John Ensign: “this past weekend President Bush dedicated the World War II Memorial before an audience of several hundred thousand…”

“this past weekend President Bush dedicated the World War II Memorial before an audience of several hundred thousand attendees and a national television audience of millions. The memorial honors the 16 million who served in our Armed Forces during World War II, the more than 400,000 who died, and the millions who supported the war effort from home. Symbolic of the defining event of the 20th Century, the memorial is a monument to the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of the American people to the common defense of the Nation and to the broader causes of peace and freedom from tyranny throughout the world. It is my belief that it will inspire future generations of Americans, deepening their appreciation of what the World War II generation accomplished in securing freedom and democracy. Above all, the memorial stands as an important symbol of American national unity, a timeless reminder of the moral strength and awesome power that can flow when a free people are at once united and bonded together in a common and just cause.”