Remarks by the President at the Sons of Italy Foundation 16th Annual National Education and Leadership Awards Gala
Grand Hyatt Hotel
Washington, D.C.
7:50 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all.
THE AUDIENCE: Mr. President!! (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: I promised the Prime Minister you'd behave
yourselves. (Laughter.) It's great for the son of Barbara to be here
with the Sons of Italy. Thank you for having me. I'm honored.
(Laughter and applause.)
It's a privilege for me to join you all as we celebrate the
achievements and contributions of Italian-Americans. I'm especially
pleased to join you in welcoming our great friend, the Prime Minister
of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi. (Applause.) At this crucial moment in
history, America and Italy are standing together as proud friends and
strong allies in the cause of freedom. (Applause.) Our two peoples
are bound together by affection and respect. And today, Americans feel
respect and gratitude for the leadership of the Prime Minister.
(Applause.)
I appreciate Charlie, thank you for being the honorary chairman of
this event. I thank Phil, as well, for being the host. I want to
thank Joe Sciame, who is the chairman of the Sons of Italy Foundation;
Paul Polo, who is the president. Our Ambassador to Italy is with us,
Mel Sembler. I appreciate the job he is doing on behalf of the
American people. (Applause.) Sergio Vento is with us, who is the
Italian Ambassador to the United States. And, Sergio, I appreciate
your leadership. (Applause.)
I know there are some members of Congress and the Senate here. I
see Santorum and Lieberman, and I appreciate you both being here.
Thanks for coming. (Applause.) I would recognize the other members of
Congress by name, but you evidently are not here or have lousy seats.
(Laughter.)
I appreciate the fact that we've got scholarship and award
recipients who are with us. And I appreciate the distinguished guests
who are here, as well.
This annual event is an opportunity to express well justified pride
in the Italian ancestry of millions of Americans. The immigrant
journey to America could be difficult. Families were often separated,
and life in a new country brought its hardships. But this country, the
United States, is fortunate that generations of Italian families made
the journey. They brought to our country strength of character, a deep
faith in God, love of family, and an appreciation of freedom. Without
question, America is a better place for the influence of the sons and
daughters of Italy. (Applause.)
In so many aspects of American life, it is hard to think of this
country without the Italian influence. The life of our country has
been richer because of names like DiMaggio and Lombardi, Capra and
Sinatra, LaGuardia, Scalia and Giuliani. (Applause.) Countless of
other Italian-Americans, less well known, have excelled in every field
-- from the artisans who carved the figure of Lincoln that overlooks
the Mall right here in Washington, to business leaders, to educators,
to many good priests and nuns who have kindly looked after Italian
parishes here in America. (Applause.) It was an Italian-American,
Mother Frances Cabrini, whose mission to build hospitals and orphanages
for poor immigrants made her America's first saint. Of course, that's
the official count -- every Italian-American man will tell you his
mother is the saint. (Laughter and applause.)
From our nation's beginnings, the sons and daughters of Italy have
been fierce defenders of American liberty. Italians crossed the
Atlantic to fight with us in the Revolutionary War. In later
struggles, dozens of Italian-Americans would receive the Medal of
Honor. One of these was Marine Sergeant John Basilone. (Applause.)
For three days, he battled an entire enemy regiment at Guadalcanal with
nothing but his own machine gun, leading General Douglas MacArthur to
call him "a one-man army."
Sixty years ago, Allied troops freed Rome, and next month the Prime
Minister and I will meet in that city to commemorate its liberation.
(Applause.) The sacrifices of that terrible war were shared by both
our countries, and helped forge our determination to resist tyranny
wherever it exists. For more than five decades, Italy has shown great
resolve and courage as a member of NATO. In the past three years,
America and Italy have been steadfast allies in the war on terror.
(Applause.)
The war on terror continues in Iraq. We're standing together in
that desperate country as a part of a strong coalition. America
appreciates the contributions and sacrifices of nearly 3,000 soldiers
that Italy has deployed in that country. We honor the memory of 19
Italians killed by a terrorist's bomb last November, and the memory of
the Italian soldier killed this week.
And we honor the courage of men like Fabrizio Quattrocchi, a baker
who went to Iraq to work as a security guard. He was kidnapped by
terrorists, and faced his killers with the bravest defiance. Just
before he was murdered, he stood up and shouted, "Now I will show you
how an Italian dies!" (Applause.) In that moment, this good man from
Genoa showed us that, and more: He showed us how a hero lives.
Now all our efforts in Iraq are approaching a crucial moment. The
Prime Minister and I had a strategy session on how to help the Iraqis
realize their liberty. I appreciate his good, strong advice. On June
30th, our coalition will transfer its authority to a sovereign Iraqi
government. With the assistance of the United Nations and our
coalition, Iraqi citizens are currently making important decisions
about the nature and the scope of that interim government.
In time, Iraq will be a democratic nation at the heart of the
Middle East. This will send a powerful message from Damascus to
Tehran, that democracy and freedom can bring hope to lives in every
culture. (Applause.) And this advance of freedom will bring greater
security to America, to Italy, and to all who love freedom.
As June 30th approaches, the enemies of freedom grow even more
desperate to prevent the rise of democracy in Iraq. That's what you're
seeing on your TV screens -- the desperate tactics of a hateful few;
people who cannot stand the thought of free societies in their midst.
They're targeting brave Iraqis who are leading toward democracy, such
as Mr. Saleem, who was assassinated in Baghdad on Monday. They're
murdering Iraqi policemen, who stand as symbols of order. They kill
foreign aid workers who are helping to rebuild Iraq. They attack our
military. You see, their goal is to undermine the will of our
coalition, and to drive us out before our mission is complete. They
will not succeed. They will not shake the will of America or our
coalition. (Applause.)
My resolve is firm. The resolve of the Prime Minister of Italy is
firm. The resolve of the American people is firm. Our military is
skilled and determined. We all understand the stakes are high for
America and the world. We will not be intimidated by thugs and
assassins. We will win this essential victory in the war on terror.
(Applause.)
These are historic times. This is an historic moment. The world
watches for any weakness. They will see no weakness in America. They
will see no weakness in Italy. We will answer every challenge. U.S.
soldiers and Iraqi security forces are systematically destroying the
illegal militia in the south of Iraq. Coalition forces are working
with Iraqis in Fallujah, to end control by Saddam loyalists and foreign
fighters. We're building up Iraqi security forces so at some point
they can safeguard their own security. We're flexible in our methods,
but our goal is unchanging: Iraq will be free; Iraq will be a
democratic nation. (Applause.)
The sons and daughters of Italy who are serving and sacrificing
with us in this cause have earned the gratitude of the American
people. We're honored to call the Italian Republic one of our closest
friends and strongest allies in the world. (Applause.) We are proud
of the great Italian heritage in America. I thank each of you for
carrying this heritage forward. I thank you for your warm welcome
tonight. And I ask for God's blessing on the United States of
America. (Applause.)