THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Well, thank you for
that warm welcome. (Applause.) My fellow
Americans -- (applause) -- I'm on my way to China, and I
hope you don't mind me stopping by to say a few
words. (Applause.) I also thought you might want
to say hello to a great wife and a wonderful First Lady, my wife,
Laura. (Applause.)
We are so delighted to be here. It gives me a chance to
bring a message from home. Your family are proud of you, and
so is America. (Applause.) You walk in the path
of thousands of soldiers who fought for freedom in the Korean War, and
all who kept the peace for half a century. Many millions of
people are safe from harm because you're here. You're a
credit to the United States of America, and I want to thank you for
that. (Applause.)
I'm proud to be traveling with members of the fabulous team I put
together, anchored by our Secretary of State, Colin
Powell. (Applause.) We're making a huge
difference on the Peninsula, not only because of our military presence,
but because of our diplomatic presence. And we've got a
great ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Tom Hubbard, and his wife
Joan. (Applause.)
One time I was governor of the great state of
Texas. (Applause.) Now I know we're going to keep
the peace. (Laughter.) And I went to Fort Hood
and got to meet General Thorpe. I knew him to be a strong
man then. I'm sure glad he's here now. He brings
great credit to the United States military. Mr. General,
thank you, sir. (Applause.)
It is an honor to be here with General Lance Smith, as
well. Thank you for your hospitality. Thank you
for putting us -- I've got kind of a sweet spot in my heart for fighter
pilots. (Applause.) I hope they're behaving well
these days. (Laughter.)
I'm honored to be here with Denny Lawson (phonetic). And
I'm honored to be here with David Clary (phonetic), as
well. I want to thank those from the ROK who are here, the
leaders. But most of all, I want to thank my fellow
citizens, the members of the United States military, for being strong
and steady, to keep the peace. It is such an honor to be
traveling in Asia, representing our country. This is an
important journey. We're stopping in the capitals of Japan
and South Korea, and then in a couple of hours, in
China. All three governments are lending their support in
our war against terror.
It gives me a chance to look the leaders in the eye, to thank them
on behalf of a grateful nation, for their steady and strong support, as
this nation leads a coalition to defend
freedom. (Applause.) My trip was scheduled here
for October, but we changed it after America came under
attack. We had to change our plans. But since
then, the killers and the government that sponsored them had to change
their plans, too. (Applause.)
A few months ago, al Qaeda and the terrorists occupied
Afghanistan. Now some of them are in cells in Guantanamo
Bay. (Applause.) Not long ago they were urging
their followers to sacrifice their lives. Now they're
running for their own. (Applause.) Those who
attacked us, and those who still want to try to hurt us, are beginning
to realize they picked the wrong
enemy. (Applause.) They thought we were
soft. They thought we were so materialistic that we would
not be willing to sacrifice. They didn't realize that we're
a patient nation, that we're a deliberate nation.
And they're now beginning to realize that we're resolved to find
the terrorists, wherever they hide, and rout them
out. (Applause.) And as my fellow Americans, you
need to know that we won't stop until the threat of global terrorism
has been destroyed. We have been called to
history. We must not stop. After all, we defend
civilization itself. We didn't ask for this war, we're a
peaceful nation. But we will do everything in our power to
defend freedom and the universal values that are so important to our
nation, and so important to a peaceful world. I made this message
clear to our enemy, and the mighty United States military is
delivering it. (Applause.)
I'm proud to report America and our allies are committed to this
cause. If you haven't been back to America lately, I want to
tell you, our nation is strongly united. This isn't a matter
of political parties. We're talking about national
purpose. The people of America understand it's going to take
a while, but they're ready. We've accepted new
responsibilities.
There's a new way of thinking in America. It was defined
by flight -- the actions on Flight 93, when several people aboard an
airplane got the word that that airplane might be headed to the
Capitol, or the White House -- but certainly headed to hurt a fellow
American. They were on the telephone with their loved
ones. They told them they loved them. They said a
prayer. And then they said, let's
roll. (Applause.)
There is a new spirit of sacrifice in America that understands that
we must, in life, serve something greater than
ourselves. And we're now called to defend freedom, and our
allies understand that. And the United States military
understands that. And freedom we will defend with all our
might. (Applause.)
And that's what you're doing here on the Korean Peninsula, a free
and peaceful nation, and its 47 million people count on you every
day. And in this duty the United States has a steady and
courageous partner in the Republic of Korea. (Applause.)
During the years of partnership between our two countries, South
Korea has become prosperous, and it has become strong. Its
vibrant economy is an example of what free people and free institutions
can achieve. And it shows the importance of America's
presence in Asia.
The United States is a Pacific nation. History has led
us here. Ties of commerce and friendship keep us
here. And our friends and allies can be certain that we will
always stand beside them. When America says we're your
friend, we mean it. (Applause.)
We hope for a day when the stability of the Korean Peninsula is
built on peaceful reconciliation of North and South. Today,
however, the stability of this Peninsula is built on the military might
of our great alliance. In our dealings with North Korea,
we've laid down a clear marker. We will stand by the people
of South Korea. We will maintain our presence
here. And as I told the Congress and the world in my State
of the Union messages, we will not permit the world's most dangerous
regimes to threaten us or our friends or our allies with weapons of
mass destruction. (Applause.)
Those of you who are stationed here in Korea and members of our
military throughout the world spend every day training and testing and
preparing for any mission that may come. That's your
responsibility, and you're the best in the
world. (Applause.) And as your
Commander-in-Chief, I have responsibilities to you to give clear
orders, to set clear objectives, and to make sure you have everything
you need to do your job. (Applause.)
So I'm asking Congress to pass more than a $48 billion increase in
our defense budget. (Applause.) It is the largest
increase in military spending in a generation. It recognizes
defending -- the price for defending freedom will be high, But it's
necessary to defend freedom. (Applause.) Our most
important job is the security of the United States of America, and the
security of our friends and allies. And we will pay whatever
price it takes to defend America. (Applause.)
I'm so grateful many of you have brought your families, who are
here. A grateful nation not only thanks those who wear the
uniform, but we thank the wives and husbands and sons and daughters and
family members who sacrifice along with you. But in order to
make sure that sacrifice is not quite such a hill to climb, in the
budget that I've requested to Congress I'm asking for another pay raise
for the people who wear the
uniform. (Applause.) It is necessary, it is the
right course of action --
AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you,
George. (Laughter.)
THE PRESIDENT: -- because in the months and years to
come, our nation is going to be asking more of the United States
military. And you have my confidence, because you've earned
it. You earn it every day, in the difficulties you accept
and the dangers you face. You're each here to serve your
country, and your country is grateful. You're here because
you believe in America, and America will always believe in you.