Date: 1985-02-05
Speaker: JAN SCRUGGS (republican)
Chamber: S

Thank you. Commander Cameron. Our next speaker today is Mr. Robert Turner. who is the Vice Commander of the American Legion. Mr. Turner is a native of Griffin. Georgia. who served in the Army during the Vietnam War and was formerly State Commander of the Georgia American Legion. . He was recently elected National Vice Commander of the great organization. the American Legion. Ladies and gentleman. Vice Commander Robert Turner. Vice Commander ROBERT TURNER. Thank you. Jan. ladies and gentlemen. It is with great pride that I come here today to represent National Commander Clarence Bacon and the 3V million membbs of the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary. On this day which is so important to this country. we honor those men and women of the United States who put duty. honor and country before self. Im especially pleased to participate in these ceremonies devoted to our most recent wartime veterans and to be able to share with you the tremendous emotional experience of seeing this powerful memorial completed by the addition of the sculpture to my left. I. as have millions of other Americans who have been to this wall. have looked at the names of my friends and people from my home town there and reflect on those who served in Vietnam. those who returned. and those who did not. I think about you fellow veterans. your strength and character as you withstood more than you deserved and I think about your dignity. your dedication and your patriotism. Two years ago. when we gathered to dedicate the Memorial. we saw a great outpouring from the American people that showed their appreciation for your service and your sacrifice. For too long. you were led to believe that no one cared about the duty you performed so valiantly or about the battles you had to fight when you came home. but on that cold. damp day. there were signs that the wounds were beginning to heal. Still. there were those who said that this Memorial was not enough. It was not heroic enough but that did not stop the construction and the eventual dedication of the Memorial. Instead it encouraged us to work together so that the monument would indeed be a rallying point to help the wounds heal and to help us unite again as a nation. The differences surrounding the Memorial were worked out thoughtfully and. I think. appropriately. to include the statue that were installing today. You know. one of the great things about this country and our democratic tradition is that it recognizes differences and the value of discussions to resolve them. And today we recognize the people symbolized by the sculpture and those named on the wall who fought to preseve that tradition. The statue of the three servicemen ties together the memories of the living and the dead and unifies the whole. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial to those who died in Vietnam for it has touched every American just as it has touched every American citizen. From this day forward. the United States Park Service will manage the Memorial and that is a victory for all of us. It is fitting that the Nation be the custodian of this site. to preserve and protect it as the men and women we honor today preserved and protected the nation through their service. This Memorial represents a part of our national history we cannot afford to forget. Neither can we afford to forget the members of the armed forces who. because of their convictions. served their country when they were needed most. They deserve our respect. They deserve our devotion. They earned their Memorial. Last night near this place. I was fortunate to witness a moving and dignified service for nearly twenty five hundred courageous Americans whose names are on this Memorial but whose fates remain a mystery to all of us. To the families and friends of those still missing and unaccounted for. I say that we have not forgotten them and we have not forgotten you. Your strength. courage and conviction inspire all of us to work harder on the POWMIA issue and we will not rest until It is resolved. On this day of national salute to Veterans. I salute you. Thank you.