The Border & Illegal Aliens, And What We Are Doing About It.

[Bullheaded Texan]

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said.

“We are not going to let this country be invaded!

We will not be stampeded!

We will not capitulate to lawlessness!

This is NOT business as usual.

This is the Trump era!," the Attorney General said.
 

[Bullheaded Texan]

DO YOU KNOW-----?
"How many steps does it take for the Guards to walk across the tomb of the Unknowns?" Arlington Cementary , Tomb of the Unknown Soldier:
Q. How many steps does the guard take during his
walk across the Tomb of the Unknowns and why?
A. 21 steps: It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute which is the
highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary!
2. How long does the Guard pause before turning around? A.=21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1.
Q.Why are his gloves wet?
A. To prevent losing his grip on the rifle.
Q. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all the time and, if not, why not?
A. He carries the rifle away from the tomb. After his march across the path, he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside of the houlder.
Q. How often are the Guards changed?
A. The Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year. 24 hrs.=1,440 minutes.divided by 30min.=48. So it takes 48 guards to cover 24 hrs.
Q. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to?
A. For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he must be between 5'10' and 6' 2' tall and his waist size cannot exceed 30". They must commit 2 years of their life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and they cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of their lives. They cannot swear in public for the rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the uniform or the tomb in any way! After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn.
They must obey the rules for the rest of their lives or give up the wreath pin. Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty..
The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make a loud click as they come to a halt. There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform! Guards dress for duty in front of a full-lent on their uniform.
The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone nor watch TV.
All off duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in
Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred.
Among the notables are:
President Taft, Joe Lewis {the boxer} Medal of Honor winner Audie L. Murphy, the most decorated soldier of WWII and of Hollywood fame.
ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.
In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington, DC, our US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment.
They respectfully declined the offer, "No Way, Sir!"
Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that "guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a serviceperson."
The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.
That's 81 years!
24hrs times 365 = 8,760 hrs. per yr. and 8,760 times 81 yrs.= 709,560 hrs.
God Bless and keep them.
I AM very proud of our young men, no matter where they serve!
IN GOD WE TRUST
~~~~~~~~~~~

One detail that is not mentioned, in DC, is that there can never be a building of greater height than the Washington Monument.
With all the uproar about removing the ten commandments, etc...
On the aluminum cap, atop the Washington Monument in Washington, DC, are displayed two words: Laus Deo. No one can see these words. In fact, most visitors to the monument are totally unaware they are even there and probably couldn't care less.
Once you know Laus Deo's history, you will want to share this with everyone you know. But these words have been there for many years; they are 555 feet, 5.125 inches high, perched on top of the monument, facing skyward to the Father of our nation, overlooking the 69 square miles which comprise the District of Columbia, capital of the U.S. of A.
Laus Deo! Two seemingly insignificant, un-noticed words. Out of sight and, one might think, out of mind, but very meaningfully placed at the highest point over what is the most powerful city in the most successful nation in the world. So, what do those two words, in Latin, composed of just four syllables and only seven letters, possibly mean? Very simply, they say "Praise be to God!"
Though construction of this giant obelisk began in 1848, when James Polk was President of the United States, it was not until 1888 that the monument was inaugurated and opened to the public. It took twenty five years to finally cap the memorial with a tribute to the Father of our nation, Laus Deo ..........."Praise be to God!"
From atop this magnificent granite and marble structure, visitors may take in the beautiful panoramic view of the city with its division into four major segments. From that vantage point, one can also easily see the original plan of the designer, Pierre Charles l'Enfant .A PERFECT CROSS IMPOSED UPON THE LANDSCAPE, with the White House to the north. The Jefferson Memorial is to the south, the Capitol to the east and the Lincoln Memorial to the west. A cross you ask? Why a cross? What about separation of church and state? Yes, a cross! Separation of church and state was not, is not, in the Constitution! So, read on. How interesting and, no doubt, intended to carry a profound meaning for those who bother to notice.
Praise be to God! Within the monument itself are 898 steps and 50 landings. As one climbs the steps and pauses at the landings the memorial stones have a message. On the 12th Landing is a prayer offered by the City of Baltimore; on the 20th is a memorial presented by some Chinese Christians; on the 24th a presentation made by Sunday School children from New York and Philadelphia quoting Proverbs 10:7, Luke 18:16 and Proverbs 22:6. Praise be to God!
When the cornerstone of the Washington Monument was laid on July 4th, 1848 deposited within it were many items including the Holy Bible, presented by the Bible Society. Praise be to God! Such was the discipline, the moral direction, and the spiritual mood given by the founder and first President of our unique democracy. "One Nation, Under God."
I am awed by Washington's prayer for America. Have you never read it? Well, now is your unique opportunity!
"Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection; that Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." Laus Deo!
When one stops to observe the inscriptions found in public places all over our nation's capitol, he or she will easily find the signature of God, as it is unmistakably inscribed everywhere you look. You may forget the width and height of "Laus Deo", its location, or the architects but no one who reads this will be able to forget its meaning, or these words: "Unless the Lord builds the house its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." (Psalm 127: 1)
I hope you will send this to every person you know; They will not find offense, because you have given them a lesson in history that they never learned in school. With that, be not ashamed, or afraid, but have pity on those who will never see this because someone failed to make them aware of it's existance!

[Bullheaded Texan]

Trump's Memorial Day Promise.
05/28/2018 Fox News by: Brooke Singman
President Trump pledged to Gold Star families on Monday to "never forget our heroes,” saluting those who made the ultimate sacrifice on this Memorial Day.
The president marked his second Memorial Day as commander-in-chief with a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. The president laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, alongside Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford. He then delivered brief remarks.
"We gather to honor the lives of America's greatest heroes," Trump said. “We’re joined today by the families of American heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice. We cannot imagine the depth of emotion that this day brings each year, the grief renewed, the memories relived, those last beautiful moments together cherished and always remembered. You also feel that incredible pride- a pride shared by one really and truly grateful nation."
“We will never forget our heroes,” the president said, adding that “today, we pay tribute to their service” and “strive to be worthy of their sacrifice.”

[Bullheaded Texan]

We dug out the 5 best-uniformed fails of the obuma years.
Share this with every friend to celebrate, and especially with liberals to show them what they are missing, and we are not.
Video at the end that makes our point better than we could make it ourselves.
1.) That Was Awkward;
It's as if obuma and the military never quite gelled. It might have something to do with his campaign posture that the military needs to be scaled back and that he didn't support their mission.
They saw through him in ways that Democrats aren't capable of doing. You know obuma had to get a chilly reception from the Marines for CNN to even say something.
2.) Latte Salute
Hmm, it looks like obuma can't even be bothered to put down his latte long enough to salute a Marine. The Marine is probably lucky he wasn't the one fetching that latte, as obuma had a nasty habit of treating those in uniform as if they were wait-staff/servants.
3.) Doorman for Hire;
Old-timers in the Navy called Marines "sea-going bellhops." muslum barry obuma took it a step farther and made them doormen, who hold umbrellas
like he's a frail old lady hailing a cab. It's ironic that our supposedly virile, young president needed Marines to carry the umbrella for him. True man of the people!
4.) Corpsman;
Isn't it funny how someone attends the best schools (Occidental, Columbia, AND Harvard), and even lectured at a law school can't say "corpsman." It might be that he spent so much time in school learning other things, like where to get marijuana, that this wasn't a word that he ever learned. No matter how you slice it, he's too smart to make that goof. Then again, he also said there were 57 states, a mistake that no Republican would never live down!
5.) "I See Dead People".
obuma's six sense was in an epic fail mode the day he confused Memorial Day, meant for the fallen, with Veterans Day, intended for surviving heroes.
Seeing dead people is a pretty good skill to have for anyone, but especially for the resident.
A professor at an Eastern University was giving a lecture of the supernatural.
To get a feel for his audience, he asks, "How many people here believe in ghosts?" About 90 students raise their hands.
"Well, that's a good start. Out of those of you who believe in ghosts, do any of you think you have seen a ghost?"
About 40 students raise their hands.
"That's really good. I'm really glad you take this seriously.
Has anyone here ever talked to a ghost?"
About 15 students raise their hand.
"Has anyone here ever touched a ghost?"
3 students raise their hands.
"That's fantastic. Now let me ask you one question further...
Have any of you ever made love to a ghost?"
Way in the back, a muslim student raises his hand.
The professor takes off his glasses, and says
"Son, all the years I've been giving this lecture, no one has ever
claimed to have made love to a ghost.
You've got to come up here and tell us about your experience."
The muslim student replied with a nod and a grin, and began to
make his way up to the podium.
When he reached the front of the room, the professor asks,
"So, obama, tell us what it's like to have sex with a ghost?"
obama replied, "Shiiiit! From way back there,
I thought you said "GOATS".

[Bullheaded Texan]

Heroic Navy SEAL Secures Victory in Republican Primary!
5/24/18 GOP Presidential Staff 
Retired Navy SEAL Dan Crenshaw notched a landslide victory Tuesday in the Texas Republican primary runoff for the seat of the retiring U.S. Rep. Ted Poe (R.), securing nearly 70% of the vote to his opponent’s 30%.
Crenshaw’s definitive win came less than two months after he finished a distant second behind state Rep. Kevin Roberts in the March 6 primary election, upending early predictions by party operatives that the ex-SEAL didn’t have a shot.
“We spent our entire campaign trying to create this fire that spread throughout the district and I think we succeeded,” Crenshaw told the Washington Free Beacon on Wednesday.
“Political experts miss this all the time because they lose sight of the heart behind politics. They take a very cerebral approach to politics with polling, statistics, looking at the money raised and the power brokers in the race, that’s all they care about, so they completely lose sight of what you can accomplish if you know why you’re there and you’re willing to connect with people, you’re willing to spark fires, and your supporters then spark that fire in someone else.”

[Bullheaded Texan]

The Democrats’ *NEW* Message.
5/25/18 GOP Presidential Staff
As part of their midterm pitch to voters, congressional Democrats are unveiling a series of policy proposals Monday aimed at cleaning up a “culture of corruption” in Washington.
In other words: "Drain the swamp!"
The party says it isn’t stealing the slogan and sentiment that helped propel Donald Trump to the White House. Instead, Democrats are returning to an anti-corruption message that helped win back the House of Representatives in 2006 against the backdrop of scandals involving lobbyist Jack Abramoff and lawmakers Tom DeLay and Mark Foley.
A decade later, Trump seized on a similar theme, directing voter ire at Democratic nominee killary clinton along with lawmakers of both parties in the nation’s capital.
And now, with Michael Cohen, Scott Pruitt and others in Trump’s orbit under scrutiny, Democrats believe they have a compelling case to make against the current administration and Republicans in Congress.
“The American people are sick of getting a raw deal from Washington and they’re tired of broken promises to ‘drain the swamp,’” reads a memo from Democratic leaders outlining various government reform proposals.
“It’s an endless cycle taken to a completely unprecedented level under President Trump, demonstrating a blatant disregard for the laws and norms in place to prevent public corruption.”
And now, with Michael Cohen, Scott Pruitt and others in Trump’s orbit under scrutiny, Democrats believe they have a compelling case to make against the current administration and Republicans in Congress.

[Bullheaded Texan]

Democrats Roll Out Anti-Corruption Message for 2018.
5/21//18 By Caitlin Huey-Burns RCP Staff
As part of their midterm pitch to voters, congressional Democrats are unveiling a series of policy proposals Monday aimed at cleaning up a "culture of corruption" in Washington.
In other words: Drain the swamp!
The party says it isn't stealing the slogan and sentiment that helped propel Donald Trump to the White House.
Instead, Democrats are returning to an anti-corruption message that helped win back the House of Representatives in 2006 against the backdrop of scandals involving lobbyist Jack Abramoff and lawmakers Tom DeLay and Mark Foley. A decade later, Trump seized on a similar theme, directing voter ire at Democratic nominee killary clinton along with lawmakers of both parties in the nation's capital.
And now, with Michael Cohen, Scott Pruitt and others in Trump's orbit under scrutiny, Democrats believe they have a compelling case to make against the current administration and Republicans in Congress.
"The American people are sick of getting a raw deal from Washington and they’re tired of broken promises to ‘drain the swamp,’” reads a memo from Democratic leaders outlining various government reform proposals. "It’s an endless cycle taken to a completely unprecedented level under President Trump, demonstrating a blatant disregard for the laws and norms in place to prevent public corruption."
The message is the newest installment in the party's agenda promising "A Better Deal." Focused on jobs and wages, the pitch has been largely overshadowed at the national level by daily controversies emanating from the White House and incremental news leaks about the Russia collusion investigation.
The new reform component is aimed at the Trump administration and includes policy proposals to rein in the influence of lobbyists and high-powered donors and to beef up related ethics laws. Included are calls to pass campaign reform laws designed to empower small donors, and to pass a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United Supreme Court decision on political spending. In addition, the plan features proposals aimed at voting rights, safeguarding election infrastructure, and ending party-directed redistricting.
The rollout comes amid reports that Trump attorney Cohen used his proximity to the president to secure high-paid consulting contracts.
Meanwhile, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt is the subject of a dozen federal investigations involving his renting of an underpriced condo from an energy lobbyist, unwarranted travel and office expenses, questionable hiring practices, and other management issues. Last year, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigned over a scandal involving pricey travel expenses.
President Trump, when it comes to draining the swamp, has been a complete and total disappointment," Sen. Chuck Schumer said Monday on the steps of the Capitol, where he discussed the new message. The minority leader called for "closing the Cohen loophole" to prevent a president's associates from selling access, and he referred to the current administration as "the swamp Cabinet."
Democratic strategists and operatives have been urging candidates to focus on an economic message instead of a pure anti-Trump one this year, arguing that pocketbook issues like income, health care and education costs draw more voter support.
But while the anti-corruption pillar of the agenda is focused on Trump and Republicans, Democrats believe it fits into their broader economic message that administration policies benefit the wealthy and corporations more than average Americans.
"President Trump promised to fight for the forgotten American, yet Republican-controlled Washington continues business as usual, rewarding the wealthy, privileged and well-connected at the expense of middle class and working families," the Democratic memo reads. "Look no further than Congressional Republicans’ and President Trump’s agenda: billions in tax cuts for the rich, massive giveaways to special interests and the full-frontal corporate assault on workers’ rights and consumers’ protections."
Republicans argue that the new tax law is putting more money into workers’ pockets and that the improving economy and lowest unemployment rate in two decades will resonate with voters in November. Campaigning in the current economic climate could be a challenge for Democrats, even with all the built-in advantages they have heading into the midterms. And GOP campaigns are aiming to motivate constituents with warnings that Democrats would unravel the party's policy gains and obstruct the president's agenda.
With their revamped anti-corruption pitch, Democrats are characterizing GOP lawmakers as more focused on their donors than their constituents. Public polling data compiled by the Democratic group Navigator Research found that 49 percent of Americans believe Republicans in Congress use government to personally enrich themselves, while 34% believe the same about Democrats.
However, the survey also found that when Democrats are compared to Trump instead of to Republicans in Congress, voters see both sides as equally guilty of corruption. "For advocates and policy makers who want to engage with the concerns of constituents, it’s important to speak credibly to the corrupting influence of campaign donors on the agenda in Washington," reads the polling report.
Democrats, of course, have had their own cast of characters with corruption bull’s-eyes painted on them. cclinton was the top target in 2016.
And that same year, Florida Rep. Corrine Brown was indicted on conspiracy and fraud charges, she later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison.
And Pennsylvania Rep. Chaka Fattah was convicted on over 20 corruption-related charges and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
When it comes to Trump, Democrats see a different kind of opening on corruption, centered on his pledge to shake things up and break D.C. norms.
The Navigator surveys found voters were more concerned about abuse of power and conflicts of interest than his demeanor in office.
66% said Trump breaks rules set up to prevent corruption and conflicts of interest by government officials while 33% said he breaks rules set up to preserve the honor and dignity of the presidency.
"Americans find Trump’s unconventional nature most concerning when the behavior is viewed as abusing power and ignoring standards that protect against conflicts of interest," read the polling memo.
In Monday's messaging rollout, congressional Democrats argue that while corruption appears to be a perpetual theme in Washington, it has been taken to an "unprecedented level under President Trump, demonstrating a blatant disregard for the laws and norms in place to prevent public corruption."

[Bullheaded Texan]

GOP Leadership Fights Off Immigration Rebellion.
05/28/2018 The Hill by: Mike Lillis
Republican leaders are facing long odds as they scramble to thwart an internal rebellion over immigration just months before November’s midterms.
The leaders are attempting to broker a deal that satisfies competing factions of their restive conference and defuses a push by mutinous centrists threatening to force action to protect young undocumented aliens in a series of head-to-head floor votes that would highlight deep GOP divisions over an issue that has long been radioactive within the party.
The dispute has centered largely on what legal protections should be extended to those living in the country illegally, and to whom they should apply — thorny enough questions on their own.
But the leaders’ effort was further complicated on Thursday, when President Trump warned that he'd veto any bill to shore up the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program if it fails to fund his favored wall at the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Unless it improves a wall — and I mean a wall, a real wall — and unless it improves very strong border security, there’ll be no approvals from me, because I have to either approve it or not,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News Channel.

[Bullheaded Texan]

Former CIA Director Slams Untruthful obuma Official.
05/28/2018 by: TTN Staff
A former CIA director slammed former obuma Administration official James Clapper on Sunday. He made some salacious claims but the former CIA director put him in his place.
According to The Daily Wire:
Former CIA Director Michael Hayden called out James Clapper on Sunday for claiming to know that Russians decided the 2016 election.
Clapper wrote in his new book that he has “no doubt” Russian meddling swung the election in favor of Trump, but during a Friday night CNN interview he all but admitted he has no evidence for the claim.
Hayden told Martha Raddatz on ABC’s “This Week” that it is “unknowable” how much Russians influenced the election and he knocked the former director of national intelligence for claiming otherwise.
“I agree that the Russians affected the election but how much they affected is not just unknown, it is unknowable and so we should stop talking about it,” Hayden asserted. “Donald Trump is the president.”
The deep state still refuse to come to terms with the fact that Donald Trump won the presidency.
But it looks like they are going to have to eventually get used to it.

[Bullheaded Texan]

[Bullheaded Texan]

Ronald Reagan At Arlington National Cemetery, Memorial Day 1982.
May 28, 2018 by Joe Cunningham
On this Memorial Day, as in all others, we remember those who have given their lives in the greatest of sacrifices: The chance for their fellow countrymen, their friends and families, to live free.
In 1982, amid incredibly high tensions with the Soviet Union, President Ronald Reagan gave a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, honoring our fallen soldiers – in particular, those we don’t know but honor at the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier.
"My fellow Americans:
Memorial Day is a day of ceremonies and speeches. Throughout America today, we honor the dead of our wars. We recall their valor and their sacrifices. We remember they gave their lives so that others might live.
We’re also gathered here for a special event — the national funeral for an unknown soldier who will today join the heroes of three other wars.
When he spoke at a ceremony at Gettysburg in 1863, President Lincoln reminded us that through their deeds, the dead had spoken more eloquently for themselves than any of the living ever could, and that we living could only honor them by rededicating ourselves to the cause for which they so willingly gave a last full measure of devotion.
Well, this is especially so today, for in our minds and hearts is the memory of Vietnam and all that that conflict meant for those who sacrificed on the field of battle and for their loved ones who suffered here at home.
Not long ago, when a memorial was dedicated here in Washington to our Vietnam veterans, the events surrounding that dedication were a stirring reminder of America’s resilience, of how our nation could learn and grow and transcend the tragedies of the past.
During the dedication ceremonies, the rolls of those who died and are still missing were read for 3 days in a candlelight ceremony at the National Cathedral. And the veterans of Vietnam who were never welcomed home with speeches and bands, but who were never defeated in battle and were heroes as surely as any who have ever fought in a noble cause, staged their own parade on Constitution Avenue. As America watched them — some in wheelchairs, all of them proud — there was a feeling that this nation — that as a nation we were coming together again and that we had, at long last, welcomed the boys home.

“A lot of healing went on,” said one combat veteran who helped organize support for the memorial. And then there was this newspaper account that appeared after the ceremonies. I’d like to read it to you. “Yesterday, crowds returned to the Memorial. Among them was Herbie Petit, a machinist and former marine from New Orleans. `Last night,’ he said, standing near the wall, `I went out to dinner with some other ex-marines. There was also a group of college students in the restaurant. We started talking to each other. And before we left, they stood up and cheered us. The whole week,’ Petit said, his eyes red, `it was worth it just for that.”’
It has been worth it. We Americans have learned to listen to each other and to trust each other again. We’ve learned that government owes the people an explanation and needs their support for its actions at home and abroad. And we have learned, and I pray this time for good, the most valuable lesson of all — the preciousness of human freedom.
It has been a lesson relearned not just by Americans but by all the people of the world. Yet, while the experience of Vietnam has given us a stark lesson that ultimately must move the conscience of the world, we must remember that we cannot today, as much as some might want to, close this chapter in our history, for the war in Southeast Asia still haunts a small but brave group of Americans — the families of those still missing in the Vietnam conflict.
They live day and night with uncertainty, with an emptiness, with a void that we cannot fathom. Today some sit among you. Their feelings are a mixture of pride and fear. They’re proud of their sons or husbands, fathers or brothers who bravely and nobly answered the call of their country. But some of them fear that this ceremony writes a final chapter, leaving those they love forgotten.
Well, today then, one way to honor those who served or may still be serving in Vietnam is to gather here and rededicate ourselves to securing the answers for the families of those missing in action. I ask the Members of Congress, the leaders of veterans groups, and the citizens of an entire nation present or listening, to give these families your help and your support, for they still sacrifice and suffer.
Vietnam is not over for them. They cannot rest until they know the fate of those they loved and watched march off to serve their country. Our dedication to their cause must be strengthened with these events today. We write no last chapters. We close no books. We put away no final memories. An end to America’s involvement in Vietnam cannot come before we’ve achieved the fullest possible accounting of those missing in action.
This can only happen when their families know with certainty that this nation discharged her duty to those who served nobly and well. Today a united people call upon Hanoi with one voice: Heal the sorest wound of this conflict. Return our sons to America. End the grief of those who are innocent and undeserving of any retribution.
The Unknown Soldier who is returned to us today and whom we lay to rest is symbolic of all our missing sons, and we will present him with the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration that we can bestow.
About him we may well wonder, as others have: As a child, did he play on some street in a great American city? Or did he work beside his father on a farm out in America’s heartland? Did he marry? Did he have children? Did he look expectantly to return to a bride?
We’ll never know the answers to these questions about his life. We do know, though, why he died. He saw the horrors of war but bravely faced them, certain his own cause and his country’s cause was a noble one; that he was fighting for human dignity, for free men everywhere. Today we pause to embrace him and all who served us so well in a war whose end offered no parades, no flags, and so little thanks. We can be worthy of the values and ideals for which our sons sacrificed — worthy of their courage in the face of a fear that few of us will ever experience — by honoring their commitment and devotion to duty and country.
Many veterans of Vietnam still serve in the Armed Forces, work in our offices, on our farms, and in our factories. Most have kept their experiences private, but most have been strengthened by their call to duty. A grateful nation opens her heart today in gratitude for their sacrifice, for their courage, and for their noble service. Let us, if we must, debate the lessons learned at some other time. Today, we simply say with pride, “Thank you, dear son. May God cradle you in His loving arms.”
We present to you our nation’s highest award, the Congressional Medal of Honor, for service above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy during the Vietnam era.
Thank you.
Ronald Reagan