THE
PRESIDENT: Thank you all. (Applause.) Happy Fourth of July. (Applause.)
Thanks for coming. I am honored to celebrate Independence Day in
Morgantown, West Virginia. (Applause.) I appreciate you all being here.
The history of this land dates back to the earliest days of our
republic. Turns out George Washington used to drop by this part of the
state. And I appreciate a warm welcome for another George W. (Applause.)
Coming to West Virginia is becoming a Fourth of July tradition for
me. (Applause.) And every time I come here, I appreciate the beauty of
West Virginia, and I appreciate being with decent, hardworking,
patriotic Americans who call the Mountain State home. (Applause.)
Today we gather to celebrate the 229th anniversary of America's
independence. Across our great land, families will gather to fly the
flag, to watch the fireworks, and count our blessings as Americans. We
are grateful for the bounty and opportunity of our land. We are grateful
for our liberty. And we are grateful for the men and women in uniform
who keep our country safe. (Applause.)
Thank you all. I bring greetings from First Lady Laura Bush.
(Applause.) She said, "You go over to West Virginia and tell them how
much we love them." (Applause.)
AUDIENCE PARTICIPANT: We love her!
THE PRESIDENT: I love her, too. (Laughter.)
I appreciate Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito. I appreciate her
service; I appreciate her love for the great state of West Virginia.
Thank you, Shelley Moore. (Applause.) I want to thank the Mayor of
Morgantown, West Virginia, Ron Justice, for serving the people.
(Applause.) Mr. Mayor, thanks for coming out today. I want to thank all
the local and state officials who are here. I want to thank David
Hardesty, the President of West Virginia University. I appreciate you.
(Applause.) I appreciate being on this fine campus, and I appreciate the
good work that the folks do here to educate the people of West Virginia.
The history we celebrate today is a testament to the power of freedom
to lift up a whole nation. On Independence Day, we remember the ideals
of liberty that led men from 13 colonies to gather in Philadelphia and
pen a declaration of self-truths. And we remember the band of patriots
who risked their lives to bring freedom to a new continent.
On July 4, 1776, more than five years of the Revolutionary War still
lay ahead. From the battle of New York to the winter at Valley Forge, to
the victory at Yorktown, our forefathers faced terrible losses and
hardships. Yet, they kept their resolve. They kept their faith in a
future of liberty, and with their hard-won victory, we guaranteed a home
for the Declaration's proposition that all are created equal.
(Applause.)
Through the centuries, the Declaration of Independence has remained a
revolutionary document. As President Kennedy said on the 4th of July,
1962, "The Declaration unleashed not merely a revolution against the
British, but a revolution in human affairs."
The revolutionary truths of the Declaration are still at the heart of
America: We believe in the dignity and rights of every person. We
believe in freedom and equal justice, the rule of law, and a government
of the people, by the people, and for the people. (Applause.) Through
the centuries, this creed of freedom and equality has lifted the
fortunes of all Americans. And we know that this great ideal of human
freedom is entrusted to us in a special way, and that the ideal of
liberty is worth defending. (Applause.)
Defending the ideals of our founding has required the service and
sacrifice of every generation, and the men and women of our Armed Forces
have always answered our nation's call. With their courage, they have
crossed oceans, defeated murderous ideologies, and liberated the
oppressed. And today, on this Fourth of July, our grateful nation thanks
our 25 million veterans for their service to our country. (Applause.)
At this hour, our men and women in uniform are defending America
against the threats of the 21st century. The war we are fighting came to
our shores on September the 11th, 2001. After that day, I made a pledge
to the American people, we will not wait to be attacked again.
(Applause.) We will bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice to
our enemies. (Applause.)
Our enemies in this new war are men who celebrate murder, incite
suicide and thirst for absolute power. They seek to spread their
ideology of tyranny and oppression across the world. They seek to turn
the Middle East into a haven for terror. They seek to drive America out
of the region. These terrorists will not be stopped by negotiations, or
concessions, or appeals to reason. In this war, there is only one
option, and that is victory. (Applause.)
We are pursuing a comprehensive strategy to win the war on terror.
We're taking the fight to the terrorists abroad so we do not have to
face them here at home. (Applause.) We're denying our enemies sanctuary
and making it clear that America will not tolerate regimes that harbor
or support terrorists. And we're spreading freedom, because the
terrorists know there is no room for them in a free and democratic
Middle East. (Applause.)
By advancing the cause of liberty in a troubled part of the world, we
will remove a source of instability and violence, and we will lay the
foundation of peace for our children and our grandchildren. (Applause.)
Iraq is the latest battlefield in the war on terror. Our work there
is difficult and dangerous because terrorists from across the region are
converging on Iraq to fight the rise of democracy. The images of cruelty
and suffering we see on television are real, and they are difficult for
our compassionate nation to watch. Yet, the terrorist violence has not
brought them any closer to achieving their strategic objectives. The
terrorists tried to intimidate the Iraqi Governing Council, and they
failed. They tried to delay the transfer of sovereignty to Iraq, and
they failed. They tried to stop the free Iraqi elections, and they
failed. They continue to kill in the hope that they will break the
resolve of the American people, but they will fail. (Applause.)
The lesson of this experience is clear, the terrorists can kill the
innocent, but they cannot stop the advance of freedom. This January, the
world watched as the Iraqi people defied intimidation, dipped their
fingers in ink and cast their votes in the country's first free and
democratic election in decades. (Applause.) And last week, on June the
28th, the free nation of Iraq marked the first anniversary of the day
when sovereignty was restored to its rightful owners, the Iraqi people.
(Applause.)
By helping Iraqis build a free and democratic nation, we will give
strength to an ally in the war on terror, and we'll make America more
secure. To continue building a free and democratic Iraq, Americans and
Iraqis are fighting side-by-side to stop the terrorists and insurgents.
And our military is helping to train Iraqi forces so they can defend
their own liberty. Our strategy can be summed up this way: As Iraqis
stand up, we will stand down, and then our troops can come home to a
proud and grateful nation. (Applause.)
West Virginians are serving with skill and honor in the war on
terror. Some deployed from Camp Dawson right down the road. Soldiers
from the 201st Field Artillery Unit of the West Virginia National Guard
carried out vital missions in Iraq. (Applause.) Those soldiers are
contributing to the proud history of their unit. The 201st has been
defending our freedom since the Revolutionary War. (Applause.)
One of the battery commanders from the 201st is Captain Jeff Setser.
Captain Setser is a police officer in Charleston. He served a year in
Iraq and he was in Baghdad during the Iraqi elections. He and his fellow
West Virginia Guardsmen escorted convoys and protected supplies and
patrolled cities. Here is what he said: "We treated people with respect,
and they respected us. You could see that they were starting to walk on
their own instead of leaning on us. The progress is just amazing."
Guardsmen and Reservists are helping Iraq build in other ways. First
Lieutenant James McCormick, who is with us today -- he's from Scott
Depot, West Virginia. (Applause.) He served a 13-month tour in Iraq as
part of the 518th Combat Gun Truck Company. His unit provided security
for military convoys transporting troops and supplies. For his bravery,
Lieutenant McCormick earned the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts.
(Applause.)
He wrote me a letter last week. Here's what he said: "If needed, all
of us would return and continue the mission. It's a just and much needed
fight. Please know that many of us still live by the code of honor that
so many soldiers before us had, from Bunker Hill to Baghdad."
First Lieutenant McCormick is right -- the men and women of America's
Armed Forces are bringing great honor to the uniform they wear and to
the nation they serve. (Applause.) And in this time of testing, our
troops, whether they be stationed here or abroad, can know that the
American people stand behind them all the way. (Applause.)
I thank all the military families who are with us today. Times of war
are times of great sacrifice, and the burden falls especially hard on
the families. You're playing a vital role at a crucial time in our
nation's history. All Americans are inspired by the strength and the
sacrifice of our military families. (Applause.)
Some of America's finest men and women have given their lives in the
war on terror, and we remember them on Independence Day. We pray for the
families who have lost a loved one in freedom's cause. And we know that
the best way to honor their sacrifice is to complete the mission, so we
will stay until the fight is won. (Applause.)
On this Fourth of July, and in the days ahead, I ask every American
to find a way to thank the men and women defending our freedom. There's
so many ways to do so. You can fly the flag, or send a letter to the
troops in the field, or help a military family down the street. The
Department of Defense has set up a web site, Americasupportsyou.mil. You
can go there to learn about efforts in your own community. And by the
way, it's not too late to find something to do today. At this time, when
we celebrate our freedom, our troops have got to understand that the
American people support them all the way. (Applause.)
And on Independence Day, we remember that we also have essential
responsibilities here at home, the unfinished work of American freedom.
In a world moving toward liberty, we are determined to show the meaning
and the promise of liberty. The greatest strength of America is the
heart and soul of the American people. (Applause.) Every time a
volunteer reaches out to a neighbor in need, our nation grows stronger
and more hopeful.
Today when I landed at the airport, I met Chuck White. He's a
volunteer with the local United Way. For those of you who are serving as
a member of the army of compassion in America, thank you for loving your
neighbor just like you'd like to be loved yourselves. (Applause.) By
taking time out of your lives to help somebody else, you're helping to
ensure that every American can share the blessings of liberty.
As we celebrate the Fourth of July, we rededicate ourselves to the
ideals that inspired our founders. During that hot summer in
Philadelphia more than 200 years ago, from our desperate fight for
independence to the darkest days of a civil war, to the hard-fought
battles of the 20th century, there were many chances to lose our heart,
our nerve, or our way. But Americans have always held firm, because we
have always believed in certain truths: We know that the freedom we
defend is meant for all men and women, and for all times. (Applause.)
And we know that when the work is hard, the proper response is not
retreat; it is courage. (Applause.)
We got a great future for our country. From the mountains of West
Virginia to the Great Plains, to our Pacific shores, the truths of the
Declaration still guide America, and remain the best hope of mankind. I
believe that this century will be "liberty century." In 1770 -- and I
know that carrying the spirit of 1776 into this new age we will leave a
stronger and better country for all who call this great land home.
(Applause.)
It is a great honor to be the President of such a great nation. And
it's my honor to be here to wish you all a happy Fourth of July. May God
bless you, and may God continue to bless our country. (Applause.)