President Commemorates Columbus Day
Remarks by the President on Columbus Day
Room 450
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
10:32 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, all, please be seated. Grazie,
Antonio. (Laughter and applause.) Thank you all for coming. I'm
honored to join you in observing Columbus Day and to celebrate Columbus
Day in the District named after Christopher Columbus.
The journey of the explorer from Genoa is one of the great stories
of daring and discovery. And the journey of millions of immigrants
from Italy is also a story of discovery and bravery, and that journey
has enriched our country, that's really what we're celebrating today.
America is a stronger and finer nation because of the influence of
Italian Americans. (Applause.)
The veterans of America are better off as a result of the influence
of Tony Principi, the Secretary -- (applause). He's really done a good
job and I'm proud of his commitment and service to our country as a
Cabinet Secretary. I value his advice, I love his spirit. I'm also
happy to report that, like me, he married well. (Laughter.) And Liz
is with us today -- as is Captain Tony Principi, a Captain in our Air
Force who is celebrating his 30th birthday today, so happy birthday.
(Applause.)
Members of my team are here, I want to thank them for coming. Roy
Bernardi, who is the Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and
Development at HUD, and I'm glad Alice is with you. Thanks for coming,
Roy, you're doing a great job. (Applause.) Former Mayor of Syracuse,
I want you to know. (Applause.) Pat Harrison is with us, Assistant
Secretary of State for Education and Cultural Affairs. (Applause.)
Dana Gioia, who is the Chairman of the National Endowment of Arts and
is doing a great job, thank you for coming, Dana, I appreciate it.
As you know, one of the things our nation is doing right now is
we're leading the fight against AIDS, particularly on the continent of
Africa. One of the generals in the fight against AIDS is Tony Fauci,
from the National Institutes of Health. Thank you for coming.
(Applause.) That would be Dr. Tony Fauci, a great man.
We've got members of Congress with us today. First of all, the
Senator from the great state of Wyoming, Mike Enzi. Thank you for
coming, Senator. (Applause.) And Ginny Brown-Waite, from the --
Congresswoman from Florida. Ginny Brown, thank you for coming.
(Applause.) And I'm glad you brought Harvey along, too. Thanks for
coming, Harvey. Stefano Stefanini, Deputy Chief of Mission from the
Embassy of Italy, thank you for coming, sir. (Applause.) Give my best
to my friend, Silvio Berlusconi, who I'm close to and I value his
leadership and friendship, always such a joy to see him. So please
pass on my very best.
Frank Guarini is here, who is the Chairman of the National Italian
American Foundation, former member from the great state of New Jersey.
Frank, thank you for coming. (Applause.) Phil Piccigallo is with us,
the National Executive Director of the Order of Sons of Italy is with
us. Thank you for coming, Phil. (Applause.) Frank Caperino, the
National President of UNICO National is with us today. (Applause.)
And thank you all for coming, thanks for being here.
For nearly 70 years, our country has celebrated in honor of
Columbus. And on this day, we celebrate the contributions of Italian
Americans. You're among the many millions who claim Italian heritage,
and you can claim that heritage with pride. And I know you do.
(Laughter.) I know you do.
Every aspect of our culture, whether it be art or music, to law and
politics, owes something to the influence of Italian Americans. You
can take special pride in the deep tradition of service to this
country. People of Italian descent oftentimes hear the call to serve
something greater than themselves. Twenty-four Italian Americans have
won the Congressional Medal of Honor, that's high service to something
greater than yourself.
One of them was Marine Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone. You may
have heard of this brave man. He died in the battle of Iwo Jima. He
won both the Medal of Honor and the Navy Cross. It speaks to his valor
and his service. But he wasn't alone, there's thousands who have
sacrificed and served a country they love. Sure, they love their
heritage, but most of all they love America and what America stands
for. (Applause.)
Rocky Versace is an Italian American. He won the Medal of Honor in
Vietnam because of the defiance he showed after being taken captive by
the Viet Cong.
I met his family last summer when I awarded him the Medal of Honor
posthumously. Rocky set an example of bravery and dedication that
changed the lives of his fellow soldiers, but most of all, honored the
country he loves. He was of Italian descent, proud of his heritage,
but most of all, he loved America. He loved what we stood for and was
willing to sacrifice for it.
And that's what's happening today. People are willing to sacrifice
for the country they love. They remember the lessons of September the
11th, 2001. And so do I. It's something we should never forget.
Especially the lessons of those who sacrificed for lives lost.
Peter Ganci, you may have heard of Peter. He was the Fire Chief of New
York City. He died at the World Trade Center when he went into the --
into the destruction to save men and women. Fifty people -- fifty of
his men were rescued before the second tower fell. The Chief was in
there urging them to flee for their safety. He ordered all out of the
area. He refused to go. And his statement was, "I'm not leaving my
men." One brave guy who embodies the best of the sons and daughters of
Italy.
The faith of the Italian-American community in God is an important
part of our nation's fabric. The faith in family, the love of life and
the commitment to our country are great gifts. Italian Americans share
those gifts generously. And that is why we celebrate Columbus Day.
And for the contribution the Italian Americans have made to
America, I say, thank you, we are grateful. But most of all, I ask
God's blessings, not only of those of Italian descent, but ask God's
blessings for all of us who are fortunate enough to live in the United
States of America.