March 13, 2008 – House Chaplin Rev. Daniel P. Coughlin delivers benediction on Capitol Hill in Washington during a congressional ceremony to honor those who’ve served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
by Frank James
All the right words were spoken at today’s event to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Iraq War, an event that was also billed as an acknowledgement of the Afghan War.)
The four congressional leaders praised the troops now serving, and those who’ve lost their lives, as well as veterans. In the spirit of what was advertised beforehand as a bipartisan event, the lawmakers checked any unseemly finger-pointing at the door.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), whose office had the idea for the ceremony, said: “After five years of the war on in Iraq and more than six in Afghanistan, the selflessness of our heroes continues to make us proud.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (D-Ky.) did, however, acknowledged how divisive the Iraq War has been.
Today our nation is engaged in a great debate about the future course of that war and the greater war of which it is a part. There is passion and seriousness and patriotism on both sides. Yet one thing is certain. The men and women of our military have done their jobs. Their purpose is just.
Here’s the transcript of the ceremony:
SPEAKER PELOSI: Here in this beautiful Rotunda we solemnly remember the service of the men and women of our armed forces on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the initiation of hostilities in Iraq, and we pay tribute to all of those serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout the world. When our nation called, the brave men and women of our armed forces responded without delay. When sent into battle, they performed their duties effectively with bravery, dignity and honor that are the hallmark of American soldiers, sailors, air men, Coast Guardsmen and Marines. After five years of the war on in Iraq and more than six in Afghanistan, the selflessness of our heroes continues to make us proud.
War extracts a terrible price. Just in the past three days, 12 more of our heroes have fallen in Iraq. Every loss brought pain to our hearts. Few understood the price and pain of war more deeply than America’s most celebrated soldier, Dwight David Eisenhower. The statue is the most recent addition to the Rotunda. As you can see, as you leave, as you noticed coming in, when his statute arrived many of us were surprised to see the great man depicted not as the president of the United States, but as a five-star general. His family told us that is how President General Eisenhower wanted to be presented. Everyone knew he was president; he wanted everyone to know of his military service to our country as a five-star general.
Having seen the deadliest combat in human history as well as the new destructive force which ended World War II, Eisenhower devoted his presidency to reducing the risk of war. Upon leaving office, President Eisenhower concluded his farewell address with a prayer that in, quote, “in the goodness of time all peoples will come to live together in a peace guaranteed by the binding force of mutual respect and love.”
In the spirit of General Eisenhower, under the gaze of his statue’s watchful eye, we honor the service of our men and women in uniform of our armed services, those who have returned home, and their brothers and sisters in arms we’ve lost. We mourn every day. In the spirit of his farewell prayer, we seek to end conflict, to promote peace and to build a future worthy of the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform.
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, majority leader of the United States Senate, the honorable Harry Reid.
SEN. REID: One hundred and forty-two years ago in this hall, where we now sit and stand, laid in state a martyred body of President Abraham Lincoln. Americans came from every corner of our country that day to grieve the president and honor the ideals expressed in his second inaugural address, where he said, “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”
Today we stand together, not as Democrats or Republicans but as Americans, all to honor every airman, soldier, sailor and Marine who has served and every American hero who has perished in that far-off land of Iraq.
We pay special tribute to the more than 30,000 gallant Americans wounded in battle and to the 3,987 who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. We honor their parents, children, husbands, wives and friends, those they loved and those who loved them. They too bear a heavy burden in service to the ideals we cherish.
While today’s focus is on the five-year war in Iraq, we do not forget the men and women who have sacrificed in Afghanistan. We could not possibly honor our troops with words to match the honor of their brave action. But let it be known to all, from the beaches of America to the sands of Iraq, that they’re in our hearts and in our prayers; that in their honor and in their memory we will, in the words of Abraham Lincoln, always cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, Republican leader of the United States Senate, the Honorable Mitch McConnell.
SEN. MCCONNELL: Five years ago next week in the sands of Kuwait, a captain in the U.S. Army spoke some very American words to the soldiers in his command. “Do your job,” he said, “so we can all go home.” An army advanced. The war in Iraq had begun.
Today our nation is engaged in a great debate about the future course of that war and the greater war of which it is a part. There is passion and seriousness and patriotism on both sides. Yet one thing is certain. The men and women of our military have done their jobs. Their purpose is just.
And on this day of remembrance, in this place of honor, we thank all who have served. We commend all who have sacrificed to protect our nation from the cruel designs of evil men. Some have returned with wounded bodies and shaken souls. Some have not come home. Many mothers and fathers and husbands and wives and children have kept lonely vigil for loved ones. And many have wept bitter tears over a long-delayed reunion or a shattering loss of life. We have been grief-stricken in the face of injury and death. And in quiet prayers we’ve asked the Lord of Mercy to embrace the fallen in a kingdom where, as we read, every tear is wiped away.
Sixty-nine Kentuckians have given their lives in this fight. Their stories have a common theme. They loved their families and they believed their service would keep their families safe. The widow of one Kentucky soldier was asked how her husband wished to be remembered. She did not hesitate. “He loved his country,” she said. “He really believed in what he was doing in Iraq.” We have felt a solemn pride in men and women like these, in the great feats of bravery and in the small acts of kindness of our troops that we’ve heard from the front.
We’ve been humbled by the sacrifice of so many Americans. And today we recommit ourselves to their service, to the care of those who have returned and to the full support of those who fight.
We pray for those who are in the field to be strong and confident and safe from all harm, and we pray this morning also for the strength to bear new burdens that will come.
In the summer of 1861, Abraham Lincoln came to this building to speak about another war. The dome above us was half-finished, and Confederate soldiers were in striking distance of the capital city. Lincoln said that Americans had already shown they could establish and administer a government of the people. Now they had to prove that this government could be maintained in the face of an internal revolt. In the crucible of a bloody civil war, America proved it could withstand that threat.
In the century that followed, millions of Americans would rise up to beat back the threat of despots who mocked the rights of men. And in this third American century, we will prove that America is stronger than the fanatics who want to destroy it.
These years have not been easy, but we are reminded, in the words of an ancient writer, that the purpose of war is peace. And on this day of remembrance, we can be sure that as long as good and generous souls rise up to defend America, the world can hope for days of peace to come.
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, Republican leader of the United States House of Representatives, the Honorable John Boehner.
REP. BOEHNER: America is a nation defined by its unfailing commitment to freedom and liberty. Throughout our nation’s history, freedom and liberty have been repeatedly challenged. And throughout our nation’s history, the men and women of our military have always answered the call. And we gather today beneath the Rotunda of our Capitol to say thank you. We gather to honor the five years of service and sacrifice our troops and their families — that have made for the war in Iraq, and we gather to remember those who are serving our nation in Afghanistan and throughout the world.
Under this Rotunda, we honor our nation’s greatest heroes and we celebrate their accomplishments. The men and women of our military and their families are our nation’s greatest heroes, and their incredible accomplishments are indeed a cause for celebration. Across the globe, bolstered by their faith in God and the love of their families, American soldiers have performed heroic deeds — in Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout the world. They’ve built schools, they’ve — protected communities, they’ve built bridges and infrastructure, they’ve liberated the women of Kabul, they’ve liberated nations.
Their achievements are too numerous to count and too widespread to fully catalogue. The least we can do is to take time from our daily routine to stop, to think, and to express our thanks and gratitude for the sacrifices of our military families and continue — the sacrifices they continue to make.
The life of every American soldier is a precious gift. You are the pride of America. A grateful nation says thanks. And we will never, ever forget.
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, please stand for a moment of silence and the benediction.
(A moment of silence is observed, followed by the benediction.)