![]() It fails when we forget that our Republic is based on firm principles, principles that have real meaning, that with them, we are the last, best hope of man on Earth without them, we're little more than the crust of a continent. Peace fails when we forget what we stand for. Strength is a prudent warning to the belligerent that aggression need not go unanswered. Strength is a condition that declares actions have consequences. Weakness, after all, is a temptation - it tempts the pugnacious to assert themselves - but strength is a declaration that cannot be misunderstood. Perhaps we can start by remembering this: that all of those who died for us and our country were, in one way or another, victims of a peace process that failed victims of a decision to forget certain things to forget, for instance, that the surest way to keep a peace going is to stay strong. It's not so hard to summon memory, but it's hard to recapture meaning.Īnd the living have a responsibility to remember the conditions that led to the wars in which our heroes died. We'll all meet again." In a way, they represent us, these relatives and friends, and they speak for us as they walk among the headstones and remember. We never got over you, and we pray for you still, and we'll see you again. They say, "Hello, Johnny," or "Hello, Bob. And they stop and bow their heads and communicate what they wished to communicate. ![]() No matter what time of year it is or what time of day, there are always people who come to this cemetery, leave a flag or a flower or a little rock on a headstone. ![]() There's always someone who is remembering for us. They gave up everything for our country, for us. They gave up their chance to be revered old men. When they died, they gave up their chance to be husbands and fathers and grandfathers. But most of them were boys when they died, and they gave up two lives - the one they were living and the one they would have lived. We see them as something like the Founding Fathers, grave and gray haired. We see these soldiers in our mind as old and wise. It is, in a way, an odd thing to honor those who died in defense of our country, in defense of us, in wars far away. And so, when a serviceman dies, it's a tear in the fabric, a break in the whole, and all we can do is remember. I said then that there is a special sadness that accompanies the death of a serviceman, for we're never quite good enough to them-not really we can't be, because what they gave us is beyond our powers to repay. ![]() Sometime back I received in the name of our country the bodies of four marines who had died while on active duty. This amphitheater, this place for speeches, is more central to this cemetery than it first might seem apparent, for all we can ever do for our heroes is remember them and remember what they did - and memories are transmitted through words. We are gathered at the National Cemetery, which provides a final resting place for the heroes who have defended our country since the Civil War. The timing of this holiday is quite deliberate in terms of historical fact but somehow it always seems quite fitting to me that this day comes deep in autumn when the colors are muted and the days seem to invite contemplation. And I wonder, in fact, if all Americans' prayers aren't the same as those I mentioned a moment ago. We celebrate Veterans Day on the anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I, the armistice that began on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. And it occurred to me that each of my predecessors has had a similar moment, and I wondered if our prayers weren't very much the same, if not identical. PRESIDENT REAGAN: Secretary Weinberger, Harry Walters, Robert Medairos, reverend clergy, ladies and gentlemen, a few moments ago I placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and as I stepped back and stood during the moment of silence that followed, I said a small prayer. Veterans Day Remarks Remarks by President Ronald Reagan Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs Home. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |