Remarks at a Memorial Day Ceremony in Arlington, Virginia - Transcript

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, June 5, 2000

We have more to do. Later today I will leave for Europe to meet with our partners in the European Union in Portugal and to make the first visit of an American President to Berlin as the capital of a free and undivided Germany. We will continue our work with our European allies for peace and freedom--to make their sacrifice matter.

I will visit Russia, the former adversary with whom we are trying so hard to build a new partnership and a safer world. Russia has just seen its first transition from one democratically elected government to another in 1,000 years of history. For the first time an American President will speak to a democratically elected Russian Parliament. As we support those changes, we will continue to push for greater and deeper ones--to make their sacrifice matter.

I will go to Ukraine, a large country with over 60 million people, struggling to cast off the bitter legacy of communism; located in a strategic place that will determine much of the future of the 21st century; to support those who favor freedom and prosperity and stability--to make their sacrifice matter.

The world of today would not be recognized by those who lived at the beginning of the cold war. Old adversaries have become allies; dictatorships have become democracies; Europe is more peaceful and united; the communism we fought to contain has collapsed, reformed, or been discredited around the world.

Heartened by our progress toward peace and prosperity, we will pursue the two remaining challenges in fulfilling the age-old vision of a Europe peaceful, democratic, and undivided: bringing southeastern Europe and the former states of the Soviet Union into the community of democracies.

On this first Memorial Day of the 21st century, the eighth and last Memorial Day I have had the honor to address the people of this country in this place as President, I give thanks to all those who have stood their ground to defend freedom and democracy and human dignity, and especially to those and their families who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Americans never fought for empires, for territory, for dominance, but many, many Americans gave their lives for freedom. As we stand at the dawn of a new century they never saw but did so much to guarantee for us, far from fading into the past, their sacrifice is paving the way to our future.

Thirty, forty, fifty years after our fallen veterans have gone, we can say, "Glory! Hallelujah! Your truth is marching on." May God bless you all, and God bless America.

NOTE: The President spoke at 11:30 am, in the Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery. In his remarks, he referred to Maj. Gen. Robert R. Ivany, USA, Commanding General, U.S. Army Military District of Washington; John C. (Jack) Metzler, superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery; and Col. Michael Durham, USA, Command Chaplain, Military District of Washington; Carmella LaSpada, founder, No Greater Love, and events coordinator for the National Moment of Remembrance; and Lt. Cal. Jeff Douglass, USMC, liaison, National Moment of Remembrance.