred to 
Prime Minister Ayad Allawi of the Iraqi Interim Government. A tape was 
not available for verification of the content of these remarks.