[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 41, Number 41 (Monday, October 17, 2005)]
[Pages 1529-1530]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at the Joint Reserve Base at the U.S. Naval Air Station in New 
Orleans, Louisiana

October 11, 2005

    Generals, thanks--General Landreneau and General Downer, thank you 
all for greeting me here. I'm proud to be traveling with Members of the 
United States Congress who are with us today. Listen, I'm here to thank 
you all for what has been an incredible outpouring of talent and skill 
and compassion to help the good folks of this part of the world that 
have suffered mightily. I'm incredibly proud of those who wear our 
Nation's uniform, and I'm incredibly proud of the job you have done. You 
have brought great credit to your units, credit to your family, and 
credit to our Nation.
    We've got a lot of work to do, and I'll be telling the people that 
I've had an honor to meet, opportunity to meet, that out of this rubble 
is going to come some good, out of the devastation is going to come new 
cities and new hope. And I hope you take great inspiration in being a 
part of the renewal of this important part of the world.
    I want you to, when you talk to your families, to tell them the 
Commander in Chief is proud of them as--I'm equally as proud of them as 
I am proud of you.
    May God bless you all and your work. May God bless your families, 
and may God continue to bless our great country. Thank you very much.

Note: The President spoke at 12:29 p.m. In his remarks, he referred to 
Maj. Gen. Bennett C. Landreneau, Adjutant General for Louisiana; and 
Brig. Gen. Huntington B. Downer, Jr., Assistant Adjutant General for 
Louisiana.

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