Our
citizens live in freedom because patriots are willing to serve and
sacrifice for our liberty. And on Monday, I will lay a wreath at
Arlington National Cemetery in honor of those who have made the ultimate
sacrifice. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the end of World War
II, a victory for freedom in which more than 400,000 Americans gave
their lives. Today a new generation of Americans is making its own
sacrifice on behalf of peace and freedom, and some have given their
lives.
In their hometowns, these soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines are
more than names on a roll of honor. They were friends and neighbors,
teachers and coaches, classmates and colleagues. Each was the most
important person in someone's life; each had hopes for the future, and
each left a place that can never be filled.
We mourn their loss, and we honor their sacrifice. We pray for their
families. And we take heart in knowing that these men and women believed
deeply in what they were fighting for. Christopher Swisher was a staff
sergeant from Lincoln, Nebraska, who joined the Army a year after
graduating from high school. He was killed in an ambush while on patrol
in Baghdad. Sergeant Swisher told his loved ones: "If anything happens
to me, I'm doing what I want to be doing -- I'm protecting my family and
my home."
Rafael Peralta also understood that America faces dangerous enemies,
and he knew the sacrifices required to defeat them. An immigrant from
Mexico, he enlisted in the Marine Corps the day after he got his green
card. Just before the battle of Fallujah, he wrote his 14-year-old
brother, "We are going to defeat the insurgents. Be proud of me, I'm
going to make history and do something that I always wanted to do." A
few days later, Sergeant Peralta gave his life to save his fellow
Marines.
This Memorial Day, we remember Sergeant Peralta, Sergeant Swisher,
and all who have given their lives for our nation. And we honor them as
we continue to wage the war on terror and spread freedom across the
world. The people of Iraq and Afghanistan are determined to secure their
freedom, and we will help them. We're training Iraqi and Afghan forces
so they can take the fight to the enemy and defend their own countries,
and then our troops will return home with the honor they have earned.
Throughout our history, America has fought not to conquer but to
liberate. We go to war reluctantly, because we understand the high cost
of war. Those who have given their lives to defend America have the
respect and gratitude of our entire nation.
Thank you for listening.