Transcripts For CSPAN2 Vietnam 20240705

Ladies and gentlemen, my is jim byron and i have the honor of being the president and ceo of the Richard Nixon foundation, and i want to welcome you to the Richard Nixon library on this very wet day today. Thank you. Today, 50 years after the end of combat operations by American Forces in vietnam, we recognize Vietnam Veterans and the service that they provide to our country in uniform in the 1960s and seventies. And then after coming home, members of their community who went on to be forces for good and. And additionally we remember and pay tribute today to those who never came home or remain missing in action. Youll see throughout todays program, traditional elements of military ceremony represented by different branches of the United States military. And to begin id like to ask United States Army Chaplain William Williams to the invocation. Chaplain williams served in the army for 27 years in both infantry as enlisted man and as a member of the chaplain corps. He is currently the family life resource manager, deputy garrison chaplain advisor, low density faith Group Leaders and a director of religious education. He has been deployed on eight combat tours. He served as a battalion brigade, detach agent and emcee oam chaplain. Chaplain williams. Friends join me in your faith tradition as i pray in mine. Let us pray. Almighty god, i ask that you bless this sermon and all those that are present today. Special blessings be upon Vietnam Veterans and their families who are present today and those who are not. As we remember, their sacrifice, this legacy and their service that pave the way for our armed forces today. Behalf of grateful nation allow us always to place the mission first. Never accept defeat, never quit, never leave your falling comfort and your name. We pray. Amen. Thank you, chaplain. Ladies and gentlemen, would you please now rise for the presentation of the colors in the national anthem. But please. See. Can you see me by dawns early light . What so proudly we held at. Thats why its less mean whose bluster and bright just who the painful side or play possibly was was so calm endless. And ruckus. Its a good the bones. Men gay proved to light that our flag was still there. Oh, say,oes that song speak angered then ned with. Or the land of and the hum of the bridge they. Oh their. Rain we. Ready got. Rain back. I. You may be seated. Please join me in thanking the 12th marine corps district guard and Navy Vocalist taylor johns for that beautiful of the national anthem. I also want to thank president s, Council Members and our associates, members of the Richard Nixon foundation, who are here with us today whose support made todays commemoration possible and actually made possible the new monument that were going to be dedicating shortly. Id like to welcome don waggoner, chairman of the board supervisors of orange county. Thank you for being here. As well as yorba linda gene hernandez. Councilwoman janice lim. And councilman Carlos Rodriguez rodriguez. Im told that this morning you all now are participate in and attending. What is the second largest vietnam day ceremony in the United States . Absolutely. And only second to the gathering at the National Park service, Vietnam Veterans monument on the national. So thats quite a distinction. On march 29th, 1973, 50 years ago today, the last american combat troops left vietnam. That evening, president nixon, the American People from the oval office saying the day that we have all worked and prayed for has finally come he would go on to say, for the first time in 12 years, no military forces are in vietnam. All of our american p. O. W. S are on their way home. Vietnam, veterans day became a national day of observance. Six years ago when President Donald Trump signed the vietnam war. Veterans act of 2017. However, its origins date to a proclamation issued by president on february 26th, 1974. Proclamation 4270 states as a nation. We have acknowledged our deep respect and admiration by setting aside march 29, 1974, as Vietnam Veterans day to remember the honorable peace america achieved, which came through great sacrifice. I am disappointed, of course, about our unfortunate patterns of late, and especially today, as this mornings rain is forced, the ceremony endures. But rain or shine, theres no place like the Nixon Library. And were going to dedicate and unveil a new monument today celebrating americas Vietnam Veterans. This monument was brought to life by an extruding, early, helpful and insightful design committee, which consisted of ed brundage tony cordero, joe lopez, phil millard, william mimi aga, chris norton, ike and frank orozco. Its its right. Tony cordero serves as president of the sons and daughters in touch. He is a gold star son. Im going to ask tony now to say some words on behalf of the design committee. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. And to all of you Vietnam Veterans today it is appropriate say happy Vietnam Veterans day. So graduation speech. As jim mentioned my name is tony cordero. I am a gold star son and lost my dad in vietnam 1965. What you may wonder is how did an air force brat get mixed up with a bunch of marines in trying to come up with an idea to help run design statue but to all of you marines from vietnam it was a wonderful opportunity and what i wanted to do just quickly is acknowledge that we as a nation are 11 years into the vietnam commemoration, the 50th anniversary of the end of the vietnam war. It is an american tradition that at the 50th and 100th anniversary is at the end of all of our wars that we as a nation paused. Remember those who bore the battle and those who were left without a loved one because of that. And so for the next two years, the vietnam commemoration at department of Defense Program will continue to commemorate vietnam war and the 50th anniversary of the end of it. So thats one of the reasons that were here and. Of course, thanks to president nixon and to president when it was initiated in 2012, President Trump declaring today to be this day and the Current Administration for continuing that support today is National Vietnam war veterans day all across the country. Give yourselves round of applause. The the remembrance and the acknowledge the thanks that our country gives is to everyone. Who served during the vietnam war and to the families who cared for their loved ones when they returned and for the families who were left to ask questions, what happened . Why did my loved one not come home . Why there a funeral . Or why are they still unaccounted for . So what id like to do now is to ask if there are other gold star families in the audience, gold star families whose loved ones were lost in the war or remain unaccounted for. Would you please stand so we can give you a round of applause. I ill tell you, this is the most dollar and 0. 50 that you could ever ask and imagine. Yeah, you can buy. The gold star lapel button on the internet for a dollar and 0. 50, but it cost the life and it is extremely difficult. Its not like a broken arm or having covid. You get over that you dont ever get over this. So thank you very much to all of you for being here. We also want to ask later, were going to recognize you by service, but right now. Im going to ask all of you in the audience, the Vietnam Veterans, all of you who served during the vietnam war, to please stand, allow to give you our thanks and acknowledgment on vietnam war, veterans day. So please all vietnam, please stand. From this Vantage Point that that was incredible. It was absolutely. To see all of you here and to brave the elements to, be here. Thank you all for doing that. Ron pekar is as an artist, a sculptor, a painter, a visionary a creative imagineer, i see that with all due to the good friends of the walt disney and when, the good friends of the nixon and the Nixon Foundation asked me about creating statue to honor all Vietnam Veterans, and that they had identified ron as the designer. This they needed some support. The decision had been made that the statue you would be of a marine a combat on patrol in vietnam. But they needed to make sure that it was accurate. They wanted to make sure that it was spot on down to the most minute detail. And i just happened to know a bunch of guys who live in orange county. Theyre marines and they are a band of brothers. So i said, ill tell you what i can do. Lets put together a little focus and bring these guys together at the library and they can tell you what they think and those of you who know marines know that you shut them up, right . These talked and talked and talked. And they had kinds of ideas and insights and suggestions and what ultimately see is the product of their experience and, rons creativity. And its absolutely glorious statue, but again, we brought these guys here to the library. They shared information during that meeting and. Then they shared more information afterwards. And that led to the creation of the statue. Ron rons work is known all over United States and points around the world. He recently completed a project for the 100th anniversary of the rose bowl stadium, pasadena. He also something near and dear to my heart is the sculpture. The statue of traveler on the university of Southern California campus. So those of you that are familiar with that very good fight on. This i couldnt let that pass, but its a glorious statue statue and runs the designer, the sculptor, the artist behind the statue that will be unveiled today. So without ado, ladies and gentlemen, i wanted to read to you ron pekar. Because you know real well. Im ron tucker. After all that that. You know, im so happy to be here, but im not happy because of me im b im happy because i can see you all. I am so appreciative of you. You have no idea. And especially my committee. You know, this is a statue that is difficult, im going to put it that way, because there are so many details about it. And i didnt know these details. And the fellows helped me through the whole thing with two things. First, their inspiration is is magnet and how i enjoyed meeting them and hearing them. The second thing is they gave me some inspiration of what to do, how to do it, and then a lot of other people did too. I am grateful. What i can say, as say two other three other things. Things one, i maybe already said it was tough. It was a difficult. Sculpture, job. Second, i had help from a several people and i want to just thank you, ed brundage. He is the person that guided me through this. And, of course, he was there and knowing that was very, very beneficial to me. Third, i am. Curious about how all this took place. It was like a an event that came about on its own and. It was very inspirational to me to because the whole situation helped me along to get to point where were here right now. And we have a statue. I am ready to talk about. Im going to start the. Im going to quickly go from top to the helmet. Well, soldiers wear helmets. But thione was very special because i found out theres a rubber band that around the bottom rim and everyone put kinds of things in it. But the one that i have in there is, bug juice and the buguice course is there because it was in vietnam, which was, as everybody told me, 110 to 120 degrees. Every single day. There was never one that went under 110 degrees. I positive it. That oak and as as the as the helmet got put on and i well first of all when i sculpted it i didnt sculpt face with the helmet on. I took the helmet off so i could get to the details. And i could just say one thing about the face. I did the face. Till i thought it was right. And how it came about. It is a made up face, but i had a lot of help, a lot of pictures and a lot of research, and it just right to me. The bandolier. And you can begin, see a little bit of some of the details. Its going to be there as go over and look at it. And i hope will and i hope maybe we a couple of raindrops to go away so you can do that. It is a bandolier that comes across the shoulder and wraps around the side of the body and it carries magazines of bullets. And it is a very symbolic thing to. Of course, thats what all of the people out in the bush as it was, had to have as many as possible. Another funny thing about the details on this, i found the canteens and the other things, specially the canteens were important because of course we were in heat and and as other soldiers have found that was the been in cold it was always curious about the diversity of our armed forces the boots these are jungle they are when i told me you could get water in them. I thought no world that quick kind of boots those well they were goi tget youre going to get water in your boots no matter what. And so it might as well come through and might as well make them easier to clean, maybe but they are very rugged and worked. And of course, they didnt all that great. And the ones on the statue dont look all that great and you will see when you look at hes running through mud in a rice paddy which is a pretty typical thing and so head to toe helmet, bandolier boots and all the other wrinkles and all the other form arms in the uniform are there. Notice it is not a really uniform. Its a wet uniform. And notice also that theres all kinds of stuff hanging all over the place. I had a chance one time to put all of this stuff on me. Now, as you can see, im not that stable. And the other thing is. Mm, yeah. Okay. And other thing is im a small and this stuff just it, it just enveloped me and so i had a chance really get a feel for what the fellers really went through. And it was plenty. I thank you so much for everything. Well, we couldnt be more pleased with how this statue turned out and how serves as such a meaningful centerpiece to this beautiful new permanent right here at the Nixon Library and wasnt ron pekar the right man for the job. We had planned to . Have you all outside and at this point, pull curtain off of the new monument. But thats so what i will say is that would encourage all of you to go see this statue and to visit this monument. Its right next to marine one on the grounds of the Nixon Library. Actually, sometimes it was called army one because for those of you that that know this probably better than me until 1976 that the marine Helicopter Squadron was or the president s Helicopter Squadron was exclusively operated by by the marines. So definitely go see this new beautiful new statue at this wonderful monument next to marine one. As i mentioned earlier, President Trump signed national Vietnam Veterans day into law and. His secretary of Veterans Affairs was robert, who served from 2018 to 2021. The secretary affairs is a cabinet level position and is charged with properly Veterans Benefits and health care and administering our National Veterans memorials and cemeteries prior to serving in the cabinet, secretary wilkie was, undersecretary of defense personnel and readiness. The principal advisor to the secretary and. Deputy secretary of defense for total force management during. The George W Bush administration. Wilkie served both robert gates, Donald Rumsfeld as assistant secretary of defense from 2005 to 2009 and was the youngest Senior Leader in the Department Prior to his first pentagon tour. He was special assistant the president for National Security affairs and a senior director of the National Security council under dr. Condoleezza rice. He has extensive experience in congress as well, including as a Senior Advisor to senator tom tillis, as well as counsel and advisor on interNational Security affairs to Senate Leader trent lott. He is son of an Army Artillery commander, and he spent his youth at fort bragg. He is a reserve officer in the United States air force reserve and holds the rank of colonel prior to joining the air force, served in the United States navy reserve with the joint forces intelligence, Naval Special warfare two in the office of naval intelligence. He is a graduate of the college of Naval Command and staff air command staff college, the United States army, war college and the joint forces college. It is my distinct pleasure to welcome secretary wilkie back to the Nixon Library today to help us this monument. Ladies and gentlemen, i cannot tell you what a singular it is to be here at the Nixon Library and ive spent a great deal of studying president nixon, and i know all of you remember that he was a stone cold football. Not only playing at whittier, but when i was a little boy, he was constantly providing coach george allen. When he was the coach of the rams and then later coach of the redskins with with plays to run on on sunday afternoons, some of which did not work work. President nixons advice did not help the redskins in super bowl seven, but tony opened the football door. I do want to say a new orleanian. I want to thank the university of Southern California trojans for their hospitality. The tulane green wave in the cotton bowl. We thank you very much for helping us erase. Us in new orleans, the the loss of the green wave to the trojans in the 1924 rose bowl. But as i said it is a great, great honor for me to be here with and in this this temple to let america will always and eventually eventually recognize as one of the great builders of peace. When president nixon entered the white house, there were 600,000 americans in south vietnam. One of them was a young major. On his second tour from new orleans was my father. And those times america in retreat and facing the greatest internal conflict since the civil war, when Richard Nixon left office, my father was at home. Because one man deeply believed in building a generation of peace. So it is fitting proper that this magnificent is on the grounds of president nixons birthplace, the home of a young. Raised in that peaceful faith who put tradition aside to wear the uniform of the united navy during world war two. And as you saw we had a United States marine. Slogging through one of the numberless rice paddies of vietnam. But he could just as easily be a Young American at gettysburg who had taught to hark one of 41 million americans who were put on the uniform since the first shots were fired at Lexington Green in. Of 1775. Ordinary americans called upon to do extraordinary things, and president nixon was their champion. He gave voice to a generation forged in the fights against fascism and communism. He was steeped in the heart harsh diplomatic lessons of the 20th century. He represented confluence of with an encyclopedic of his enemies wants and weaknesses. I can remember the electric effect he had on my and her fellow army wives. They talked about nixon. They knew that he was one of us and that if could figure out vietnam was the man who stood with eisenhower for eight years. As i said here several years ago, my parents jumped ship to vote for Richard Nixon. They never looked back in. 1994 on this spot, senator bob said that the second half of the 20th century would be known as age of nixon. He called Richard Nixon the most durable public figure of our time. He was a hero to you, to the silent majority. Those who believe in the dignity and importance of work. And as bob dole said, worshiping god, loving their families and saluting the flag. Dole added that nixon embodied the deepest feelings of the people he led. And it is ultimate act of service became the centurys greatest of peace. But i can tell you from my perspective as a former of the department of veterans, a colonel in the United States air force and the child of a highly decorated combat officer, the effects of policy decisions and his elevation of the American Veteran are felt to this day. When i was seven, my father was grievously wounded in the invasion. Cambodia. He was a big man, six foot 2 to 40 today. Thats not even an nfl quarterback. But in 1970, that was a very big man. When he came home after almost a year in an Army Hospital in hawaii, he weighed half of what he did when he went to Southeast Asia. And as much as i was shocked by his injuries, that was not the only memory that i took from that time. I also saw vietnam, through the eyes of classmates at fort sill, fort bragg. Classmates who sometimes, when called to the principals office, were not going for a doctors appointment. They were going because there was a chance that there was bad news from Southeast Asia in april of 1975. One of my classmates, denise johnson, father Master Sergeant Denning Johnson of harnett county, carolina, was air force medic. President ford, through his secretary of, defense don rumsfeld, had ordered the evacuation of all of the orphanages in saigon in anticipation of the North Vietnamese advance into that beleaguered city. Sergeant johnson volunteered to help rescue those children. But sadly the c5 that he a crew member of. With 174 young helpless children crashed at the end of the runway at tan salute air base. A little 40 years later, i was able take the niece to touch her fathers name on the Vietnam Memorial a memorial that is there of what you all did and what you sacrificed. I also remember at that time, after my father recovered his wounds and was a senior officer in the all american division, the 82nd airborne at fort bragg, that he was not allowed to his uniform off post because at the times now that was no offense to you california that was not berkeley california, that was not cambridge massachusetts that was south eastern north carolina. The heart of Richard Nixon country. But Richard Nixon had ended the combat strife in vietnam, an achievement that boasts his record that that is bob doles make him one of the greatest architects of peace and serenity in the history of this nation, as dr. Kissinger said in, this spot 24, 25 years ago, he advanced the vision of peace of his quaker youth, that he did more than that, he took a stand against the media in the popular but misguided of the time that americans who fought in Southeast Asia were broken human beings not worthy of the honors bestowed on previous generations. I remember an incident involving mother. She was a bragg school teacher. It was the summer she wasnt teaching. I was at home waiting for the Little League baseball game in the afternoon and on television was mr. Donahue with famous microphone of his running up and down the aisles, his Television Studio and his supposed victim was one of Richard Nixons best friends. Bob hope and donahue ribbing hope and trying to get to say that those who served in vietnam were somehow unworthy of america respect. And bob dole, finally, about bob hope, finally had enough. We we looked at donahue. He said, you know, the faces that i saw in danang and saigon were the same that i saw quadrupling saipan and okinawa. Young americans called upon to do things that the rest of their fellows citizens could never imagine and things that they did without complete. And i remember my mother yelling the kitchen, god bless bob. Hope. In in those times as america forgot that her freedom was not guaranteed. Pundits, professors and protesters, but by the souls and efforts of those 41 million americans who carried liberty on their shoulders. Not only for this, but for the rest of the world. Nixon never forgot. He never forgot those americans who sacrificed all who gave all in south vietnam, cambodia, laos. He signed legislation honoring veterans than any president in our history. He openly you the American Warrior for what you did there honorably undertaken and honorably and and when he signed the largest numbers veterans the largest number of veterans bills one day any american. He said by you our veterans the gratitude and the that you deserve. We are not only doing the right thing, we are doing the right thing for all of america, each returning american is a human resource. A mature, highly motivated young citizen who has proven his capacity to serve and to achieve these men and women form the strongest for americas future. He rejected the counterculture. He hosted the largest gathering on the lawn of the white house under an enormous tent on that south lawn. He met each one of the 500 returning pows who were held in vietnam and came to white house with their families. He dared the press to criticize him as he congratulated the thousands of american airmen who carried out his orders to take the fight to the heart of North Vietnam to force the communist to say enough. He admitted to those in the audience that had wondered, if anyone in america supported that, that their being there was proof that america had. He knew that the that mattered were the men whose lives were at risk and were now at home. He said, ill tell you this. After having met each one of our honored guests this evening and having talked to them, i think that all of us would to join in a round of applause for the brave men who took those b52s to the skies and did the job. The p. O. W. And their families stood and roared for 10 minutes. And nixon concluded if they hadnt done it, you wouldnt be here tonight. Then he raised the glass and toasted all the wives and mothers of our p. O. W. S as honorary first ladies of america. So on the political front was, the second half of the 20th century, the age of nixon. Well, i can say that when it comes to veterans nixon himself did not preside over this nation at a time when america began to re honor its warriors way that he wished, but he never forgot who guarantees that freedom. He never succumbed the amnesia. That blanket this nation for a generation. It took. But would slowly shake off that dark time. Thanks in part to the same men and women who nixon said form again the strongest hope for our future but with no parades or welcome home rallies to return to. You the warriors of southeast pushed in the 1970s and the 1980s to build the Vietnam Memorial and slowly this country relearned nixons wisdom that these veterans are our heroes for shouldering the response ability in protecting our freedom and that of our allies, whatever the result may be. A young a young major who had been wounded in vietnam twice began cut his teeth in the political as fellow in several departments of nixon administration. His name was colin powell, and he looked at president nixon. He realized that what president nixon was saying was that a platoon of united marines do more for world peace than all of the celebrity telethons. Hollywood would. Actors and pundits who tell the world how special they are. And colin powell was right. And it is important for us to remember what you all do, not just for this country, but for the world. If i respect for veterans today counts anything along with working hard worshiping the lord loving families and saluting the flags. Then we are actually living in the age of nixon. We are thankfully a pro veteran country. We still we see people standing, veterans at ballgames videos of veterans, surprising children at school after long deployments. Even some celebrities in hollywood support our war. But the past that you know, viscerally reveals that is no guarantee that this will last support for our is fragile. And we must do everything we can to make sure that we never return to the dark days of the vietnam. And that we honored nixons call to give you the gratitude and opportunity that you deserve. When nixon toasted the wives and mothers of the american p. O. W. S, he called them the bravest, most magnificent women. He ever seen. He would be amazed today to see that 15 of the active force is women. But he was at something that mr. Kidero is involved with today, and that is to never forget that when americans go to war and, americans in some cases give. The ultimate sacrifice that those families been to war with them and suffered them. So bob dole was right when he stood here 29 years ago when he said that it is the duty of silent majority to be less silent and to stand in the Public Square as Richard Nixon did, and declare what that majority knows to be true, and then patiently let the country up to that truth, however long it takes. On the evening, dday, general matthew ridgway, who had been tasked by general eisenhower planning and leading the assault on hitlers fortress europe, which meant he commanded the all american of the 82nd airborne division, the screaming eagles of 101st airborne division, and the red devils of the british first airborne division. General ridgway was so restless, he actually fell out of his cot and he reached the Old Testament and he reached for the book of, joshua, and he pulled down the lords promise to the great general on the eve of the battle, jericho, where he said, i shall not forsake the nor forget thee. In 1987, ronald presented general ridgway with the medal of freedom that. Heroes come when they are needed, but americans step forward with courage seems in short supply. The memorial these grounds is about you, the great americans who step forward and never failed us. You never failed that way. Case on the yacht trang valley in cambodia. Ill leave with the words of reverend dr. Billy graham. Reverend graham of president nixon that a tree is best measured when it is laid down. President nixons humble roots through to his legacy have, yet to be measured. I am convinced that the muse of history will accurately measure his life and his genius, and that Richard Nixon will not be found wanting at this statue at this place. In your honor is a fitting reminder of all that that man meant to the men and women who answered the call and never, never failed our nation. Thank you for the honor. God bless you. Ladies and gentlemen, we now want to acknowledge in the audience who served today by with a little tune we like to do. And we invite you to stand when you hear your medley. And. The United States army speaks. For. Itself. That is 80. Two. The coast guard sometimes. Sometimes. I. The United States air force. And United States space. Have. Guys are always so close. And. So. So. And. The United States marine corps corps. About to this. Outstanding. Major general, ill leave you with one quick note before jim jim byron back. You should know across the country, the Richard Nixon foundation has place at all of the iconic monuments in our Nations Capital at the Vietnam Veterans memorial, at the marine corps memorial, at the air force memorial, navy memorial. In your honor, those rights were today to salute you on National Vietnam war veterans day