Bill Clinton: “Thank you very much. Thank you. Commander Sioss, distinguished leaders of our veterans organizations, Secretary Brown…”

“Thank you very much. Thank you. Commander Sioss, distinguished leaders of our veterans organizations, Secretary Brown, Secretary Perry, General Shalikashvili, officials of the Veterans Administration, to our men and women in uniform and their families, our veterans, my fellow Americans, I am proud to share this Veterans Day with you in this magnificent place of rest and reverence. Today we honor all those who gave their lives and all those who have risked their lives so that our Nation might remain free. And we honor, of course, all those who at this very moment are standing watch for freedom and security, from our bases across the United States to our mission around the world. To each and every American who has worn the uniform of the United States Armed Forces, we say simply, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Over the past few months at home and abroad, I have had the privilege of saying that thank-you in person to men and women who are keeping our Nation's commitment. Today we say a special word of thanks to our troops who are helping the Haitian people turn from fear and repression to hope and democracy and a special word of thanks to our troops in the Persian Gulf who are insuring that Iraq does not again threaten its neighbors or the stability of the vital Gulf region. All over the world our military is providing that kind of support to freedom and proving that when America makes a promise, we will keep it.…”