Transcripts For CSPAN3 Veterans Day Ceremony 20141227

2012 on her and him he nomination. Over the past two years, she has covered everything from the midterm elections of 2010 to the rescue of the chilean miners. Before that, she was a white house congressional for the Tribune Broadcasting washington, d. C. , bureau. Its our honor and tribute to have as todays mistress of ceremonies miss autry gottfried. [applause] she will be introducing the official party. Good morning. It is my great honor to be your mistress of ceremonies this morning as we commemorate and honor all veterans who have served our great country. To all of our veterans and service members, past and present, we all a debt of gratitude and our lasting appreciation for our service for their service to our country. Thank you all for being here today and a special thanks to all our veterans for your service and sacrifices for our nation. Im pleased to introduce the official party for todays veterans day commemoration. Our keynote speaker for today, one of americas premier war and foreign correspondents, mr. Joe galloway. [applause] the superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Park National Parks service, mr. Robert vogel. [applause] the chairman of the board for friends of the National World war ii memorial, lieutenant ,eneral Claude Mick Kicklighter United States general retired. [applause] the executive director of the maritime administration, mr. Jolson bought joel sabat. [applause] and from the military district of washington, chaplin new tenant colonel just chaplin Lieutenant Colonel michael jac que. Thank you all so much for being here today to commemorate this special day at the world war ii memorial. Ladies and gentlemen, if you can, please rise for the presentation of the colors, the playing of the national anthem, and our invitation. [band plays the starspangled banner] let us pray. Lord, god of hosts, whose power and authority is everlasting to everlasting, we honor you and recognize your providence and protection on our nation. We thank you for this opportunity to assemble here, to honor the veterans of our Nations Armed forces. May we never forget those who served to secure our nation and our liberty. Let us never take for granted the high cost that these men and women have paid. We pray for the veterans who were crippled in war with the loss of a limb. We pray for those injured by unseen wounds of the heart and mind, and we pray for veterans and homeless shelters or on the street suffering from wounds that they do not understand. Bless the families of those we honor today. Fill them with the pride that because of their sacrifices they shared equally in the appreciation awarded today, and finally, lord, we want to pay special respect to those veterans of the greatest generation. They did so much to halt evil and reshape civilization into what is our modern society, so let us share in their memories, their stories, and their tears to in rich us on this way. Amen. Thank you. You may be seated. Its now my privilege to introduce the superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks service, mr. Robert vogel. Good morning. Beautiful morning and beautiful veterans day it is. On behalf of the National Parks service and as a proud son of a world war ii veteran, it is my pleasure to welcome all of you on this veterans day to the National World war ii memorial, which recognizes those who l,rved, honors those who fel and the victory they achieved to restore freedom and end tyranny around the globe. I would like to acknowledge some of our distinguished guest. Lieutenant general Mick Kicklighter has served our nation for more than 50 years, first as an army officer, and since his retirement, in positions in the departments of eight, defense, and the federmans Administration Departments of state, defense, and the veterans administration. And the world war ii memorial has been our incredible and necessary partner and sponsoring the days ceremony in doing so much to keep this memorial in good shape. The National Parks Service Thanks you and the friends of the National World war ii memorial for your partnership, and we share in your mission to ensure that the legacy and accra isis of world war ii veterans are never forgotten. It is also my privilege to welcome our keynote speaker, awardwinning journalist, and decorated combat correspondent. Oe galloway to all the members of our armed and veterans, thank you so much for your service, and we are deeply honored by your presence a specialng, and tribute to all of our world war ii veterans that are here welcome to your memorial. There is no tribute, no that cantion, no honor truly recognize the magnitude of. Our service and your sacrifice this memorial was conceived and built as a way to show our gratitude to the 16 million men and women who met and defeated one of the greatest threats the world has ever seen. It is because of the contributions to peace and freedom made by those who served in world war ii that we enjoy the freedoms that we have today. At the surrender ceremony aboard on september 2, 1945, general Douglas Macarthur hope, it is my earnest is the hope of all mankind that from this solemn occasion, a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the. Ast a world found upon faith and understanding, a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom,. Lerance, and justice this is the relevance of history and the power of our nations sacred memorials. They remind us of the great deeds that that greatest generation and inspire all of us to move forward, that these dead. Hall not have died in vain the National Parks service is very proud to be the steward of the world war ii memorial, and i promise you that the park rangers, the u. S. Park police officers, and our wonderful volunteers, many of them veterans themselves, will be here every day of every year watching over this place to keep it and protect it, to pass along the stories of the heroism and on to future generations of americans, for it is not simply a memorial that we preserve here. It is our birthright as a nation, purchased at an and one thatcost we care for with all of the reverence it demands. Thank you very much. [applause] its now my honor and privilege to introduce the chairman of the board for friends of the National World war ii memorial, Lieutenant General Mick Kicklighter. [applause] good morning, and on behalf of the friends of the National World war ii memorial board, it is a great honor to welcome you to this very special veterans ceremony. We are indeed fortunate to have as our keynote speaker joe galloway, a dear friend for many years, a great writer, combat decorated correspondent, journalist, and historian, and it is also great to have dr. Gracie galloway. Thank you both for being with us, joe. Distinguished guests and so many honored guests with us today, our veterans and your families. On this very special day all across this nation, we are remembering all who have served in defense of our nation, but at this very special memorial, we especially remember those who ii, theirworld war families, and those who supported on the home front. We also remember the men and women who are serving today, and they are coming off the battlefields from iraq and afghanistan. What a magnificent job they have done and are doing, and they are all volunteers. As we know, world war ii was the most destructive war in history. An estimated 60 Million People lost their lives. Mostly women and children and , who got overrun by that war. Millions were murdered in concentration camps and death camps. Caps almost 70 years ago today, on the cymer seven, without warning, the japanese attacked pearl harbor without warning in hawaii, and this nation was thrust into a war we were not prepared for. Those that we honor today ought against great arts and not only those that we honor today thought against great odds and not only won that war and save this nation, but with their allies, they saved the world. Never 400 thousand returned home. Many of the friends of the boards of directors have been involved with this memorial from , construction, and dedication, and we are privileged to continue to work to ensure the legacy, the thatns learned, the unity existed in this nation, and the sacrifices of those who served are never forgotten. To accomplish this mission, we work closely and proudly with the department of defense, with the military district of washington, and especially with the National Parks service to share this sacred and magnificent memorial with our veterans, their families, all americans, and from visitors around the world. A special thanks to mr. Robert for his leadership, commitment, and dedication as superintendent of the National Mall and Memorial Parks, and also this very special parks so superbly look after and take care of this national treasure. If you look around this crowd today, you will see those in yellow caps and yellow jackets, and we could not do it without all those great volunteers. This is truly a sacred place to the to remember, reflect defining moments of world war ii and to honor the sacrifice of those who served. We are honored to have with us today a large number of world war ii veterans and their you so muchd thank for being here to visit your memorial. We would like to ask you to stand and let us thank you for , free, and beautiful america that you gave us 70 years ago. Would you please stand and raise your hand and let us thank you . [applause] this nation owes you a debt that. T can never repay again, thank you all for coming to make this such a special morning. God bless our veterans, those serving today, their families, and god bless america. Thank you very much. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, members of the united dates navy bands perform atet will now patriotic salute to all our veterans. God bless america] [applause] one more time please for the United States navy band. [applause] its now my honor to introduce our keynote speaker for todays ceremony, mr. Joseph galloway. Mr. Galloway is one of americas premier war and war and correspondence for half a century. Recently retired as the senior military correspondent for Knight Ridder newspapers, mr. Of texas andative a military family, spent 22 years as bureau chief for United Press International and 20 years as a Senior Editor and in writer for u. S. News world report magazine. He then joined Knight Ridder in the fall of 2002. During the course of 15 years, toursved for tours 4 as a war correspondent in vietnam and cover the 1971 indiapakistan war and half a dozen other combat operations. In 1990 and 19 91, he covered operation Desert Shield desert storm writing with the 24th Infantry Division in the assault into iraq. He also covered the haiti incursion and made trips to iraq to cover the war there in 2003 and again in 2005 and 2006. Late general maurice was tough, who first met galloway in South Vietnam when he was a brandnew army major, called him the finest combat correspondent of our generation, a soldiers reporter, and a soldiers friend late general schwarzkopf. Galloway was decorated with a bronze star medal with valor for incuing Wounded Soldiers november 1965. He is the only medal of valor u. S. Army awarded to a civilian for actions in combat during the entire vietnam war. Along with Lieutenant General harold g moore, mr. Galloway coauthored a detailed account of those experiences in the bestselling 1992 book we were soldiers once and young. Mr. Galloway was awarded the 2011 doughboy award, the highest honor the armys infantry can bestow on an individual, and few civilians have been awarded a doughboy. Mr. Galloway now resigns in concord, north carolina, with his wife, dr. Grace liam galloway. Please help me welcome dr. Joe galloway. [applause] thank you. Thank you all for being here. God bless you. I look at that front row of. Orld war ii veterans i am so proud to see you. Where you have dwindled down to a precious few. And we honor you. We respect you. E salute you thank you for all you did for our country and all you did for this world of ours. My career, my life has been bounded by war. I was born three weeks before pearl harbor. I did not meet my father until. He end of 1945 he and five if his brothers were the uniform. Numeral war of my mothers wore the uniform 4 of my mothers brothers. We were heavily invested in that war. My first memories were growing up in the house is full of frightened women looking out the window for the telegraph boy. My mother and i lived between her mothers house and my dads. Others house like the other wives and kids, who were just Getting Started in when this war intervened and interrupted whatever plans we might have had. Moved back and forth. My mother could always tell when we had about worn out our welcome, and we would move to 30 other grandmothers house miles away. I remember ve day and vj day. Vj day, especially. My grandmother galloway was so hometo be getting her sons all but one of them alive. She and the other neighbor ladies in the little town of franklin texas they got out their big black wash pots. From ig up the beef dont know where, and they dug up vegetables, and they cooked up stew, and there were 20 handcranked ice cream makers full of ice it was a little kid each with a little kid sitting on top of it. I know because i was one of those little kids. We had a do and ice cream dinner it was all all, and to celebrate the end of world war ii, the end of a war that took the lives of 60 million human beings. It took the lives of 500,000 americans, dead and missing in action. , and yet, so much there was not a voice raised against that war because it had to be fought. It not only had to be fought, it becausee one won there were forces of evil loose in this world, and they had turned the lights out in europe. They had turned the lights out in most of asia, and we had to take those places at the point of a bayonet and turn the lights back on, and thats exactly what you men did. We can never thank you enough for that. The world can never thank you. Nough or that for that andaw a war come to an end, we saw allies become our enemies. We saw our enemies become our best friends. The world changed, and it changed quickly. William manchester and his writings about the war in the pacific. He said, you know, i fought on okinawa, and i thought that the places we fought, the battles we fought, that schoolchildren would remember those rates dates and the names of those places we fought like we had remembered about world war i and the civil war and the spanishamerican war. But he said, the world so speeded up that nobody remembered. Nobody remembered the names and the dates of our battles where we suffered and sacrificed. It was lost in the rush. I remember my dad and his brothers, my uncles, coming home and how they had basically lost four or five years of their life , and they were in such a hurry busy, to back, to get get jobs, to get an education. The g. I. Bill sent them to college. I remember talking to my good , a student at texas tech. When the world war ii veterans arrived in a wave, he said, they scared the crap out of us. They were in such a hurry. They had no time to waste. Graves, in, made the got degrees, and got in their way. And god help you if you got in their way. A come here to honor generation that is almost gone. It was indeed a great generation, not a great war, help build a world worth living war. Fought a great it is up to us to defend it and carry on. Thank you all. God bless you. God bless all our soldiers and marines, soldiers and airmen deployed all around the world today, and thank you, especially you our veterans. God bless you. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, please remain seated as we prepare for the official relaying ceremony laying wreath ceremony. The United States Navy Ceremonial band. [applause] ladies and gentlemen, presenting to the unitedeath states of america is mr. Joe galloway. Presenting the wreath for the National Parks service, superintendent robert vogel accompanied by world war ii veteran, mr. Terry shima. Assigned to the all Asian American regiment, which today still stands as the most decorated u. S. Army regiment in the history of the United States army. Presenting the wreath for the friends of the National World war ii memorial is lieutenant , escorted byter general alan w lucas. Ambassador lucas was born and raised in philadelphia, pennsylvania, and served in the United States army 1942 through 1946. He served in europe with the division as a full artillery observer. He served as u. S. Ambassador for the republic of congo from 1984 to 1987. Presenting the wreath for the. Nited states army [indiscernible] presenting the wreath for the , mr. D states marine corps eugene groves, and mr. Woods, who was among the first African Americans in the United States marine corps. Their Outstanding Service during and after world war ii help lead to executive order 9981, officially ending segregation within the United States military. In 2012, they were recognized their Outstanding Service in United States history. Presenting the wreath for the United States navy. [indiscernible] mr. Donahue was a navy pilot during world war ii. Also presenting the wreath for. He United States navy presenting the wreath for the United States air force is mr. , world warite house ii veteran from pennsylvania. Mr. Whitehouse served in the Army Air Force as a Flight Engineer on a. B. 24 on a be24. In 19 74, the United States agency for International Development borrowed him from the irs and sent him to vietnam to work. His late wife joined him for the time. He has two sons who are both vietnam veterans. Presenting the wreath for the United States coast guard is mr. Georgepolansky and mr. Armstrong p Daniel Polansky served with the 76th Infantry Division during world war ii. He is a member of the 76 mechanized cavalry recon troop. Mr. George arnstein also served in the 75th Infantry Division during world war ii. He was a member of the 76 mechanized cavalry recon troop, and both world war ii veterans are still Close Friends today. Presenting the wreath for the United States merchant marines is the executive director of the merchant marines, accompanied by world war ii veterans. Presenting the wreath for the American Indian veterans of the United States of america is the president of the American Indians veterans association, a korean war veteran and is representing all world war ii veterans for the American Indians. Presenting the wreath for the ,aralyzed veterans of America World war ii veteran observed by the executive committee of the paralyzed veterans of america. Presenting the wreath for the first cavalry division, major jerry heller. Presenting the wreath for the National Order of the purple heart, Wendy Buckingham and jake schneider. Presenting the wreath [indiscernible] ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the playing of taps. [band plays taps] ladies and gentlemen, please be seated. Ok, ladies and gentlemen, at this time, one of my favorite parts of our ceremony as we are going to do the armed forces medley. If you have served or are presently serving in one of these branches of service, we would like you to stand and be recognized and be honored. We just want to thank you with the armed forces medley. United states army United States air force United States marine corps United States coast guard United States navy lets hear it for the United States Navy Ceremonial band, ladies and gentlemen [applause] ladies and gentlemen, this concludes our ceremony for today. You are more than welcome to go visit the veterans who presented freedom mall. The we want to thank you for coming. God bless you and god bless america. [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2014] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] tvjoin American History tonight for lectures in history from brandeis university. We go inside the classroom of tofessor Jonathan Sarna learn about henry fords presentations on jews,. Escribing antijewish articles thats tonight at 8 00 p. M. And midnight eastern time here on American History tv. Each