November 11, 2004
Honoring Every Generation of America's Veterans
Floor Speech

We meet today to honor the memory, the sacrifice and the accomplishments of millions of Americans who have answered the call of duty. By doing so, they had the rare privilege of shaping history in a more humane direction.

Throughout American history - during the Civil War, World War I and II, Korea and Vietnam - our veterans fought bravely and proudly to end slavery, dismantle brutal regimes, remove tyrants and uphold the values of freedom we all share. Who were these men and women? They were students and factory workers; farmers and salesmen; nurses and athletes; engineers and teachers. The world they knew and fought for stood on edge with an unpredictable outcome.

But these young Americans accepted the responsibility that history thrust upon them. They left schools and jobs and loved ones, put on their country's uniform and got about the hard, urgent task of defeating the tyrants. By doing so, they gave the world a chance to promote freedom - freedom we have in America and that every man and woman deserve.

In their country's service, they changed. And because they changed, America changed. In shared foxholes or under a rain of kamikazes aboard ship, assaulting beaches at Normandy or in the jungles of Vietnam, or confronting the murderous Al-Qaeda terrorists - there were no divisions of race, ethnicity or religion. There were only Americans, comrades-in-arms whom we had never known before, on whose dedication to duty our lives depended. The bonds of civic friendship formed during these wars, endured after the war --- and they changed America. Having twice rescued Europe from disaster in the 20th Century, defeated communism through the Cold War and after the attacks of September 11th, we continue to learn that isolationism is not an option; and it is our veterans that laid the political groundwork for America's leadership in the world over the past 60 years.

Countless lives were changed forever by our experiences during these wars. But we must always understand - when America goes to war, we are defending democracy and the values we hold dear. As we remember, with affection and awe and gratitude, those in whom the bright promise of youth was cut short by the ultimate sacrifice, we are reminded that freedom has a high price. Though it is a price worth fighting for because we must always protect our liberties.

Today more than ever America must lead the fight. Many of us wonder - “Why me? Why us? And why America?” In a speech before Congress, Prime Minister Tony Blair answered this best:

“Because destiny put you in this place in history, in this moment in time, and the task is yours to do.” - [Tony Blair]

That is why we fight in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Every generation of Americans from Bunker Hill to Baghdad has answered a resounding "Yes!" to Lincoln's haunting question at Gettysburg - whether a nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal can long endure. We have shown time and time again that it will and it must.

We owe a debt beyond measure to our heroes of freedom whose spirit of service and dedication, embodied in the performance of their duty, now rest in the cemeteries around the world. We commend their bravery and commitment; however, no amount can repay these debts. We may honor their sacrifice by building the kind of America they fought and died for; a land of liberty and justice for all; a decent and tolerant society; a community of civic friendship; a leader in freedom's cause throughout the world. We all can work toward achieving this goal in the memory of our beloved veterans.

Today, as we honor America’s veterans, we must rededicate ourselves to freedom's cause just as our heroes have done throughout our nation’s history. And as we commemorate the sacrifice of America’s veterans, let us not mourn our nation's war dead, but rather thank God that such men and women lived.

Thank you.

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