    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 46 (Monday, November 20, 2006)]
    [Pages 2042-2044]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Remarks at the Dedication of the National Museum of the Marine Corps in
    Quantico, Virginia

    November 10, 2006

        The President. Thank you all. Thank you for the warm welcome.
    General Hagee, thank you for your service to our country. Secretaries of
    the Army and Navy and Air Force; I'm proud to be here with the Chairman
    of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Pete Pace, the first United States
    marine to have ever held this position. Senator Warner and Congresswoman
    Davis; former Governor Warner and former Senator Glenn; honored guests;
    veterans; General Christmas and all those responsible for this fine
    museum; United States marines everywhere: Please join me in wishing a
    very happy Marine Corps birthday to every man and woman who has ever
    worn the eagle, the globe, and the anchor.
        As Jim Lehrer reminded you, we celebrate the 231st birthday of one
    of the world's premier fighting forces. And we mark the opening of our
    Nation's most modern military museum. For too long, the only people to
    have direct experience of the Marine Corps have been the marines
    themselves--and the enemy who's made the mistake of taking them on. The
    National Museum of the Marine Corps fixes this problem. In this museum,
    you will experience life from a marine's perspective. In this museum,
    you'll feel what it's like to go through boot camp--no, thanks--
    [laughter]--make an amphibious landing under fire, or deploy from a
    helicopter in Vietnam.
        The museum will not make you into a marine--only a drill instructor
    can do that--but by putting you in the boots of a marine, this museum
    will leave you with an appreciation of the rich history of the Corps and
    the pride that comes with earning the title United States marine.
        The history of the Corps is as important to each marine as his
    rifle. Every marine knows the Corps traces its founding to a

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    Philadelphia tavern in 1775. Every marine can name the famous battles,
    legends, and heroes that stretch from the halls of Montezuma to the
    deserts of Iraq. Every marine understands that the Corps reputation for
    honor and courage is a sacred inheritance from marines past, and a
    solemn trust to be passed on to marines to come. The marines believe
    that you cannot know what you stand for if you do not know where you
    came from, and they teach their history because they are determined to
    repeat it.
        The history of the Corps is now preserved within these walls. Many
    of you here today do not need a museum to tell you this history because
    you wrote it yourselves with your sweat and your sacrifice in places
    like Tarawa, Chosin, and Khe Sahn. These walls pay tribute to your
    contributions to American freedom. These walls remind all who visit here
    that honor, courage, and commitment are not just words. They are core
    values for a way of life that puts service above self. And these walls
    will keep the history of the Marine Corps alive for generations of
    Americans to come. This is an important place, and I thank you for
    supporting it.
        The museum is shaped in the form of the famous photograph of the
    flag raising on Iwo Jima. Iwo Jima is one of the most important battles
    in American history. It is fitting that Iwo Jima is one of the most
    important exhibits in this museum. The Japanese who defended that island
    had learned from costly battles that they could not defeat American
    forces. Yet they believed that by inflicting maximum casualties on our
    forces, they would demoralize our Nation and make America tire of war.
        In that battle, the Japanese succeeded in taking the lives of more
    than 6,000 men. They did not succeed in stopping the marines from
    achieving their mission. And that flag that was raised on Mount
    Suribachi would become an enduring symbol of American resolve and a
    lasting icon of a democracy at war.
        The history of the Corps is now being written by a new generation of
    marines. Since the attacks of September the 11th, 2001, more than
    190,000 men and women have stepped forward to wear the uniform of the
    Marine Corps. Like the marines who have come before them, this new
    generation is serving freedom's cause in distant lands. Like the marines
    who have come before them, this new generation faces determined enemies.
    And like the marines who have come before them, this new generation is
    adding its own chapters to the stories of liberty and peace. And years
    from now, when America looks out on a democratic Middle East growing in
    freedom and prosperity, Americans will speak of the battles like
    Fallujah with the same awe and reverence that we now give to Guadalcanal
    and Iwo Jima.
        Like the marines who have come before them, this new generation has
    also given some of its finest men in the line of duty. One of these fine
    men was Jason Dunham. Jason's birthday is November the 10th, so you
    might say that he was born to be a marine. And as far back as boot camp,
    his superiors spotted the quality that would mark this young American as
    an outstanding marine, his willingness to put the needs of others before
    his own.
        Corporal Dunham showed that spirit in April 2004, while leading a
    patrol of his marines in an Iraqi town near the Syrian border. When a
    nearby Marine convoy was ambushed, Corporal Dunham led his squad to the
    site of the attack, where he and his men stopped a convoy of cars that
    were trying to make an escape. As he moved to search one of the
    vehicles, an insurgent jumped out and grabbed the Corporal by the
    throat. The Corporal engaged the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. At one
    point he shouted to his fellow marines, ``No, no, no, watch his hand.''
    Moments later, an enemy grenade rolled out. Corporal Dunham did not
    hesitate; he jumped on the grenade to protect his fellow marines; he
    used his helmet and his body to absorb the blast.
        A friend who was there that terrible day put it this way: ``Corporal
    Dunham had a gift from God. Everyone who came in contact with him wanted
    to be like him. He was the toughest marine but the nicest guy. He would
    do anything for you. Corporal Dunham was the kind of person everybody
    wants as their best friend.'' Despite surviving the initial blast and
    being given the best of medical care, Corporal Dunham ultimately
    succumbed to his wounds. And by giving his

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    own life, Corporal Dunham saved the lives of two of his men and showed
    the world what it means to be a marine.
        Corporal Dunham's mom and dad are with us today on what would have
    been this brave young man's 25th birthday. We remember that the marine
    who so freely gave his life was your beloved son. We ask a loving God to
    comfort you for a loss that can never be replaced. And on this special
    birthday, in the company of his fellow marines, I'm proud to announce
    that our Nation will recognize Corporal Jason Dunham's action with
    America's highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor.
        As long as we have marines like Corporal Dunham, America will never
    fear for her liberty. And as long as we have this fine museum, America
    will never forget their sacrifice.
        May God bless you, may God bless the marines, and may God bless the
    United States.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:12 p.m. at the National Museum of the
    Marine Corps. In his remarks, he referred to former Gov. Mark Warner of
    Virginia; former Senator John H. Glenn, Jr., of Ohio; Lt. Gen. G.R.
    Christmas, USMC (Ret.), president, Marine Corps Heritage Foundation; Jim
    Lehrer, anchor of PBS's NewsHour with Jim Lehrer; and Dan and Deb
    Dunham, parents of Corp. Jason Dunham, USMC, who was killed near
    Husaybah, Iraq, on April 14, 2004.