Remarks as prepared; not a transcript. RADM Kenneth P. Moritsugu, M.D., M.P.H Acting Surgeon General U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Remarks at Veterans Day Observance at Vietnam Memorial Wall
Saturday, November 11, 2006 Washington, D.C.
"Veterans Day Observance at the Wall" Thank you for that kind introduction, Jan. [Jan Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. Mr. Scruggs is a Vietnam veteran.] It is an honor and a privilege to be here with you. I bring you special greetings on behalf of my fellow officers of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, who have also served our nation since 1798, to promote, to protect, and to advance, the health and safety of our great nation, and who were activated to serve in Viet Nam. Today is a special opportunity to take pause, reflect, and pay tribute to American veterans, America's heroes. On Veterans Day, we honor men and women of great courage and dedication: the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who serve the United States of America. Our nation's veterans devote themselves to protecting freedom, peace, humanity, and our American values. Through the generations, American men and women in uniform have humbled dictators, fought for the oppressed, liberated continents and set a standard of courage and integrity for the entire world. Vietnam Veterans Today, as we observe Veterans Day and all veterans, here at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial we pay a special tribute to the men and women who served during the Vietnam War. We will never forget your sacrifices. We will never forget your courage. Secretary Wynne, Captain Hauck [pronounced HOWK], and General McCaffrey-thank you for your service. And to all of you who have served our great nation, thank you. We also remember the men and women who left America's shores but did not live to be thanked and honored as veterans. They truly made the greatest sacrifice. And to the families who lost loved ones, you are our nation's unsung heroes. Today we gather to honor all of you and the veterans commemorated on the Wall. The Wall and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund are important symbols of America's recognition of the men and women who served, and who sacrificed. Inscribed on these black granite walls are the names of more than 58,000 men and women who lost their lives during the Vietnam War, or who remain missing. This Wall honors the sacrifice and devotion to duty and country of all the men and women who served during the longest war in U.S. history. Each name represents a life, a sacrifice -- a person -- to whom our nation owes tremendous gratitude. And while we see the wall, while we remember the numbers of our veterans --- those who are with us, those who did not return from their missions, those no longer are alive -- let us never forget the human faces of what these numbers and names represent, the sons and daughters, the fathers and mothers, the brothers and sisters - people, fellow Americans all. We must never, ever forget the sacrifices made by all of our veterans and their families. That remembrance is embodied by this wall. Thank you Jan, and all the veterans for helping to create this tangible symbol of gratitude from the American people. Unions, veterans groups, civic organizations, corporations, foundations, and more than 275,000 individual Americans came together to raise the funds to build this tribute. Nearly 24 years after its dedication, it remains among the most-visited in the nation's capital ? with more than 4 million visitors each year. Americans know that our fighting men and women are today placing the nation's security and freedom before their own lives. As Americans, we know that veterans throughout history have given us our freedom, our way of life. We are here today, observing Veteran's Day, because of our Veterans - those soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines, who put themselves - their lives -- on the line, so we may enjoy our lives today. They have made it possible for us to be who we are, to enjoy what we do: to enjoy democracy, enjoy freedom. We celebrate veterans from every conflict, from World War I to our Global War on Terrorism; from Europe, to the Pacific, to Viet Nam, to Kuwait, to Afghanistan, to Iraq; whether in battle, or prepared to do battle. America will never forget. As our society continues to evolve, our veterans serve as our compass point for freedom, as we look to protect, defend, and advance our nation - with health of body, health of mind, and health of spirit. We face continuing threats against our nation - against our collective and individual safety and security. But as these threats evolve, so do our capabilities to identify, prevent, and respond to them. As our science and technology advances, so do our capabilities to protect, support, and care for our warriors and veterans. With our improved combat medical transport systems, and our advances in combat medicine and surgery, more of our wounded survive than ever before. Similarly, our leaps forward in science, engineering, care, and rehabilitation, have improved our capabilities to return our wounded warriors to full lives. For our veterans' health and long-term well-being, we are increasing our emphasis on prevention, as well as caring and curing. All of this, to acknowledge the sacrifices and commitment of our veterans; and to say thank you … not only for the moment, but for a lifetime! Let us please take a moment of silence to honor all of our fellow citizens who served and sacrificed during the Vietnam War and all of America's conflicts… let us pause to honor those who continue to serve today at home and throughout the world, especially in Afghanistan and Iraq. <<<PAUSE FOR THE MOMENT OF SILENCE.>>> Thank you. I also want to thank all of the organizations presented here today. Thank you for helping us to continue to represent and protect our nation's oldest and newest veterans. And thank you for supporting our troops - our warriors for freedom and peace. God bless you all, and God bless the United States of America, whom we all serve. ### Last revised: September 04, 2008 |