Bush Praises Troops, Calls on Americans to Personalize War

By Steve Roeder
Talon News
December 8, 2004

President George W. Bush thanked hundreds of cheering, camouflage-clad Marines at Camp Pendleton on Tuesday for their efforts in the Iraq War. He also asked U.S. citizens to personalize the war by coming to the aid of the battle-weary troops and their families.

"The time of war is a time of sacrifice, especially for our military families," Bush said. "I urge every American to find some way to thank our military and to help out the military family down the street. In this season of giving, let us stand with the men and women who stand up for America, our military."

Bush consoled the families who have lost loved ones in the war.

"Words can only go so far in capturing the grief and sense of loss for the families of those who have died," the president said. "But you can know this: They gave their lives for a cause that is just. And as in other generations, their sacrifice will have spared millions from the lives of tyranny and sorrow."

Bush also emphasized that troops will continue to see more attacks as Iraq's January 30 elections approach.

"The enemies of freedom in Iraq have been wounded, but they're not yet defeated," Bush explained. "We can expect further violence from the terrorists. [T]he terrorists will do all they can to delay and disrupt free elections in Iraq. And they will fail."

He said the bravery and sacrifice of the troops has liberated Iraq.

''You see, the terrorists understand what is at stake," Bush commented. "They know they have no future in a free Iraq. [Terrorists] know democracy will give Iraqis a stake in the future of their country. When Iraqis choose their leader in free elections, it will destroy the myth that the terrorists are fighting a foreign occupation and make clear that what the terrorists really are fighting is the will of the Iraqi people.''

After his speech at this southern California base, the president spent the bulk of his visit meeting behind closed doors with families of Marines killed in Iraq. Camp Pendleton has one of the largest casualty rates in Iraq. According to a Camp Pendleton spokesman, Cpl. Patrick Carroll, out of the 1,270 members of the U.S. military that have died since the beginning of the Iraq war, 269 Marines were from this base.

More than 21,000 troops from the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Camp Pendleton, are serving in al-Anbar province in Iraq. Their units have searched for weapons house-to-house in Fallujah, distributed food and water to Iraqi citizens, received fire from rocket launchers, and fought masked insurgents.

Bush declared the Fallujah campaign a success, saying, "We have dealt the enemy a severe blow."

The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force was also the first conventional force to fight in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. They also led the charge across Iraq's border as forces marched towards Baghdad and toppled Saddam Hussein's regime.

Speaking earlier on the 63rd anniversary of Pearl Harbor, Bush suggested ways U.S. citizens can support the troops and their left-behind families. Several options include a Defense Department program called "America Supports You," which garners support for the military from individuals, businesses and groups and encourages others to do likewise.

Bush also cited other established groups that have welcomed home the wounded, collected thank-you letters, built homes adapted to disabled vets, and raised money for military families who stand beside a recovering soldier.