[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 46 (Monday, November 19, 2007)]
[Pages 1491-1492]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at American Legion Post 121 in Waco, Texas

November 11, 2007

    Thank you. Clayton, thanks for inviting me. I'm really honored to be 
here with you. Congressman Edwards, thank you for your eloquence and 
your very moving remarks. Members of the Texas State Legislature, it's 
good to see you again. Distinguished mayors, thank you all for being 
here. Proud veterans and families of the fallen, it is a privilege to 
spend this Veterans Day with you and to join you in honoring four sons 
of the great State of Texas who gave their lives in freedom's cause.

[[Page 1492]]

    The young men we remember today did not live to be called veterans. 
They died in a distant land fighting terror, spreading freedom, and 
protecting their fellow citizens from danger. The valor and selfless 
devotion of these men fills their families with immeasurable pride. Yet 
this pride cannot fill the hole in their loved ones' aching hearts or 
relieve the burden of grief that will remain for a lifetime. In their 
sorrow, these families need to know and families all across our Nation 
of the fallen need to know that your loved ones served a cause that is 
good and just and noble. And as their Commander in Chief, I make you 
this promise: Their sacrifice will not be in vain.
    I know all the veterans gathered here and across the Nation feel a 
special bond with our fallen soldiers and their families. Many 
experienced the heartbreak and tragic losses of war. Our veterans know 
that--what it's like to lose a brother on the field of battle. And many 
of them recall the determination they felt when a beloved comrade fell--
the determination to pick up the mantle, to carry on the fight, and to 
complete the mission.
    That's precisely what today's generation of soldiers is doing in the 
war on terror. Since the attacks of September the 11th, 2001, more than 
2 million Americans have stepped forward to put on our Nation's uniform, 
and during that same period, 1.5 million American troops have made the 
courageous decision to reenlist and to stay in the fight. These men and 
women saw the future the terrorists intend for our country, and they 
said with clear voices, ``Not on my watch.'' America is blessed to have 
such brave defenders. They are tomorrow's veterans, and they're bringing 
pride to our country.
    Their service is noble, and it is necessary. The enemies who 
attacked us 6 years ago want to strike our country again, and next time, 
they hope to kill Americans on a scale that will make 9/11 pale by 
comparison. By fighting this enemy in foreign lands, the men and women 
of our Armed Forces are helping to ensure we do not have to face them in 
our own land. And by spreading the hope of liberty to nations that have 
not known it, our troops are helping to defeat the ideology of the 
terrorists and secure a future of peace for generations to come.
    As veterans, you have confidence in freedom's cause because you have 
seen with your own eyes the power of liberty to transform nations and 
secure the peace. The men and women gathered before me took an oath to 
defend America, and you upheld that oath with honor and decency and 
valor. You humbled tyrants, liberated continents, and freed millions 
from unspeakable oppression. And because of your service and sacrifice, 
the world has been transformed in once unimaginable ways. Today, across 
Europe and Asia, former adversaries in war have become allies in the 
cause of peace. And in towns and villages on both continents, there are 
still men and women who talk of the day when the Americans arrived to 
free them from tyranny.
    I thank our Nation's veterans for the fine example that you have set 
for our country. I thank you for your courage and your patriotism and 
your devotion to duty. I thank you for standing up for the men and women 
of our Armed Forces. And I thank you for all you do to support the 
families they leave behind during this time of war.
    May God bless and keep all who have made the ultimate sacrifice. May 
God bless and keep our brave and honored veterans. May God bless those 
who are in harm's way. And may God continue to bless our Nation. Thank 
you.

Note: The President spoke at 2:52 p.m. In his remarks, he referred to 
Clayton Hueske, commander, American Legion Post 121.