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August 30, 2005
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
August 30, 2005
President Commemorates 60th Anniversary of V-J Day
Naval Air Station North Island
San Diego, California
 In Focus: Veterans
9:04 A.M. PDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Thanks for the warm welcome. It's
good to be back in California. Good to be here at North Island. This
is the birthplace of naval aviation, and I want to thank you for making
this son of a naval aviator feel right at home. (Applause.)
This morning our hearts and prayers are with our fellow citizens
along the Gulf Coast who have suffered so much from Hurricane Katrina.
These are trying times for the people of these communities. We know
that many are anxious to return to their homes. It's not possible at
this moment. Right now our priority is on saving lives, and we are
still in the midst of search and rescue operations. I urge everyone in
the affected areas to continue to follow instructions from state and
local authorities.
The federal, state and local governments are working side-by-side
to do all we can to help people get back on their feet, and we have got
a lot of work to do. Our teams and equipment are in place and we're
beginning to move in the help that people need. Americans who wish to
help can call 1-800-HELPNOW, or log on to RedCross.org, or get in touch
with the Salvation Army. The good folks in Louisiana and Mississippi
and Alabama and other affected areas are going to need the help and
compassion and prayers of our fellow citizens.
As we deliver relief to our citizens to the south, our troops are
defending all our citizens from threats abroad. In the war on terror,
all of you gathered here today are playing a critical role. Our naval
aviators are displaying their fantastic skill in bringing justice to our
enemies. Our sailors on Navy ships are patrolling the high seas.
You're maintaining those ships and keeping them ready for battle.
You're serving on special operations teams that are hunting the Taliban
and al Qaeda fighters in the mountains of Afghanistan. And our Marine
units are bringing the terrorists to justice in Iraq.
However you are serving, each of you is defending our nation and
bringing honor to the uniform, and your Commander-in-Chief, and your
country is proud of your service. (Applause.)
I'm also proud to stand with those whose achievements we
commemorate today, the military veterans of World War II. (Applause.)
In war, America called you from your farms and your schools and your
factories to defeat two of the most ruthless armies the world has known.
In victory, America counted on you to extend a helping hand, to lift up
a defeated foe. And in a lasting peace that has been your greatest
legacy, America confirmed the power of freedom to transform the
bitterest of enemies into the closest of friends.
Your victory came at great cost. And many of the heroes who fought
by your side would not live to make the return journey home. More than
400,000 Americans gave their lives in that war, and some of them are
buried a few miles from here at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. At a
funeral sermon delivered after a battle that had taken the lives of
thousands of Americans, a rabbi said, "Out of this, and from this
suffering and sorrow of those who mourn this, will come, we promise, the
birth of a new freedom for the sons of men everywhere."
Today, your hair is whitened. Your steps have slowed. Yet you
have seen in your lifetime the rabbi's promise come true. The freedom
that was born of your sacrifice has lifted millions of God's children
across the Earth. This freedom is your monument to your fallen friends,
your gift to their children and grandchildren, and your sacred bond with
generations of patriots past and present who have worn the nation's
uniform.
As we look into your faces, we see the same quiet resolve that
defeated our enemies. And we count it a privilege to be the citizens of
the country that you served. We pray that your comrades you have lost
found peace with their Creator, and we honor your sacrifice by
recommitting ourselves to the great ideals for which you fought and
bled.
I'm honored today to be traveling with the First Lady of the United
States, Laura Bush. (Applause.) I want to thank Admiral Zortman, the
Commander of the Naval Air Force U.S. Pacific Fleet, for his
introduction. And thank you for your service, Admiral.
I'm proud to be here today with a man who is doing an excellent job
for the United States military, the Secretary of Defense, Donald
Rumsfeld. (Applause.) On V-J Day in 1945, Secretary Rumsfeld was
selling newspapers at the Coronado Ferry, Coronado, California. He went
on to be a Navy pilot. And today, he's a trusted advisor in my Cabinet.
Mr. Secretary, proud to have you here. (Applause.)
I want to thank the Chairman of the Armed Services Committee,
Duncan Hunter. Congressman Hunter is with us today. (Applause.)
Congressman Duncan Hunter is, today, here with his dad, Robert Hunter,
who served in World War II. And he has a son who is a proud Marine in
Iraq. (Applause.)
I want to thank Secretary Tom Johnson of the California Department
of Veteran Affairs. I want to thank Mayor Tom Smisek and his wife,
Peggy. He's the mayor of Coronado. I appreciate you, Mr. Mayor. I
want to thank Vice Admiral Barry Costello, Rear Admiral Mike Miller,
Read Admiral Len Hering, Captain Tim Alexander. I want to thank Command
Master Chief Mick Fulton, Chief Petty Officer Swisher. I want to thank
all the men and women who wear the uniform for greeting us today.
(Applause.)
We're proud to be in the company of Medal of Honor recipients --
Robert Modrzejewski, Jay Vargas, Red Millett, John Finn, John McGinty.
Thank you for coming. Thank you for your courage. (Applause.)
Finally, I want to thank Sybil Stockdale, the wife of Admiral James
Stockdale, for being with us today. (Applause.)
Sixty years ago this Friday, General Douglas MacArthur accepted the
Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. With Japan's
surrender, the last of our enemies in World War II was defeated, and a
World War that began for America in the Pacific came to an end in the
Pacific. As we mark this anniversary, we are again a nation at war.
Once again, war came to our shores with a surprise attack that killed
thousands in cold blood. Once again, we face determined enemies who
follow a ruthless ideology that despises everything America stands for.
Once again, America and our allies are waging a global campaign with
forces deployed on virtually every continent. And once again, we will
not rest until victory is America's and our freedom is secure.
(Applause.)
In the midst of this struggle, we have confidence in our cause
because we know that America has faced down brutal enemies before. We
have confidence in our cause because we've seen the power of freedom to
overcome the darkness of tyranny and terror.
And we have confidence in our cause because we know the character and
courage of those who wear the uniform of the United States military.
(Applause.)
Fifty years ago we saw that character and that courage in men such
as Leon Stone, who was a young Navy sailor aboard the battleship West
Virginia, supporting the Marines at Iwo Jima. We saw that courage in
men such as Jim Simpson, who was one of those Marines. They didn't know
each other, but they came together to fight for America's security.
They came together to join a mighty force that defeated the Japanese
empire. Jim Simpson and Leon Stone did finally meet one day when Leon's
son and Jim's daughter got married.
And today, their grandson, Captain Randy Stone, carries on a proud
family tradition. Captain Stone is a Marine officer now serving in
Iraq. He knows that he and his generation are doing the same vital work
in this war on terror that his grandparents did in World War II. He
also knows how this struggle will end. Randy says, "I know we will win
because I see it in the eyes of the Marines every morning. In their
eyes is the sparkle of victory." (Applause.)
Captain Stone proudly wears the uniform just as his grandfathers
did at Iwo Jima. He's guided by the same convictions they carried into
battle. He shares the same willingness to serve a cause greater than
himself. Many of you grew up with dads and granddads who have similar
stories about their World War II service. They're the modest sons of a
peaceful country. And a grateful nation thanks them for their sacrifice
that preserved our freedom and our way of life. (Applause.)
The men and women who served in World War II belonged to a
generation that kept its faith even when liberty's ultimate triumph was
far from clear. When America was attacked at Pearl Harbor, our country
was just emerging from a depression. More than half a dozen nations had
large armies than we did. In Asia and Europe, country after country had
fallen before the disciplined armies of the militaristic regimes. These
events led many to conclude that freedom had seen its day, and that the
future belonged to the hard men in Berlin and Tokyo.
Franklin Roosevelt refused to accept that democracy was finished.
His optimism reflected his belief that the enemy's will to power could
not withstand our will to live in freedom. He told the American people
that our liberty depended on the success of liberty in other lands. And
he called on Americans to defend that liberty, and millions answered the
call. Within four years, America would recover from the devastation of
Pearl Harbor. Within four years, we would fight and win a world war on
two fronts.
Our victory in Asia was a particular triumph for the United States
Navy. After Pearl Harbor our Pacific Fleet was nearly destroyed and the
enemy appeared invincible. Those were dark days for freedom, but the
darkness would not long prevail. From the daring first attack on
Japanese soil led by Jimmy Doolittle and launched from the deck of the
USS Hornet, to the Battle of Midway, to the flag-raising of Iwo Jima,
our troops in the Pacific gave Americans back home reason to believe
that President Roosevelt was right, that democracy was the most
unconquerable of all forms of human society.
President Roosevelt was guided in victory in World War II by
certain timeless principles. First, President Roosevelt believed that
free nations could muster the resolve to defend themselves. In his day
that belief was sorely tested by a ruthless and determined enemy. Our
troops in the Pacific found themselves up against a ferocity they had
never before encountered -- kamikaze pilots on suicidal missions,
soldiers who fought to the last man, commanders animated by a fanatical
belief that their nation was ordained to rule the Asian continent. This
enemy took many lives and left many grieving families. Yet, in the end,
they were no match for the forces of the United States and our allies.
In the end they were defeated by Americans who only months before had
been farmers and bank clerks and factory hands. And in the end, the
victorious children of democracy would help their defeated enemies
rebuild, and bring the taste of freedom to millions.
One of the first to recognize this truth was a member of Japan's
surrender delegation aboard the USS Missouri. He went to the ceremony
expecting to hear how the allies intended to take their vengeance on the
defeated. Instead he heard General MacArthur speak about a future of
freedom for Japan, and he realized the true source of America's military
might. He wrote, "We weren't beaten on the battlefield by the dint of
superior arms; we were defeated in the spiritual conquest by virtue of a
nobler idea." (Applause.) In World War II, wherever our troops raised
the flag of victory, they would also sow the seeds of liberty, and as a
result, the world is better off. (Applause.)
Secondly, President Roosevelt believed that the call to freedom is
universal. Many of our closest allies did not agree with him about
this, and the political map of Asia seemed to confirm their skepticism.
At the beginning of the war, the Pacific had only two democracies:
Australia and New Zealand. Even in nations where the rule was not
harsh, the best that most Asian people could expect was benevolent
colonialism. The Japanese claimed they were ridding the continent of
foreign colonialism. But millions of Chinese and Burmese and other
Asian people soon learned that Tokyo had simply replaced Western
colonialism with a version that was often more harsh and repressive.
President Roosevelt, and later President Truman, wisely resolved
that we would not make that mistake in our treatment of a defeated
Japan. They understood that the sacrifices of allied forces would mean
nothing unless we used our victory to help the Japanese people transform
their nation from tyranny to freedom. There were many doubters.
American and Japanese experts claimed that the Japanese weren't ready
for democracy.
In a letter to a friend back home, one of our soldiers on the
ground offered a different view. Sergeant Richard Leonard's brother had
been killed in fighting the Japanese, but after being stationed in Japan
and meeting Japanese people, he found he could not hate them. He wrote,
"Sure, we've got to occupy their country and watch them. But at the
same time, we've got to help them and do everything possible to
reconstruct them as a peace-loving nation." Sergeant Leonard was right.
And America did just what he thought we should do. And as we look at
what he and his generation accomplished in Japan, we know it is a
mistake to believe that some people are not fit for equality and freedom
our Creator intended for all. (Applause.)
Third, President Roosevelt believed that free nations are peaceful
nations that would not threaten America. He knew that it was the lack
of democracy in Japan that allowed an unelected group of militarists to
take control of the state, threaten our neighbors, attack America, and
plunge an entire region into war. And he knew that the best way to
bring peace and stability to the region was by bringing freedom to
Japan.
Democracy takes different forms in different cultures. Japanese
democracy would be different from American democracy. The Japanese
constitution would guarantee the universal freedoms that are the
foundation of all genuine democracies, while, at the same time,
reflecting the unique traditions and needs of the Japanese people. It
allowed for both an electoral democracy and a heredity monarchy. It set
Japan on the path to a free society.
With every step toward freedom, the Japanese economy flourished.
With every step toward freedom, the Japanese became a model for others
in the region. With every step toward freedom, the Japanese became a
valued member of the world community, a force for peace and stability in
the region, and a trusted and reliable ally of the United States of
America.
I've experienced this transformation in a very personal way.
During World War II, my dad was one of the Navy's youngest pilots and
was shot down over the Pacific. At the same time, an official named
Joonya Koizumi served in Japan's legislative assembly. Today, their
sons serve as the elected leaders of two free nations. Prime Minister
Koizumi is a respected leader and one of my best friends in the
international community. Our two democracies are among the world's
closest allies. And all Americans are safer and more secure because the
Japanese people are free. (Applause.)
Today we must not forget the lessons of the past, and the lesson of
this experience is clear: The most powerful weapon in the arsenal of
democracy is the spirit of liberty. In the 20th century, the spirit of
liberty worked to spread freedom from Japan and Germany to Eastern
Europe and Latin America and Southeast Asia and Africa. And the spirit
of liberty is at work today. Across the broader Middle East, we can see
freedom's power to transform nations and deliver hope to people who have
not known it. In Afghanistan and Iraq and Lebanon and the Palestinian
Territories, people have gone to the polls and chosen their leaders in
free elections. Their example is inspiring millions across that region
to claim their liberty, as well -- and they will have it. (Applause.)
In Iraq, people have come together to write a constitution that
guarantees freedom for all Iraqi citizens. The document they have
produced protects fundamental human freedoms, including freedom for
women, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, freedom of conscience,
and freedom of expression. This constitution is the result of
democratic debate and compromise, and the Iraqi citizens can be proud of
what they have accomplished. (Applause.)
As freedom advances across a troubled part of the world, it is once
again opposed by fanatical adherence of a murderous ideology. And once
again, the stakes are high. Now, as then, our enemies have made their
fight a test of American credibility and resolve. Now, as then, they
are trying to intimidate free people and break our will. And now, as
then, they will fail. (Applause.)
They will fail because the terrorists of our century are making the
same mistake that the followers of other totalitarian ideologies made in
the last century. They believe that democracies are inherently weak and
corrupt and can be brought to their knees. They looked at our response
after the hostage crisis in Iran, the bombings of the Marine barracks in
Lebanon, the first World Trade Center attack, the killing of American
soldiers in Somalia, the destruction of two U.S. embassies in Africa,
and the attack on the USS Cole. They concluded that free societies lack
the courage and character to defend themselves against a determined
enemy. Hear the words of Osama bin Laden that explain why he believed
he could get away with the attacks of September the 11th, 2001: "We've
seen in the last decade the decline of the American government and the
weakness of the American soldier, who is ready to wage cold wars and
unprepared to fight long wars... After a few blows they ran in defeat...
[They forgot] about being a world leader..." End quote.
After September the 11th, 2001, we've taught the terrorists a very
different lesson. America will not run in defeat, and we will not
forget our responsibilities. We have brought down two murderous
regimes. We're driving terrorists from their sanctuaries. We're
putting the terrorists on the run all across the world. (Applause.)
The terrorists and insurgents are now waging a brutal campaign of
terror in Iraq. They kill innocent men and women and children in the
hopes of intimidating Iraqis. They're trying to scare them away from
democracy. They're trying to break the will of the American people.
Their goal is to turn Iraq into a failed state like Afghanistan was
under the Taliban. If Zarqawi and bin Laden gain control of Iraq, they
would create a new training ground for future terrorist attacks; they'd
seize oil fields to fund their ambitions; they could recruit more
terrorists by claiming an historic victory over the United States and
our coalition.
Our goal is clear, as well. We will defeat the terrorists. We'll
build a free Iraq that will fight terrorists instead of giving them aid
and sanctuary. A free Iraq will offer people throughout the Middle East
a hopeful alternative to the hateful ideology being peddled by the
terrorists. A free Iraq will show that when America gives its word,
America keeps its word.
That choice -- this is the choice we face: Do we return to the
pre-September the 11th mind-set of isolation and retreat, or do we
continue to take the fight to the enemy and support our allies in the
broader Middle East? I've made my decision: We will stay on the
offensive. We will stand with the people of Iraq, and we will prevail.
(Applause.)
We will prevail because this generation is determined to meet the
threats of our time. We will prevail because this generation wants to
leave a more hopeful world for our children and grandchildren. We will
prevail because the desire to live in freedom is embedded in the soul of
every man, woman and child on this Earth. And we will prevail because
our freedom is defended by the greatest force for liberation that
humankind has ever known, the men and women of the United States Armed
Forces. (Applause.)
In this war, some of our best citizens have made the ultimate
sacrifice. We mourn the lose of every life. We pray for their loved
ones. And we will honor their sacrifice by completing the mission and
laying the foundation for peace. (Applause.)
Sixty years ago, American forces made the same type of sacrifice
and helped liberate two continents, and made our world a more peaceful
place. The men and women of World War II brought honor to the uniform,
and to our flag, and to our country. With each passing day their ranks
thin, but the peace they built endures. And we will never let the new
enemies of a new century destroy with cowardice what these Americans
built with courage. (Applause.)
Sixty years after V-J Day, our military veterans can take heart
from the example they see right here in San Diego. Those of you who
wear the nation's uniform today are every bit as selfless and dedicated
to liberty as the generations that came before. And when we will look
at you we know our freedom is in good hands. (Applause.)
It is men and women like you who keep us free. It is the spirit of
liberty that keeps you strong, and it is the history that gives us
confidence to know that in the vital work of spreading liberty, America,
and those of us who love freedom will prevail.
May God bless you all, and may God continue to bless America.
(Applause.)
END 9:35 A.M. PDT
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