President Obama's Speech on Ending the War in Iraq
The president spoke at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina
The starting point for our policies must always be the safety of the American people. I know that you - the men and women of the finest fighting force in the history of the world - can meet any challenge, and defeat any foe. And as long as I am your Commander-in-Chief, I promise you that I will only send you into harm's way when it is absolutely necessary, and provide you with the equipment and support you need to get the job done. That is the most important lesson of all - for the consequences of war are dire, the sacrifices immeasurable.
You know because you have seen those sacrifices. You have lived them. And we all honor them.
"Semper Fidelis" - it means always being faithful to Corps, and to country, and to the memory of fallen comrades like Corporal Jonathan Yale and Lance Corporal Jordan Haerter. These young men enlisted in a time of war, knowing they would face great danger. They came here, to Camp Lejeune, as they trained for their mission. And last April, they were standing guard in Anbar. In an age when suicide is a weapon, they were suddenly faced with an oncoming truck filled with explosives. These two Marines stood their ground. These two Marines opened fire. And these two Marines stopped that truck. When the thousands of pounds of explosives detonated, they had saved fifty Marines and Iraqi police who would have been in the truck's path, but Corporal Yale and Lance Corporal Haerter lost their own lives. Jonathan was 21. Jordan was 19.
In the town where Jordan Haerter was from, a bridge was dedicated in his name. One Marine who traveled to the ceremony said: "We flew here from all over the country to pay tribute to our friend Jordan, who risked his life to save us. We wouldn't be here without him."
America's time in Iraq is filled with stories of men and women like this. Their names are written into bridges and town squares. They are etched into stones at Arlington, and in quiet places of rest across our land. They are spoken in schools and on city blocks. They live on in the memories of those who wear your uniform, in the hearts of those they loved, and in the freedom of the nation they served.
Each American who has served in Iraq has their own story. Each of you has your own story. And that story is now a part of the history of the United States of America - a nation that exists only because free men and women have bled for it from the beaches of Normandy to the deserts of Anbar; from the mountains of Korea to the streets of Kandahar. You teach us that the price of freedom is great. Your sacrifice should challenge all of us - every single American - to ask what we can do to be better citizens.
There will be more danger in the months ahead. We will face new tests and unforeseen trials. But thanks to the sacrifices of those who have served, we have forged hard-earned progress, we are leaving Iraq to its people, and we have begun the work of ending this war.
Thank you, God Bless you, and God Bless the United States of America. Semper Fi.
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Reader Comments
pulling out
It seems to me that we our country ,our people, our congress our president, must find some form of nutral plane with theses countries we are fighting against in other words find common interest that we can nurture first. Its like planting a seed.Then after we've made those bounds and only then could we even consider pulling some of our manpower out . If we pull out to soon , are if we don't send renforcement in to help the worn out and weiry we are doing a repeat of the vietnam war , when america turned its backs on there on troops that were asking for help and they gave them none. There is a movie with Mel Gibson about this. I think some of us need to watch this again to see as a reminder the consequences of our decessions.President and congress people are waiting and watching your actions with your on loyal servant , the United States military, will you leave them like sitting ducks in a field to be slaughtered are will you make sure that the young and old that have put their lifes on the line for us back home , so we can get up every morning to breakfast and tv while they wakeup to to bombs exploding and near death each day.Yes we are all watching and other countries are watching your decessions because how you treat your on," in other words"if your on military can't depend on you for back up if you would leave them stranded shows very little promise for what you would do for other countries that support are mite be considering supporting the UNITED STATES.
Obama's Speech on Ending the War in Iraq
IS U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT TELLING US THAT THE TWO "READER COMMENTS" THEY PUBLISHED ARE THE ONLY TWO THEY RECEIVED ON OBAMA'S SPEECH OR ARE THE ONLY TWO THAT THEY FEEL ACCURATELY EXPRESS A WELL FOUNDED VIEWPOINT OR ARE THE ONLY TWO THEY FEEL ARE ON-TOPIC AND/OR NOT ABUSIVE?
SURELY U.S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS.....?
SURELY U. S. NEWS AND WORLD REPORT UNDERSTANDS THAT OBAMA'S SPEECH WAS A "FEEL GOOD" SPEECH TO ALL THE WONDERFUL MARINES AND OTHER SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE PUTTING THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE IN SUPPORT OF MILITARISTIC OBJECTIVES OF THE MOST POWERFUL NATION ON THE PLANET WHO NOW CONTROLS THE COUNTRY ON WHOSE SOIL LIES OIL RESERVES SECOND, IN SIZE, ONLY TO THOSE IN SAUDI ARABIA. MR. OBAMA FAILED TO MENTION THOSE OIL RESERVES IN HIS SPEECH...I WONDER WHY?
IN MY OPINION, WE DO NOT NEED DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS IN POWER, SO MUCH AS WE NEED A DIFFERENT KIND OF POWER IN INDIVIDUALS, I.E. THE POWER OF NON-VIOLENCE.
I WELCOME THE DAY WHEN MR. OBAMA WILL PUT ON THE TOP OF HIS LIST,
THAT HE, AS PRESIDENT OR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WILL START NO WARS OR SPONSOR ANY CLIENT STATES IN THEIR AGGRESSION OF OTHERS (ISRAEL FOR STARTERS).
DON
Mike "Mainer Mike" Brown
Welcome to AS I SEE IT, With The Comprehensive Commentary Your Day Can't Do Without.
How refreshing it is that a new direction is taking place, as George Bush was just to darn stubborn to admit any wrongdoing, and would never change the course this country was going. I strongly believe this war in Iraq was a mistake since their were no WMD's. However, what causes me worry about the idea of pulling out of Iraq more than anything is Al Queda. Boosting the amount of soldiers in Afghanistan to fight them will likely cause Al Queda to at least try to increase the amount of their presence in Saddam's former nation. They're already in Iraq, and if they send more of their terrorists over there, I fear we may have to reinvade this war-torm country. Pulling out of Iraq may be a mistake. Let's just hope it's not.
That's AS I SEE IT. I"m Mike "Mainer Mike" Brown.
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