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(Complete text of Diana's address)

MY NAME IS DIANA IREY.

SOME OF YOU KNOW ME AS THE WOMAN WHO’S STANDING UP TO JACK MURTHA.

I’M HERE TODAY TO JOIN WITH YOU IN SENDING A MESSAGE:

A MESSAGE TO OUR TROOPS IN IRAQ, AND IN AFGHANISTAN…..

IN EUROPE, IN CUBA, AND ON THE KOREAN PENINSULA…..

AND IT’S A MESSAGE TO ANYONE WHO HAS EVER WORN THE COLORS OF OUR NATION, AND GUARDED A POST ON A DARK EVENING, THOUSANDS OF MILES FROM HOME AND FAMILY…..

EVERYWHERE AMERICAN TROOPS ARE STATIONED, DEFENDING THE FREEDOMS BOUGHT AND PAID FOR BY PREVIOUS GENERATIONS…..

THE MESSAGE IS THIS:

YOU HONOR US WITH YOUR SERVICE…

YOU GRACE US WITH YOUR WILLINGNESS TO PLACE YOURSELVES IN HARM’S WAY……

YOU MAKE US PROUD WITH YOUR COMMITMENT TO DEFEND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ALL FOR WHICH WHE STANDS.

AND WE AS A NATION ARE GRATEFUL. FIFTY-NINE YEARS AGO, A MAN MADE A FATEFUL DECISION.

EUROPE WAS IN CRISIS.

IN THE WAKE OF BRITAIN’S DECISION TO PULL BACK ITS ARMED FORCES FROM AROUND THE WORLD FOLLOWING THE END OF WORLD WAR II, GREECE AND TURKEY WERE IN DANGER OF SOVIET-BACKED COMMUNIST SUBVERSION.

THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER CALLED THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND SAID HE WAS PASSING THE TORCH….

BRITAIN COULD NO LONGER AFFORD TO SERVE ITS CENTURIES-OLD ROLE AS THE DEFENDER OF FREEDOM AROUND THE WORLD.

AND IF FREEDOM WERE TO BE DEFENDED, IT WOULD BE UP TO THE AMERICANS FROM THAT POINT FORWARD.

OUR PRESIDENT DID NOT BLINK.

HE DID NOT SHIRK.

HE DID NOT COMMISSION A BLUE RIBBON PANEL, OR ASK PERMISSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS.

ON MARCH 12, 1947, HARRY TRUMAN COMMITTED THE UNITED STATES TO DEFENDING GREECE AND TURKEY, AND DECLARED BEFORE CONGRESS THAT

“IT SHALL BE THE POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES TO SUPPORT FREE PEOPLES WHO ARE RESISTING ATTEMPTED SUBJUGATION BY ARMED MINORITIES OR BY OUTSIDE PRESSURES.”

THUS WAS BORN THE TRUMAN DOCTRINE…..

AND EVER SINCE, IT HAS FALLEN UPON THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WEAR AMERICAN FATIGUES TO DEFEND LIBERTY, BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD.

IT IS BECAUSE OF THEM AND THEIR SACRIFICES THAT WE CAN GATHER TOGETHER TODAY IN THE SHADOW OF A MONUMENT TO OUR NATION’S FIRST AND GREATEST SOLDIER.

BUT TODAY, THERE ARE VOICES OF DISCONTENT.

THERE ARE CALLS FOR WITHDRAWAL.

THERE ARE DEMANDS FOR REDEPLOYMENT.

THERE ARE DECLARATIONS THAT OUR ARMED FORCES ARE FLOUNDERING.

THERE ARE ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE CANNOT WIN.

I REJECT THESE STATEMENTS BECAUSE I HAVE LOOKED INTO THE EYES OF OUR SOLDIERS AND FOUND THEIR HEART, AND THEIR LOVE FOR THIS COUNTRY.

UNLIKE SOME IN THE CONGRESS, I DO NOT BELIEVE OUR ARMY IS “BROKEN”.

UNLIKE SOME IN THE CONGRESS, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT “WE HAVE BECOME THE ENEMY.”

AND UNLIKE SOME IN THE CONGRESS, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IT IS RIGHT TO DECLARE THAT AMERICAN SOLDIERS

“KILLED INNOCENT CIVILIANS IN COLD BLOOD” BEFORE THE FIRST MARINE IS CHARGED,

BEFORE THE FIRST COURT MARTIAL IS CONVENED, BEFORE THE FIRST SOLDIER IS CONVICTED!

AMERICAN SOLDIERS ON THE FRONT LINES SHOULD NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT DEFENDING THEIR REPUTATIONS………………..

WHILE THEY ARE IN HARMS WAY DEFENDING OUR FREEDOM!

I HAVE COME TO KNOW THESE SOLDIERS.

MANY COME FROM MY CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT IN PENNSYLVANIA.

I HAVE TALKED WITH THEM, AND I HAVE VISITED WITH OUR RECOVERING WOUNDED AT THE WALTER REED HOSPITAL.

I HAVE THANKED THEM FOR THEIR SERVICE,

AND THEIR GALLANTRY,

AND THEIR COMMITMENT.

AND I HAVE FOUND IN THEM A RESOLVE AND COMMITMENT TO DUTY THAT REACHES THE VERY SOUL.

AND I KNOW I SPOKE FOR ALL OF YOU WHEN I TOLD THEM THAT IF IT WEREN’T FOR THEM, WE WOULD NOT BE THE NATION WE ARE…..

THAT WE AS A NATION ARE SO VERY GRATEFUL.

AND THEIR RESPONSE IS SO HUMBLING,

“I WAS JUST DOING MY JOB MA’AM”.

THEY DO NOT SEEK PRAISE, OR THANKS, OR MEDALS OF HONOR……………

THEY SEEK TO DEFEND THE FAMILIES OF AMERICA, WITH A SELFLESS RESOLVE.

BUT TODAY WE SAY TO ALL AMERICAN SOLDIERS……

WE HONOR YOU.

AMERICA WILL BE THE LAND OF THE FREE ONLY SO LONG AS IT IS THE HOME OF THE BRAVE.

THERE ARE ONLY 2 WHO ARE WILLING TO LAY DOWN THEIR LIFE FOR YOU…..

CHRIST FOR YOUR SOUL…..

A SOLDIER FOR YOUR FREEDOM…….

THEY ARE OUR NATION’S FINEST………..

THEY ARE OUR CHILDREN’S HEROS………

AND FOR THEM WE ARE, AND SHALL REMAIN, FOREVER GRATEFUL.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU

MAY GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS

AND MAY GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.