President thanks veterans for service during inaugural ball

  • Published
  • By Army Sgt. 1st Class Doug Sample
  • American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON --  President Bush and first lady Laura Bush were greeted with resounding cheers as they made the first stop of their whirlwind tour of inaugural galas here Jan. 20.

At the "Salute to Heroes" inaugural ball, hundreds of veterans from across the country, along with their wives and families, greeted the president with a resounding show of support.

Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynne, stopped in later as they made their way through the inaugural circuit.

Kenneth Stumpf, one of many Medal of Honor recipients who endured tight security inside the hotel to see the president, was particularly happy to be there.

"I spent my entire life in the military, so whoever was the president, that was my commander-in-chief," he said. "It just so happens I really like this one."

The American Legion sponsors the ball, which recognizes recipients of the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military award. The event started in 1953 for President Dwight D. Eisenhower's first inauguration.

Event co-sponsors include 13 other veterans service organizations.

With applause and cheers often interrupting his comments, the president used his brief appearance to thank veterans for their service.

"They have set a fantastic example for those who wear the uniform today," he said. "Our veterans who have served all across the world in the cause of freedom, they have done so in a selfless way and for that, this nation is eternally grateful."

The president also used the occasion to reiterate points made during his inaugural address, speaking on the importance of freedom and saying that United States will succeed in bringing democracy to Iraq.

"We believe in freedom, and we know that free societies will be peaceful societies," the president said.

He also said that by ending tyranny, the United States "will have fulfilled the obligations of our founding fathers who recognized that every man and woman on the face of the earth should be free."

With the Joints Chiefs of Staff seated on each side of the podium, the president acknowledged the difficulties being placed on the military.

"We've asked hard things of our troops and the families of our troops," he said. But he cited the progress made in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"Think about what has happened in a very short period of time," he said. "The people of Afghanistan have been liberated by our troops, and our friends, the Afghans, went to the polls by the millions for the first time in 5,000 years," he said. "Very shortly, because of the great work of our military, and the military of our friends, the people of Iraq will be voting. This is a major achievement, and it's a major milestone in the advance of liberty."

The president admitted that bringing liberty to Iraq "has not been easy," but "it's going to happen," he said. "And when it does, our military, and those of us who have been fortunate enough to be involved with our military, will be able to look back and say we did our duty, we did our duty for freedom, and we did our duty for generations of Americans to come."

Before leaving, the president again thanked the audience, telling those veterans who have served and those who are now serving, "I am incredibly proud to be your commander in chief."