President Thanks Military Personnel
Camp Pendleton, California
9:34 A.M. PST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. (Applause.) Thank you for the warm
welcome. It was getting a little quiet back at the White House.
(Laughter.) So I decided to drop in on the Devil Dogs. (Applause.)
Thank you for coming out to say hello. I've been looking forward to
this for quite a while it's a pleasure to be with so many
squared-away, gung-ho United States Marines. (Applause.)
I'm here to thank you for serving our country in a time when we
need you. In a season where Americans stop to count their blessings, I
want you to know one of America's greatest blessings is the men and
women who wear our nation's uniform. (Applause.) And many of you are
blessed by having a husband or wife, or a son and daughter who stand
with you during this time of sacrifice. Our nation is blessed because
of our military families. (Applause.) Your fellow citizens are proud
of you, and so is your Commander-in-Chief. (Applause.)
I appreciate Secretary of the Navy Gordon England for joining us
today. I want to thank Major General Tim Donovan for his leadership.
I want to thank Brigadier General James Williams for being here, as
well. I want to thank all the state and local officials. I want to
thank the military families. But most of all, I want to thank the
United States Marine Corps. (Applause.)
Last month, Marines across the world broke out their dress blues to
celebrate the 229th birthday of the Corps. But the men and women of
Camp Pendleton's 1st Marine Expeditionary Force marked the occasion a
little differently -- by fighting the enemies in Iraq. As one
Pendleton Marine near the front lines put it, "This is what we, as
Marines, do. It is where the American people expect us to be." The
Marines of Camp Pendleton are serving our nation with valor and
integrity.
This is the home of the 1st Marine Division, one of America's
oldest and most decorated units. (Applause.) In Korea, the Marines of
the 1st Division were surrounded at the Chosin Reservoir by 10
divisions of Chinese troops. When Colonel Chesty Puller heard the
news, he said, "They've got us right where we want them. We can shoot
in every direction now." (Applause.) He wasn't bluffing.
The 1st Marine Division made it out, destroying seven enemy
divisions and upholding the great tradition of the Corps. (Applause.)
That courage, determination, and devotion to duty have made the United
States Marines one of the most feared and respected fighting forces in
the world. (Applause.) And in these dangerous times, when terrorists
seek to harm our families and murder free citizens, Americans are
thankful that the Marines are on the front line, taking the fight to
the enemy. (Applause.)
Since I took office almost four years ago, I have visited our
troops around the world, and one of my first stops as the
Commander-in-Chief was right here in Camp Pendleton. It was in the
summer of 2001. I told you that day, because you're Marines you would
be asked to perform our nation's most difficult and dangerous
missions. Since that day, you have performed every mission with honor
and with courage and with commitment.
In the war on terror, you have fought enemies' freedom -- freedom's
enemies from the caves and mountains of Afghanistan to the deserts and
cities of Iraq. Marines of Camp Pendleton's 15th Marine Expeditionary
Unit were the first conventional forces to fight in Operation Enduring
Freedom. They deployed hundreds of miles into a landlocked country to
help seize the Kandahar Airport, hunted down the Taliban and al Qaeda
fighters, and helped to liberate more than 28 million people from one
of the world's most brutal regimes.
If any of you were in that 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, I want
you to hear what's happening today. Today, the Vice President of the
United States and the Secretary of Defense are in Kabul for the
inauguration of Afghanistan's first democratically-elected President.
(Applause.) Afghanistan has been transformed from a haven for
terrorists to a steadfast ally in the war on terror, and the American
people are safer because of your courage. (Applause.)
When America led a coalition to enforce the demands of a free world
and to end the regime of Saddam Hussein, the Marines of Camp Pendleton
made us proud once again. When the appointed hour came, the 1st Marine
Division rolled across the border, pressing more than 500 miles over
the Iraqi desert in less than one month. (Applause.) Backed by the
1st Force Service Support Group -- (applause) -- and the 3rd Marine
Aircraft Wing -- (applause) -- you helped liberate the Iraqi capital,
pulled down the statues of the dictator, and pushed north to secure the
homeland of Tikrit. You drove Saddam Hussein from his palace into a
spider hole. (Applause.) And now he sits in an Iraqi prison awaiting
justice. Because of your bravery, because of your skill, America and
the world are a safer place. (Applause.)
In recent days, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force has once again
shown America's purpose and resolve, this time in Fallujah. Block by
block, building by building, Marines and soldiers and Iraqi security
forces took that city back from the terrorists and the insurgents, and
when the smoke is cleared, we saw once again the true nature of the
enemy. We found blood-stained torture chambers where hostages had been
executed. We found videos of beheadings and brutal terrorist attacks.
We found travel documents of foreign terrorists and equipment of
forging Iraqi passports to make the foreign fighters appear to be Iraqi
insurgents. We found more than 600 improvised explosive devices,
including an ice cream truck that had been loaded with bombs for a
terrorist attack.
In the battle for Fallujah, the terrorists hid weapons in the
cemetery. They hid ammunition in private homes. They hid bombs in
mosques, but they could not hide from the United States Marines.
(Applause.)
We have dealt the enemy a severe blow. The terrorist Zarqawi has
lost his main sanctuary in Iraq. The Baathist insurgents have lost one
of their main bases of operation. We seized tons of weapons and shut
down terrorist bomb-making factories, killed more than 2,000 enemy
fighters, and captured thousands more. The enemies of freedom in Iraq
have been wounded, but they're not yet defeated. They'll keep on
fighting -- and so will the Marine Corps. (Applause.)
Next month, Iraqis will vote in free and democratic elections. As
election day approaches, we can expect further violence from the
terrorists. You see, the terrorists understand what is at stake. They
know they have no future in a free Iraq, because free people never
choose their own enslavement. They know democracy will give Iraqis a
stake in the future of their country. When Iraqis choose their leaders
in free elections, it will destroy the myth that the terrorists are
fighting a foreign occupation and make clear that what the terrorists
are really fighting is the will of the Iraqi people.
The success of democracy in Iraq will also inspire others across
the Middle East to defend their own freedom and to expose the
terrorists for what they are: violent extremists on the fringe of
society with no agenda for the future except tyranny and death.
So the terrorists will do all they can to delay and disrupt free
elections in Iraq, and they will fail. (Applause.) As Iraqi President
al Yawer said in the Oval Office yesterday, the Iraqi people are
anxious to go and cast their votes and practice, for the first time in
45 years, their right and duty of voting. Free elections will proceed
as planned.
The United States has a vital interest in the success of a free
Iraq. A free Iraq will be a major victory in the war on terror. Free
nations do not export terror. Free nations listen to the hopes and
aspirations of their people. Free nations are peaceful nations. And a
free Iraq will make America more secure, and the world a peaceful
place.
America and our coalition have a strategy in place to aid the rise
of a stable democracy in Iraq. To help the Iraqi government provide
security during the election period, we will increase U.S. troop
strength by about 12,000 personnel for a total of 150,000 troops. As
the election approaches, coalition forces will continue hunting the
terrorists and the insurgents. We'll help the people of Fallujah and
other cities to rebuild and to move forward. We'll continue training
Iraqi security forces so the Iraqi people can eventually take
responsibility for their own security.
Some Iraqi units have performed better than others, as you know.
Some Iraqis have been intimidated enough by the insurgents to leave the
service to their country. But a great many are standing firm. In
Fallujah, Iraqis fought alongside our soldiers and Marines with valor
and determination. One American soldier who saw them up close in
combat said they really excelled, kicking in the doors, clearing the
houses, running out into9 fire to pick up wounded Marines." The Iraqi
security forces made up about 20 percent of the forces in Fallujah.
They're killing the terrorists, blocking the escape routes, and saving
American lives. These brave Iraqis are fighting for their freedom, and
we are proud to stand by their side. (Applause.)
Our coalition is determined to help them succeed. We're working to
develop a core of well-trained senior mid-level Iraqi officers. After
all, Iraqi soldiers want to be led by Iraqis. NATO trainers are
already in Iraq, and the alliance will soon develop a new training
center for the Iraqi security forces and a military academy outside of
Baghdad. We will help the Iraqi government build a force that no
longer needs coalition support so they can defend their own nation.
And then American soldiers and Marines can come home with the honor
they have earned. (Applause.)
Our success in Iraq will make America safer for us and for future
generations. As one Marine sergeant put it, "I never want my children
to experience what we saw in New York, at the Pentagon, and in
Pennsylvania." He said, "If we can eliminate the threat on foreign
soil, I would rather do it there than have it come home to us." That's
why we're on the offensive today in Fallujah and Mosul, Ramadi and
north Babil. We're getting after the terrorists. We're disrupting
their plans. We're holding the state sponsors of terror equally
responsible for terrorist acts. We're working to prevent outlaw
regimes from gaining weapons of mass murder and providing them to
terrorists. We'll stay at these efforts with patience and resolve, and
will we prevail. (Applause.)
A time of war is a time for sacrifice, especially for our military
families. Being left behind when a loved one goes to war is one of the
hardest jobs in the military. It is especially hard during the
holidays. Families here at Camp Pendleton endure long separation.
Carrying these burdens, you serve our country. America is grateful for
your service. (Applause.)
Our nation also honors the men and women who've been injured in the
line of duty. I met some of these Americans. This Saturday, I'll be
going to Bethesda to meet more. Many face a hard road ahead. They've
inspired their comrades with their strength of will. General Sattler
recently visited with some of the wounded in the Fallujah campaign.
One Marine was pretty beat up, but when he saw the General, he lifted
his hand and said, "Sir, I've still got my trigger finger. I can get
back out there." That is the spirit of the Corps. And America will
show the same sense of duty. We will provide the best possible medical
care for every American servicemember wounded in action. (Applause.)
And some of you have lost comrades and family members in the war on
terror. Words can only go so far in capturing the grief and sense of
loss for the families of those who have died, but you can know this:
They gave their lives for a cause that is just. And as in other
generations, their sacrifice will have spared millions from the lives
of tyranny and sorrow. America prays for the families of the fallen,
and we stand with the families of the fallen, and their sacrifice will
always be remembered. (Applause.)
In the last four years, I've seen, and the world has seen, the
courage and the skill and the decency of the United States military.
You are a great force for good in this world. The American people know
it and they are behind you. Your service and sacrifice has touched the
hearts of our people and inspired millions to show their gratitude.
Last month, I met a 15-year-old from California named Shauna
Fleming, who collected a million thank-you letters for our military
personnel. In Washington, D.C., veterans -- Vietnam vet Steve Cobb and
his wife, Tanya, have been coming out regularly to Andrews Air Force
Base to meet wounded servicemembers returning from Iraq and
Afghanistan. Those two good folks welcome the troops home, and they
offer whatever help they can provide. Steve earned four Purple Hearts
and the Silver Star in Vietnam, but this is what he said. He said,
"When I came home, there was nobody but demonstrators to meet our
troops. I never wanted to see another generation of troops come home
without being welcomed and appreciated." (Applause.)
In Massachusetts, a contractor named John Gonsalves says --heard
about a soldier who had lost both legs in an RPG attack in Iraq. So he
started Homes For Our Troops, a non-profit dedicated to building and
adapting homes for disabled veterans with special needs. John says,
"The war on terror is something the American people should all be a
part of, not just the people on the front lines in Afghanistan and in
Iraq." He says, "We have a responsibility to do more for our veterans
who are out there fighting every day and putting their lives on the
line."
Here at Camp Pendleton, a nurse named Karen Gunther saw the
financial strain on the families of the injured sailors and Marines.
Many spent weeks, even months away from home, standing by their loved
ones, recovering at a military hospital. They struggle with the cost
of food and lodging and travel and lost income. So she and other
Marine spouses started the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, to raise
money for those struggling military families. Since its founding here
six months ago, it has grown into a national organization that has
helped over 300 military families across the United States, with more
than $400,000 in grants.
As a wife of a wounded Marine recently put it, "There was no red
tape. They just helped. Had it not been for the Injured Marine Semper
Fi Fund, I would not have been able to pay my bills for the past three
months or stay at my husband's bedside."
These examples represent the true strength of the country, the
heart and souls of your fellow citizens, and they make America proud.
Across our country, Americans are coming together to surround our
deployed forces and wounded warriors with love and support. We should
be doing more. So I want to speak to our fellow citizens who might be
listening today. I urge every American to find some way to thank our
military and to help out the military family down the street. The
Department of Defense has set up a website: AmericaSupportsYou.mil.
If you're interested to find out how you can help, go to
AmericaSupportsYou.mil. You can go there to learn about efforts in
your own community to say you support our troops. In this season of
giving, let us stand with the men and women who stand up for America,
our military. (Applause.)
Every man and woman who serves at Camp Pendleton and all who wear
the Marine Corps uniform are part of a great history. The General
mentioned 63 years ago today, our nation was attacked at Pearl Harbor.
And soon, the United States Marines were storming beaches and engaging
the enemy in distant lands. In places like Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima,
our fathers and our grandfathers struggled and sacrificed to defend
freedom. And today, in places like Fallujah and North Babil, this
generation of Marines is fighting to extend freedom.
Today's war on terror will not end with a ceremony, a surrender
ceremony on a deck of a battleship. But it will end with victory.
(Applause.) Just as we defeated the threats of fascism and imperial
communism in the 20th century, we will defeat the threat of global
terrorism. And we will help the people of liberated countries to
rebuild and to secure a future of freedom and peace.
I have confidence in our country and I have faith in our cause.
There's still important work ahead, yet the outcome is assured.
History moves toward freedom because the desire for freedom is written
in every human heart. And the cause of freedom is in the best of
hands. It's in the hands of people like the United States Marine
Corps. (Applause.)
The United States Marines will fight in the words of the Rifleman's
Creed: "Until victory is America's and there is no enemy."
May God bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States
of America. (Applause.)
END, 10:00 A.M. PST