Posted on 06/02/2006 4:19:17 PM PDT by SandRat
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, June 1, 2006) – Comparing the Global War on Terror to the Cold War, President George W. Bush told 861 U.S. Military Academy graduates May 27 that they will face a more elusive enemy – global terrorists.
Comparing the years after World War II to the years following 9/11, he said the dedication of President Harry S. Truman helped the U.S. build a stronghold against its challenges.
“By the actions he took, the institutions he built, the alliances he forged and the doctrines he set down, President Truman laid the foundation of America’s victory in the Cold War,” Bush said. “Today at the start of a new century, we are again engaged in a war unlike any our nation has fought before. And, like Americans in Truman’s day, we are laying the foundations of victory.”
Bush remarked that less than 10 classes throughout USMA history have entered and exited the academy during a time of war. He added that he was certain the officers would make a difference.
“The war began on my watch,” Bush explained. “But it’s going to end on your watch. Your generation will bring us victory in the war on terror.”
The president also took a moment to mention the 39 graduates who have died in the fight against terrorism.
“We will honor the memory of those brave souls,” he said. “We will finish the task for which they gave their lives … each loss is heartbreaking, and each loss has made you even more determined to pick up their mantle, to carry on their fight and to achieve victory.”
He reassured the graduates and their families that progress has been made in the Middle East, pointing out some major milestones like liberating Afghanistan from Taliban power, eradicating terror camps, and arresting and prosecuting Saddam Hussein.
“We’re still in the early stages of this struggle for freedom and, like the first years of the Cold War, we’ve seen setbacks and challenges and days that have tested America’s resolve,” Bush said. “Yet we’ve also seen days of victory and hope.”
The president also gave the graduates advice for facing the daunting challenge of changing fanaticism abroad.
“Trust in your convictions,” Bush told the graduates. “Stay true to yourselves, and one day the world will celebrate your achievements.
“You have chosen a difficult and dangerous vocation,” he added. “And America is grateful for that choice.”
(Editor's note: From the U.S. Military Academy Public Affairs Office.)
Don't shoot till you see their sombrero? END SARCASM!
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