[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 22 (Monday, June 4, 2007)]
[Pages 687-688]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

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The President's Radio Address

May 26, 2007

    Good morning. This Memorial Day weekend, Americans honor those who 
have given their lives in service to our Nation. As we pay tribute to 
the brave men and women who died for our freedom, we also honor those 
who are defending our liberties around the world today.
    On Wednesday, I met with some of the courageous young men and women 
who will soon take their place in the defense of our Nation, the 
graduating class of the United States Coast Guard Academy. Since its 
inception, the Coast Guard has patrolled and protected America's shores. 
And in this time of war, the Coast Guard has assumed new 
responsibilities to defend our Nation against terrorist infiltration and 
help stop new attacks. I was proud to stand with the class of 2007 and 
thank them for their bold decision to wear the uniform.
    The men and women of the Coast Guard are fighting alongside 
soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines who have also volunteered to 
protect America. We live in freedom because patriots such as these are 
willing to serve, and many have given their lives in defense of our 
Nation. On Monday, I will lay a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery to 
honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in their country's 
cause.
    One of those who gave his life was Sergeant David Christoff, Jr., of 
Rossford, Ohio. The day after the attacks of September the 11th, David 
walked into a recruiting station to become a United States marine. Asked 
why he made the decision to serve, David said, ``I don't want my brother 
and sister to live in fear.'' David eventually deployed to Iraq, where 
he fought street by street in the battle of Fallujah and earned a Purple 
Heart for wounds suffered in action.
    While on leave back home, David learned his company was headed for 
combat in Afghanistan. But he knew there was also a job to finish in 
Iraq. So he asked to be reassigned to a unit headed for Iraq, and last 
May, he died in Anbar Province, where the marines are taking the fight 
to Al Qaida. When his family received his belongings, his mother

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and his father each found a letter from David. He asked that they pray 
for his fellow marines and all those still serving overseas.
    On Memorial Day, our Nation honors Sergeant Christoff's final 
request. We pray for our men and women serving in harm's way. We pray 
for their safe return. And we pray for their families and loved ones, 
who also serve our country with their support and sacrifice.
    On Memorial Day, we rededicate ourselves to freedom's cause. In Iraq 
and Afghanistan, millions have shown their desire to be free. We are 
determined to help them secure their liberty. Our troops are helping 
them build democracies that respect the rights of their people, uphold 
the rule of law, and fight extremists alongside America in the war on 
terror. With the valor and determination of our men and women in 
uniform, I am confident that we will succeed and leave a world that is 
safer and more peaceful for our children and grandchildren.
    On Memorial Day, we also pay tribute to Americans from every 
generation who have given their lives for our freedom. From Valley Forge 
to Vietnam, from Kuwait to Kandahar, from Berlin to Baghdad, brave men 
and women have given up their own futures so that others might have a 
future of freedom. Because of their sacrifice, millions here and around 
the world enjoy the blessings of liberty. And wherever these patriots 
rest, we offer them the respect and gratitude of our Nation.
    Thank you for listening.

Note: The address was recorded at 7:50 a.m. on May 25 in the Cabinet 
Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on May 26. The 
transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
May 25 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office of 
the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of this 
address.