[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 26 (Monday, July 7, 2008)]
[Page 943]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Message on the Observance of Independence Day, 2008

July 2, 2008

    I send greetings to all Americans on Independence Day.
    More than two centuries ago, bold and courageous visionaries pledged 
their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor in signing the 
Declaration of Independence. Guided by ancient and eternal truths, our 
forefathers proclaimed to the world that liberty was the natural right 
of all mankind and in doing so began one of the greatest chapters in 
human history. On the Fourth of July, our country commemorates the great 
achievements of these heroes and reaffirms its unwavering confidence in 
the power of freedom.
    It was the desire for freedom that inspired our Founding Fathers, 
and it is the belief in the universality of freedom that guides our 
Nation. On this occasion, we pay special tribute to the men and women of 
our Armed Forces, both past and present, who have answered freedom's 
call and defended the values that make America the greatest country on 
earth.
    May God bless America.
                                                George W. Bush

Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this message.