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Release Date: 04/29/04 00:00:00
Washington, DC
April 29, 2004
Remarks as Prepared
Good evening. I'm honored to be here tonight to celebrate the achievements and dedicated service of each of the men and women here who have been awarded the Presidential Distinguished Rank Award.
From all across the federal government, you have been selected for your outstanding accomplishments and your overall contributions that strengthen our nation and ultimately benefit the lives of your fellow citizens.
On behalf of the President, I want to thank and commend you for your tireless service. And I also want to say a word of gratitude to all the family members present tonight. When you make the choice to serve, the whole family shares in that decision and in the sacrifices that often accompany it. So, I thank you for all that you do.
Over the next few weeks, I have several commencement speeches to deliver, and I've been thinking a lot about what I want to say to these young graduates, and you know, what I wish I could do is bring them here tonight.
Because the theme I keep coming back to, the principle I want them to take away is that service, service to a cause greater than self is more than a career -- it is a foundation on which to build a life.
As Albert Einstein put it, "The high destiny of the individual is to serve rather than to rule." For many, this statement is probably received with skepticism and easily brushed aside as no more than an idealistic musing of a great scientist.
But those of you in this room would whole-heartedly agree with him, and not just because it's usually a safe bet to agree with one of the smartest men who ever lived, but because you have had the privilege to live your lives by this ideal.
Public service is a high calling, but one that can easily get drowned out in the cacophony of competing societal values.
For while we certainly esteem service, we are also a society that prizes individual glory and achievement.
We hoist our sports athletes up on pedestals and know them by their first names -- Tiger, Lance, A-Rod. Some of us know more about the lives and habits of Hollywood celebrities than our own families. Magazines and television press the right clothes, a luxury car, the perfect house as the ultimate success markers. And, an unstoppable stream of reality television shows is giving way to a new American Dream: "15 minutes of Fame."
As a father raising two high school children, I wonder how society will influence the decisions and choices they will ultimately make in life. And, I have to admit if you just look at the surface of American culture, the situation can sometimes seem pretty tenuous.
But like most things in life, things are often different from what they appear. You don't have to look very far to see that the gilded surface of our culture is somewhat misleading. For at our core, we are a people defined by a common commitment to our fellow man, a common belief in the value of freedom, and a common heritage of sacrifice and heroism.
When we are called on to serve, when we face tragedy, we have ever risen to meet the challenge before us. Every generation faces a defining moment, a moment when the true character of America is tested. For our parents it was World War II, for their parents the Great Depression. For us, the attacks of September 11th was such a moment in our lives and the life of our nation.
A moment when all of us stopped, took stock of our lives, our choices, a moment when we were reminded of the inspiring greatness of individuals who choose to serve.
Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, "The noblest service comes from nameless hands, and the best servant does his work unseen."
The firefighters, EMT workers, and police officers that rushed into burning buildings that fateful day, their names are not common knowledge, but their deeds encouraged us to press on. The young soldiers leading the way in far-off countries, fighting a difficult war to protect our homeland, their names are not common knowledge, but their sacrifice demands that our commitment to freedom not falter.
Over the past week, there have been a lot of stories about Army Ranger Pat Tillman, a star football player who left the NFL to serve his country. It's understandable why the loss of someone of such renown would be newsworthy, but it isn't Tillman's celebrity that has touched so many who have read about his life.
It's the way in which he served that has resonated so deeply. He relinquished his fame, left a lucrative career, and in doing so, never sought a pat on the back, never wanted a media crew documenting this incredible human interest story. He just wanted to serve -- unheralded -- another set of "nameless hands," a simple soldier just doing his duty.
Our country was built on the backs of similar patriots. Men and women who have fought bravely to defend the cause of freedom. Men and women who have traveled to distant lands to bring medicine, education, and resources to those less fortunate. Men and women who have worked as public servants promoting our democracy and strengthening our nation.
Men and women who never sought the light of recognition and reward, but instead pursued service relentlessly.
Perhaps more than anything Pat Tillman's tragic death should give all of us a renewed sense of belief and comfort in the fact that our heritage of service forged for more than two hundred years is still very much alive.
This is also proven true in that the number of Americans pursuing service opportunities has greatly increased in the wake of September 11th. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 63 million Americans volunteered this past year, and the greatest increase in service was found among teenagers.
As public servants we have an opportunity to capitalize on this heightened desire to serve by encouraging more Americans to choose a career in public service.
Now, I know it can be a tough sell.
Many graduates or young professionals probably ask themselves -- "Why should I work for the government, when I can make twice as much working in the corporate world?"
A thought I'm sure has never crossed any of our minds...
Public service demands long hours and sacrifice, and we all have those days when we wonder if we're making any progress, if we're really making a difference.
But in the end, it is a career that matters. And it is a pursuit that motivates. Because the ultimate job satisfaction doesn't come from pay checks or accolades.
It comes from the knowledge that -- whether an astrophysicist studying infrared astronomy, a Customs commissioner improving our container security, an FBI worker pioneering DNA forensic analysis, or an atmospheric chemist investigating the ozone layer -- your work enriches the lives of countless individuals and impacts society in more ways than you could ever know.
And so tonight, we honor you for making the choice to invest your talents, intelligence, and expertise, in service to this nation and the greater public good.
Perhaps in this time of change, more and more Americans will come to see the wisdom of Einstein's words the way each of you has -- for service is indeed the "high destiny of the individual."
From the leadership of General Washington, to the patriots who followed him to claim their independence. From the stirring words of Lincoln at Gettysburg, to the Americans who fought and bled to keep our nation united. From the giant figure of Churchill who stood astride Europe against Hitler, to the nameless soldiers who stormed the beaches of Normandy and liberated its shores. From the grand visions of American presidents, to the individuals who toiled to support their plans and dreams for a greater America.
The only difference amongst them is that some found their names written in history books and some did not.
But all chose service.
And for that choice -- whether their names are known to us or not -- they are honored and remembered.
Thank you and thank you for all you do to make America great.
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This page was last reviewed/modified on 04/29/04 00:00:00.