Remarks by Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge at the Dedication Ceremony of the "The Price of Freedom: Americans at War" Exhibit

Release Date: 11/10/04 00:00:00

Washington, DC
Dedication Ceremony - Exhibit
November 10, 2004
(Remarks as Prepared)

Thank you, Larry, for those kind words and also my thanks to Brent Glass for inviting me to be a part of today's special dedication.  Brent and I know each other from our Pennsylvania days, when together we worked to establish The Medal of Honor Court, which lies just behind the capital in Harrisburg – and recognizes Medal of Honor recipients from my home state. And so I am delighted to see that Brent’s commitment to telling the stories of generations of soldiers who bear this ultimate distinction is part of this extraordinary exhibition.  It is always a high privilege and honor to be among my fellow veterans.  

To Brigadier General Vaught, General Myers and Secretary Principi, to all of you here today who camped the foxholes, trailed the jungles, to those who held the title of "citizen" in ways no definition of the word can ever do justice, I will simply say, we all carry memories of buddies whose feats of bravery and boundless service inform our private thoughts and our public discourse.  

Some memories are bittersweet; some are difficult to bear.  And yet, many of us know, the best footpath beyond war is not to dwell on our experiences, but to draw from them.   And that is the gift of this exhibition – for it tells a story that is uniquely American – and that will embolden and enlighten, as only the American experience can.  

Upon the north bridge of Concord, through the scorched earth of the Western Front, amid the steep ravines of Guadalcanal; along the landing at Inchon, on the incline of Pork Chop Hill, amid the heat of the Mekong River Delta, on the seas of the Persian Gulf and the dirt roads of Kosovo, atop the rocky terrain of Afghanistan and the embattled streets of Baghdad, many a soldier has fought with courage to serve the cause of freedom.

The artifacts of this exhibition evidence that.  They are found in the uniform of General George Washington and the sword taken up by Colonel Strong Vincent from my hometown of Erie.  They are found in the exhibit's World War Two jeep and Huey helicopter and bent steel of the World Trade Center.  They are found in uniforms and weaponry and tangible battle scars, including the marks on the flag behind me – the flag that draped the Pentagon in the aftermath of 9-11.

And yet, look, too, at the faces in the photographs behind me – and there you will find the story of America.  For while the uniforms and weaponry of war have changed over the years, the people of this great republic have not. Out of the difficulties of battle, out of centuries of conflict and even peace, we have learned – freedom is not a given. Here, it is a bugle call, hundreds of years old.

It was first heard when patriots stood against a king and an empire and said, collectively, "freedom and only freedom”.  They pledged their very lives to liberty and, since then, that has been every American generation's cherished way of life – a way of life so prized, we continue to do everything in our power to protect it.

And so it was only natural that a senseless act of evil unleashed against our country more than two years ago would stir this nation to say with full resolve:  We will meet brutality with justice.  We will protect our people with all effort.  We will live in freedom.  And we will never let that freedom go.

Today, a new generation of soldiers are leading the fight in the war against terror.  And we salute them with pride.  For they are keeping a pledge made to every generation of veterans:  that we will not cast aside, that we will not diminish, that we will not forget their sacrifices – or those of the soldiers who never returned to feel the warmth of a Veteran's Day salute.  We will always and forever fight on.

May this exhibition remind us of that.  May it remind us of the price of freedom – of the history of service and sacrifice – and of the great heart and strength of this free and enduring country.  

Thank you.  

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