d determination. these qualities led us to the man who started this war. they will lead us to victory in that war. and as always, the credit will belong to the skill and raw courage of the armed forces of the united states of america. may god bless them all. and may he always watch over the country they serve. this is senator scott brown. thank you for >> next, the statue honoring former president gerald ford. then, a medal of honor ceremony. after that, president obama talks to the troops at fort campbell ky. >> members of congress gathered in the rotunda tuesday to dedicate a new statue of former president, gerald ford. the former president's son and daughter spoke. president ford served in the u.s. house from 1949 until

taking the office of vice president in 1973. he served as the republican minority leader for the last eight years in the house. this is one hour. >> ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our honored guest, the hon. henry kissinger, members of the united states house of representatives, the governor of michigan, members of the united states senate, and the speaker of the united states house of representatives. ladies and gentlemen, the speaker of the united states house of representatives, the hon. john boehner. >> to date we formally accept the statue of gerald r. ford in

the placement of the national statuary hall of collections in the rotunda of the united states capitol. this ceremony is held in accordance with the house concurrent resolution 27 which was approved by the congress on may 16 of this year. the resolution also expresses congress's gratitude to the people of michigan for providing this commemoration of one of its most eminent citizens. we are joined today by the governor of michigan and the members of the congressional delegation. we are also joined by members of president for's cabinet and his senior staff as well. cabinet and ford's his senior staff as well. we also have members of president ford's family. finally, there she could not be with us today, i know we are all

thinking of the former first lady, the ford, without him not of this could have been possible. [laughter] >> ladies and gentlemen, please stand for the presentation of the colors by the united states armed forces color guard and the singer -- and the singing of our national anthem and the retiring of the colors. ♪

>> halt. present arms. ♪ oh say can you see by the dawn's early light

what so proudly we hailed gleamingilight's last whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight gave proof through the night thereur flag w3aas still oh say does that star-spangled banner yet wave oer the land of the free

and the home of the brave ♪ >> right shoulder arms. ♪

>> ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing as the chaplain of the united states senate gives the indication. >> let us pray. internal lord god, the giver of every good and perfect gift, we are grateful for this opportunity to remember our 38th president, gerald ford, by dedicating a statute in his honor. lord, when this land desperately needed strong, moral leadership you gave us.

it. when we needed a model of unswerving integrity, you provided us with someone who was committed to stand for right. accept our gratitude for president ford's courage to decide based on principles, for his pragmatic leadership during cynical times, and for his efforts to bind the nation's wounds after watergate and vietnam. lord, thank you also for permitting him to remind us that family and faith still matter

and that right-living is a language which is clear to everyone. made this statute -- may this statute continue to remind us of president ford's diligence, decency, and decisiveness, thereby challenging us to use our lives for your glory. we pray in your sovereign name. amen. >> please be seated. >> ladies and gentlemen, the democratic leader of the united states house of representatives, the hon. nancy pelosi. >> good morning. i am pleased to join our

speaker, speaker boehner, leader reid, and leader mcconnell in welcoming our distinguished guests here today, especially to welcome the members of the ford family. in 2003, when president ford was observing his 90th birthday, he came to the floor of the house of representatives. he was like a rock star. everyone surrounded him. as he moved through the chamber, he was engulfed by members, some who had served with him, from michigan, chairman dingell, and chairman conyers, others who never served with him but wanted to greet him and welcome him to the congress. when i went up to pay my respects, i said, "mr. president, i have your job. i'm the minority leader." he said, "i knew your father. he was my friend." isn't that just like gerald ford? as president ford said himself, "the length of one's days matters less than the love of

one's family and friends." in his long life of great accomplishments, president ford was most proud of his family. today, we pay special tribute to his family -- michael, jack, susan, and steven -- three of whom are with us. we also send our love and respect to first lady betty ford. our nation owes her a great debt of gratitude for her role as first lady, but well beyond that affecting the lives millions of americans. please extend our respects to your mom. when we unveil a statue, governor snyder, it is always a special occasion for us in the capitol, but when it happens to be one of one who has served in the congress, that is a rarity. a president who has served in the congress, that gets pretty personal as well. because we come together here to honor the character, courage, and civility of a

former proud member of the house of representatives -- indeed, again, a former minority leader -- president ford. president ford's leadership in the house was marked by fair and reliable leadership. he was effective and respected on both sides of the aisle -- always bipartisan in his approach. or as he said himself, "i have had a lot of adversaries in my political life, but no enemies that i can remember." in 2001, president ford was awarded the john f. kennedy profile in courage award. as senator ted kennedy said that day, "at a time of national turmoil, america was fortunate that it was gerald ford who took the helm of the storm-tossed ship of state. his courage and dedication to our country made it possible for us to begin the process of

healing and put the tragedy of watergate behind us." a lot of respect and admiration for president ford was truly bipartisan. president ford, as you know, spent a lifetime in service to his country -- in uniform, in the congress, and as our 38th president. today, we proudly welcome him back to the capitol, truly the gentleman from michigan, a state which he loved. may this statue long stand in the united states capitol as a testament of his leadership, values, and integrity. may it also stand as a sign of respect for all tourists, all visitors who come to this capitol, of the respect that the american people have for president gerald ford. thank you. [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, the governor of the state of michigan, the hon. rick schneider. >> speaker banner, congressional leaders, it is truly an honor to be here. today is a proud day to be an american. it is an especially proud day to be from michigan. gerald ford represented the best from our state and i believe he would support me in the phrase i am going to use. he was the personification of the leaders and the best from the state of michigan, not just the university of michigan. [laughter] he served our state in so many ways. he was a role model from his college days at the university of michigan when he won national championships. i am sure he is rooting for the next one.

but he also served our state in congress for nearly 35 years from the grand rapids area and was a role model for many. i had the opportunity to meet him briefly and work on one of his campaigns. he was a role model to me personally. but he answered a higher calling. in addition to his service to our state, he served our nation during one of the most difficult times possible. he made a real difference. president ford was the personification of courage, integrity, and civility. a role model or all those to follow. it is with great pride today on behalf of the citizens of the state of michigan that we can present this statute to the u.s. capitol and the united states government. thank you. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the

republican leader of the united states senate, the hon. mitch mcconnell. >> speaker john boehner, harry reid, nancy pelosi, governor, officers and trustees of the gerald ford presidential foundation, members of the ford family, it is a pleasure to join in this tribute for the man we honor today. this statute that we dedicate will stand as a permanent reminder of the long and distinguished career of a proud son of michigan. it will solidify the judgment that gerald ford help our nation together during the most difficult times. many may begin to young to remember how thoroughly

watergate shook america's conference -- confidence in its institutions and its leaders. but over the years, that bitterness has yielded to a sense of pride that america and her resilience bounced back. and to a sense of gratitude to a man that steadied the ship of state when scandal came. when things went terribly wrong, gerald ford stepped into a role he had been preparing for his entire life without even knowing it. today, few would disagree that he was just a man -- just the man we needed for the jobs. like many of his generation, gerald ford was guided by love of country and they committed -- commitment to service. that is why he joined the navy after pearl harbor. that is why he ran for congress. that is why he excelled.

and that is why he would shine in a role he never sought. unlike many of those who preceded -- preceded him were followed him in the fall of power, gerald ford never dreamed of what his destiny would be. he lived by a simple rule -- the harder you work, the luckier you are. whether it was the boy scouts, football, or academics he worked, as he put it, like hell. it was the same philosophy that would lead him to save the presidency and the vice presidency or not prices to be one, but a duty to be done. it is because he fulfilled that duty so well that the people of michigan and the nation honor him today. he restored the nation's confidence in its self. that is no small fact.

today, our nation acknowledges its gratitude for the simple decency, the steady leadership, and at the generous service of gerald rudolph ford. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the majority leader of the united states senate, the hon. harry reid. >> anyone who lives as long and accomplishes as much as gerald ford is likely to collect a long list of titles. the adjectives that describe him or for more meaningful than the offices he held. he was very compassionate, forthright, and reliable. he was true to his word. he was a patriot who answered every call to serve.

he was unafraid to believe that truth is the glue that holds society together. he was very unpretentious. when he took the office of vice president of the united states, he did it just down the hall. the man from michigan started with a humble warning -- i am a. ford, not a lincoln. he also had a sense of humor. he was fair. president ford wisely asked congress to remember our responsibility to communicate, cooperate, and to compromise. indeed, he once said compromise with the oil that made government run. it was oil in the literal sense that but gerald ford and me together for the first time. as a young lieutenant governor during the oil crisis of the early '70s, i came to washington

to represent my governor and to meet with president nixon's energy czar. i went to the white house to meet the vice president of the united states, gerald ford. i was so excited. here i was, a little over 30- years old, meeting with the vice president in the white house. i felt a connection to gerald ford. he had been a boxing coach. during our meeting, an official picture was taken. i was very proud of that picture. i knew it was going to look great. it was the first photograph i had ever taken with the big shot. i flew home and in a week or so that picture right. i was proud of that picture. it was a big one of me and a vice president in the white house. i laid it on my dresser and came

home that night not realizing my kids were using it to draw on. my picture with vice president ford was colored with crayons -- every color you could imagine. [laughter] i did everything i could to save the picture. i still have that picture, crayons at all. -- crayons and all. [laughter] gerald ford was a congressman for a quarter of the century. he served in the house of representatives for most of the decade. it is a member of the warren commission and, of course, the vice for the that of our country. but there was a distinct sense that he was most proud to be a citizen of the united states. he was more than just an american, he was an all- american -- an eagle scout and decorated lieutenant commander

of the navy. captain of the football team and a member of the national championship university of michigan football team. in fact, he was such a prelate wolverine that when he entered the official events and entered the rotunda for the last time, he did so not to help to the chief, but to the michigan fight song, "hail to the victors valiant." president ford was not impressed with labels. the values he valued most had nothing to do with what a person accomplished. it had to do with how he treated others. six weeks before he passed away he became our nation's longest serving president. he told the nation, "the length of one day's matters less than once france pierre "president ford knew what he was talking about. he enjoyed tremendous love from

those who knew and admired him. he believed people were fundamentally good and he's all the best in his neighbors and this country. someone did an impressive job of capturing present for's likeness in the statute we will unveil in a few minutes -- president ford's lightness and the statute we will unveil in a few minutes. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the speaker of the united states house of representatives, the hon. john boehner. >> thank you all for being here today. as you can imagine, a lot of hard work goes into an event of this magnitude. so thank you to all the folks here in the capitol, back in michigan, and especially the

ford foundation, for your efforts. as my colleagues have noted, president ford always put the best interests of the republic first. but you have to wonder whether that principle would hold were he to learn his statue would be unveiled by a speaker of the house from ohio. [laughter] yes, jerry ford was a 'michigan man' if there ever was one. not a phony bone in his body. all heart, all class. it is humbling, of course, to hold an office to which president ford aspired. and it is an honor to place him in this hallowed rotunda among the greats, just a stone's throw from where he labored for so many years.

you can almost hear him saying, "just leave me to it, mr. speaker.'" throughout his life, every time the roll was called, mr. ford answered. as a young man in world war ii, he served heroically as an officer on the uss monterey, seeing naval combat in the pacific theater. and he answered the call again in 1973 when he left his beloved house of representatives, where he had served for 25 years, to become vice president. later, when he returned as president, he lamented it was not a 'real homecoming' for he now 'belonged' to the executive branch. in reality, gerald ford belonged to all of us. it's not just that we wanted or needed him to be one of us --

he was one of us. he looked down on no one and trusted in the good sense of the american people. he did not set out to 'fix' america -- only to return it to being the great beacon of freedom and liberty it always was. he also had the good sense to marry up. as first lady, betty ford set an example of courage and compassion that continues to endure. we can still remember watching her hold the bible as the new president was sworn into office. the story goes that at that moment, dozens of democrats in the house of representatives were gathered around a television in their cloakroom just off the floor. when president ford asked the people to confirm him with our prayers, the room fell to silence.

a voice rose from the back and said, "we will, jerry. god bless you." so we began again, americans one and all. now the gentleman from michigan has come home. may this statue be an open book of bronze that tells of the most uncommon of common men -- one who kept the faith when his countrymen needed it most. and may god continue to shed his grace on gerald ford, the woman he adored, and the country he loved. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the

united states army chorus. ♪ oh beautiful for spacious skies for amber waves of grain for purple mountains majesty upon the fruited plain america, america

god shed his grace on thee and crown thy hood with brotherhood from sea to shining sea ♪

[applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, the daughter of president and mrs. gerald ford, mrs. susan ford. >> mr. speaker, leaders harry reid, mitch mcconnell, and nancy pelosi, members of the senate and house of representatives, governor schneider, dr. kissinger, mr. ambassador,

ladies and gentlemen -- on behalf of my mother, i extend my congratulations. your statue is wonderful. mother and i are so grateful to you and special gratitude also goes to governor schneider and the people of michigan. and it to the u.s. house of representatives and the senate for making this remarkable tribute to dad a true reality. the rotunda has been a part of the ford family for decades. as a young girl, i accompanied my dad to the capital on weekends and as we played hide and seek in this very room and in statutory all, four hours. in 2006 by returned under very different circumstances for dad's state funeral. when our -- when the last of our

family gathered in the rotunda, it was a time to remember and they tied to say goodbye. those were very difficult days. but we drew strength and comfort from many kindnesses from the house and senate, and both sides of the aisle. we were strengthened by the unprecedented tribute the house and senate paid to dad. i remember my feeling of pride when we arrived at the capitol the very first evening. instead of using the traditional center steps to the rotunda of the house of representatives, we had bad's casket carried out the house steps. it was then placed in were those outside the house chamber. in honor of dad being the president who served the longest in the house of representatives. several days later, the senate

placed bad's cast it in proposed outside the senate chamber -- dad's casket in repose outside the senate chamber. in the twilight of his life, dad was invited back to speak at the capitol. on that special evening, he reflected on his time here fondly. "while i may have lived at the other end of pennsylvania avenue for 2.5 years, the capital has always been my home. always. and i am very proud of that." today, the house, senate, and the people of michigan symbolically and permanently welcome dad back to the capital, back to the home that he never

left. as i thought about this statute, i have wondered what the school children visiting the rotunda in 100 years will learn about dad. perhaps they will recall vice presidents cheney's description of bad's first day as president. "the 62nd years of gerald ford's were a time of faults words and built well and there was great malice and great hurt and it all began to pass away on a friday in august when gerald ford laid his hands on the bible. or perhaps the school children will consider what tom daschle said.

"president ford did more than wake us from a national nightmare. he made it possible for us to dream again." or maybe they will reflect on david bird's conclusion. in an odd and explicable way, beetroot has began to dawn on the american people that gerald ford was the president americans always wanted and did not know that they had. certainly dad was proud and hobbled by such tributes, but he would be prouder if schoolchildren 100 years from out will look upon this statute and consider whether he kept the promise he made immediately after taking the presidential oath. "i am acutely aware you have not elected me as your president by your ballot and so i asked you to confirm me as your president

with your prayers. i have not sought this enormous responsibility, but i will not shirk it. i solemnly promised to uphold the constitution, to do what is right as god gives me to see the light, and to do the very best i can for america. god helping me, i will not let you down." today, big people of michigan of dad's beloved house representatives and senate has spoken to future generations. that solemn promise he made in 1974. dad, your message fills this rotunda. you did not let america it down. you get your promise. yield carnation and you allow us to dream again -- you allow us

digger -- you allow us to dream again. mr. speaker, senate and house members, the governor schneider, on behalf of mother, thank you from the bottom of my heart for the honor you have bestowed on my dad. may god bless you and watch over the united states capitol at all who served within her walls. may god bless america. thank you very much. [applause]

>> ladies and gentlemen, the 56 secretary of state of the united states, dr. henry kissinger. >> distinguished leaders of the congress, ladies and gentlemen -- when gerald ford was sworn in as the 38 president, the vietnam war had divided the country, watergate had demoralized the executive branch, the cold war was still raging, but providence looked down on america when gerald ford took the oath of office. i am not one of those oratorical

geniuses, ford said early to me in his presidency, i have to be myself. that happened to be just what america is needed. in no other country or personal relations so effortless and generous as in small-town america which shaped gerald ford. he never aspired to the presidency. he was free of the fixation on polls and focus groups. his highest ambition had to be speaker of the house of representatives, a position he achieved by the respect of his colleagues.

gerald ford exuded serenity in tumultuous times and instill confidence -- restore confidence to a battered society. colman and unassuming, gerald ford overcame a vast array of international challenges. i will mention just a few. in his presidency the first political agreement was negotiated between israel and egypt. it led to a peace agreement two years later. the european security conference with establishment of internationally recognized human standards hastened the

collapse of the soviet satellites. the initiative to bring majority rule, the creation of the international agency that still fosters cooperation between all nations. the annual economic summit to cooperate s with industrial democracies which remains a core element of the international dialogue. few will dispute that the cold war could not have been one had not gerald ford emerged to restore our faith. in office only 29 months, gerald ford never second-guess

his successors. all of us in this room who served under gerald ford consider it as a high point in our lives. for 35 years we have been meeting once a year together with the ford family to recall what he did and to recapture the generosity, it intelligence, decency, and good will with which he accused his in administration. let me thank the leadership of the congress for enabling gerald ford to return to these cahalls

which he loved so much in this manner. his statue will remind this and future generations that society becomes great by reconciliation. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain seated for the unveiling of the statue.

>> ladies and gentlemen, the statue of president gerald r. ford. [applause]

ladies and gentlemen, the son of president and mr. gerald ford and the chairman of the gerald r. ford presidential foundation, mr. steven ford. -- i have a lot in my for have a lump in my throat to see dad. i look out in the audience and say a lot of people in the audience who had a lot to do back in 1974 to help heal this nation.

, vice president cheney, donald rumsfeld -- so many people from dad's administration. susan is exactly right. our family has had numerous moments in this work done that because of dad. 415 years ago we stood here for dad's funeral. susan, my brother jack, and my brother mike -- i cannot tell you the honor that each one of us felt as we came in here and watched thousands of people pay their respects to dad. we all stood here to shake hands with those people.

great citizens of this country came to pay their respects for dad. that is what dad would have done. it was a great moment. back in 1965 we were about nine or 10-years old. dad used to bring us into his congressional office because he would answer correspondence maile. he would tell susan and i, "before you go plate, you need to type a letter to your mother and tell you how much you love her and how great a mother she is." we get that done and did that would let us come out and play hide and seek in the rotunda. they are probably not doing that anymore. [laughter] as we know, it is a much more dangerous world today. it was not many years after 1965, about eight years later --

the fall of 1973, when my father was nominated by president nixon to be the next vice president. my dad had been in congress 25 years. he was going to retire because he never got to become speaker of the house. my mother had him confess to move back to grand rapids to have a nice, quiet life. all the sudden, president nixon nominated him to be vice president and my mother's plans were pushed aside. she was not happy. i remember him putting his arm around my mother and saying, "betty, do not worry, vice presidents do not do anything." [laughter] now, we all know our history and that did not quite work out. [laughter] 10 months later, as we know,

secretary kissinger described it very well -- our family stood on the south lawn of the white house as president nixon left in a helicopter. a great shadow over the white house. we walked into the east room of the white house and salt mom hold the bible. as dad put his hand on the bible to take the oath of office -- think about it. it -- there was a crisis in america. soldiers were still coming home in body bags. the cold war with the russians. inflation that was double digit. unemployment was high. six months before dad became president, the stock market lost 45% of its value. 12 months before dad became president, the price of oil was $3 to $4 per barrel. in the next 12 months, it went

up 400%. this was the presidency that he inherited. here you have a man who was going to put his hand on the bible, take the oath of office, and had not been elected by the american people. it was a crisis in america. we walked in there as dad took the oath of office and took over the reins of this country during a very tough time, but he never forgot the lessons -- he never forgot those he came to washington to serve. to serve the people. you can look back in the fabric of his life and there is a thread that runs through it that is so apparent -- this thread of character and integrity. dad, i think nancy pelosi talked about it, he worked well with

both sides of the aisle, both democrats and republicans. he knew the importance of finding right decisions. i remember paul and they'll talking about that that would challenge him to make sure he got both sides of the argument i get a meeting because he wanted the right answer, not to be bound by ideology. my brother mike, susan -- you remember how many nights we sat around the dinner table and dad used to say, "a government big enough to give you everything is a government big enough to take everything away." he believed those words. as we stand here today -- and i think the description that chippendale has on my dad's statute -- tip o'neill as a my

dad of the statute -- god had a hand in my father's life. when he grew up in grand rapids michigan and he made sure the placed the right people around him -- the right mother, the right step father, the right football coach, the right teacher, the right pastor, the right was dealt leader -- to plant the seed in them up character and integrity that he would need years later to heal this nation. selfishly as a son, i close by saying what i miss the most is how dad loved our family, how he was a great father, how he showed us how to be a great

husband. thank you, dad. god bless you. thank you very much. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please stand as the regional chaplain gives the benediction. >> let us pray. gracious god who has given us this good land for our heritage, we humbly ask you to work with us in office and through all our endeavors that we may always

prove ourselves a people mindful of your favor and it glad to do your holy will. blessed our land with hon. industry. save us from violence, discord, and confusion, up from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. defend our liberty and faction us into one united people. while we build diversity, we may also strengthened our common bonds and unity of effort. in view with the spirit of wisdom, those in whom thy name we entrust the authority of government that there may be justice and peace at home and through the discipline all law and the opportunities of liberty, may we show forth preys upon the nation.

in a time of prosperity, is still our hearts with thankfulness. in a day of trouble, strengthen our resolve and resilience that we shall always, bound in hope, a move forward the goodness of character and strength of spirit. we asked your rich broth -- blessings upon the ford family, that you may grant them your peace and soulless as they honor us with their presence in sharing a person we all hold dear in our hearts and minds. go now with love. as those called to do the work of god give us energy and light that in the and we may all reap the blessings of our lives. may god in peace, favor, and mercy bless you always.

amen. >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain in your seats for the departure of the official parties. ♪ >> next, a medal of honor ceremony for two korean veterans. after that, president obama talked to the courts -- to the troops at fort campbell, ky. >> on news makers, the president and ceo of the american petroleum institute talks about gas and oil prices and congressional and administration efforts to keep them from rising

ire. he also discusses developing american resources through offshore drilling, liability caps, and whether oil companies should get tax breaks. usenet -- news breakers -- newsmakers sunday at 10:00 a.m. on c-span. >> the former utah governor and ambassador to china delivers the commencement address at the university of south carolina. south carolina is the first southern state to hold a presidential primary. watch this sunday on c-span's road to the white house. >> on tuesday, for that obama awarded the medal of honor to two army privates killed during the korean war. this is 30 minutes.

>> ladies and gentlemen, the president of united states and mrs. michelle obama. ♪ >> please join me in prayer. almighty god, we ask your blessings on the ceremony. we gather to commend the noble lives and sacrifices of this nation's sons. though stirred by news of the

past 24 hours, we pause in these moments to remember the heroic combat actions taken by these two soldiers on the korean peninsula some 60 years ago. but anthony and henry responded against an enemy onslaught and save the lives of their fellow soldiers. they lead from the front and loved beyond measure, betraying the ultimate act of selfless service. oh god, remind us that our nation has risen to true greatness on the soldiers of americans like anthony and henry. me this ceremony reexports our awareness as a nation that this country's way of life and our freedom is a priceless inheritance, one for a commitment and sacrifice of those who selflessly pay for our freedom with their blood. may your blessings be upon the families of henry and anthony who have given their loved ones to this nation and what kept their memories alive for this great moment. by your grace, may we never

forget their sacrifice. in your holy name, amen. >> good morning, everybody. please be seated. on behalf of michelle and myself, welcome to the white house. too many guests from hawaii, aloha. and thank you for the wonderful invocation. i think we can all agree that this is a good day for america. our country has served its commitment to see that justice is done. the world is safer. it is a better place because of the death of osama bin laden. we're reminded that as a nation, there is nothing that we cannot do when we put our shoulders to the wheel, when we

work together, when we remember the sense of unity that defines us as americans. and we have seen that spirit of patriotism in the crowds that gathered outside the white house, at ground zero in new york, and across the country, people holding candles, waving the flag, singing the national anthem, people proud to live in the united states of america. we are reminded that we are fortunate to have americans who dedicate their lives to protecting ours. the volunteer, they train, they endure separation from their families, they take extraordinary risks so that we can be safe. they get the job done. we may not always know their names.

we may not always know their stories. but they are there, every day, on the front lines of freedom and we are truly blessed. i want to knowledge before we begin the ceremony, tw of individuals critical to my work today, someone who will go down as one of the finest secretaries of defense in our history, secretary bob gates who is here. [applause] and sitting beside him, someone who served with incredible valor on behalf of this country and is now somebody to let things will go down as one of the greatest secretaries of veterans affairs in our history, eric shinseki. [applause]

now have to say that as commander in chief, i could not be prouder of our men and women in uniform. that is true now. in today's wars. it has been true in all of our wars. and that is why we are here today. long ago a poet of the first world war world of the sacrifices of young men in war. they shall not grow old as we are left grow old. age shall not we read them nor the years condemn. at the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. today we are joined by two

american families who six decades ago it donation one of their own -- private first class henry svelha. they did not grow. -- grow old. these two soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice when they were just 19 and 21 years old. age did not weary them. in the hearts of their families, they remain forever young. living sons, protected brothers, hometown kids who stood tall and america's hometown. in america's uniform. today we remember them. and we honor them with the highest military decoration that our nation can bestow, the medal of honor. in doing so we also honor their families. they remind us they are

extraordinary military families that bear the heavy burden of war. we're joined by members of congress who are here, we're very grateful for you we're also joined by leaders from the army and our armed forces, including chairman of the joint chiefs of staff admiral mike mullen and the vice chairman, general jim clark right. there they are right there. [applause] and this is not in the script, but let me acknowledge that without the leadership of bob gates, mike mullen, and hoss cartwright, yesterday and today would not happen. i could not be more proud than i am so grateful that they've

been a part of our team. [applause] i especially want to welcome some of those who fought so bravely 60 years ago. our inspiring career in veterans. korean war veterans who have made the trip. and i also want to acknowledge those who are welcoming to more american heroes into the ranks, members of the medal of honor society. thank you so much for your presence today. past november, i paid a visit to the south korea -- a visit that coincided with the 60th anniversary of the start of the korean war, as well as november 11, a veteran state. i was privileged to spend the

day with our troops and with dozens of the veterans of the middle east -- of the korean war -- members of a generation who fought for a country they never knew and people they never met. it was a generation that included private first class anthony kaho'ohanohano. he learned early that we have a duty to others, his father, a dedicated police officer, and a mother who did go did herself to nine children. tony was the fall guy. -- a tall guy. he loved life. swimming in the oceans, playing basketball -- sounds like my kind of guy. [laughter] his siblings remember him as the big brother. quiet but strong, who took care of them come stood up for them

in the neighborhood, and would treat them to ice-cream. tony's loyalty to family was matched by his love of country -- even though hawaii was not even a state yet. by september 1951, the korean war had been raging for more than a year, and tony was a part of the 17th infantry regiment, seventh infantry division, which had been fighting for strategic hills that could shape the course of the war. is what was near a village called chuapri, with the enemy advancing. tony made a decision. he ordered his wife to fall back and seek cover. and then tony did something else. he stayed behind, machine gun in hand. he lay down fire so this man could get to safety. it was one american soldier alone against an approaching

army. when tony was wounded in the shoulder, he fought on. he threw a grenade after a grenade. when his weapon and that of ammunition, he grabbed another. and when he ran out of ammunition, he reached for the only thing left -- a shovel. that is when the enemy overran his position. in the final moments, the combat was hand-to-hand. it was that bravery and courage of a single soldier that inspired his men to regroup, to rally, and to drive the enemy back. and when they finally reached his position, the measure of his fowler became clear. >> the measure of his valor. after firing so many bullets, the barrel of his machine gun was literally bent. toney had stood his ground and save the lives of his men. after his death, he was awarded the second-highest award for valor, the distinguished service

cross. but his family felt that he deserved more. and so did senator and world war ii vet we are honored that senator akaka has joined us. we're obviously extra nearly grateful that we are joined by another senator and a medal of honor recipient dan inouya. this is a much for your presence. [applause] hawaii is a small state. but this is a very big family. in fact, i went to high school with one of their cousins. tell whitey i said hello.

this is a remarkable family. service defines them. tony's father and all six sons served in the military. another member of the family has served in afghanistan. nearly 30 members of the family traveled from hawaii to be here, including his sister elaine, and brother eugene. the sacrifice that your family in toward, for the service that family has rendered, thank you so much. i would ask that you all join me in welcoming his nephew george who worked for so many years to get his uncle the honor that he deserves. george? [applause]

>> the president of the united states of america, authorized by an act of congress, march 3, 1863, has awarded in the name of congress for the medal of honor to private first class anthony kaho'ohanohano, united states army, for conspicuous gallantry in interest. the at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. private first class anthony kaho'ohanohano distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against the enemy in the vicinity of chupa- ri, korea. private first class kaho'ohanohano was in charge of a machine gun squad of company

f when a numerically superior force launched an attack. because of the net enemies overwhelming numbers, friendly troops were forced to execute a limited withdrawal. as the men fell back, private first class kaho'ohanohano ordered his squad to take up a more defensible position and provided cover fire. having been wounded in the shoulder during the initial enemy assault, private first class kaho'ohanohano gathered a supply of grenades and ammunition in return to his original position to face the enemy alone. as they concentrated their strength against his place, private first class kaho'ohanohano fought fiercely and courageously, delivering deadly accurate fire into the ranks of the onrushing enemy. when is an emission was depleted, he engaged the enemy in hand-to-hand combat until he was killed. private first class kaho'ohanohano's heroics stance

so inspired his comrades that they launched a counterattack that completely repulse the enemy. friendly troops discovered 11 enemy soldiers lying dead in front of the emplacement and to decided. killed in hand-to-hand combat. private first class kaho'ohanohano's extraordinary heroism and selfless devotion to duty are in keeping with the finest traditions of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the seventh infantry division, in the united states army. [applause]

>> about the time that tony was inspiring his man, another young soldier was joining up with the seventh infantry division in korea, private first class henry svelha. he grew up in new jersey. he loved fishing on the jersey shore. he was one of six kids and the youngest son. but the one who seem to take care of everybody else. his sister dorothy remembers how her mom would be in the kitchen at the end of a long day trying to cook dinner for six kids, henry, a teenager, was

walking in, grab his mother's hand, and dance her around the kitchen. if anyone needed anything, henry was there. and he was there for america in korea as the war neared its third and final year. entering knew the dangers and in one of his last letters home, he wrote, i mean not return. that june of 1952, the heat was unbearable. the monsoon rains and mosquitoes were relentless. but the seventh infantry division pushed on, probing enemy lines, fighting bulker buy bumper, hill by hill. and as henry and his company near the top of one hill, the rocky slopes seemed to explode with the enemy fire. its units started to falter, and that is when henry made his move. he stood up, he looked ahead, and he charged forward into a hail of bullets. those who were there describe

how we kept firing his weapon, kept hurling grenades, and now even after being wounded in the face, he refused medical attention in cat leading the charge. when an enemy grenade landed among his men, every human instinct come every impulse would tell a person to turn away. but at that critical moment, and rein svelha did the opposite. he threw himself on that grenade. with his sacrifice, he saved the lives of his fellow soldiers. henry svelha's body has never been recovered. it is a wound in his family's heart that has never been fully healed. it is a reminder that as a nation, we must never forget those who never came home or who are missing in action or who are taken prisoner of war. we must never stop trying to bring them back to their families.

henry was awarded the distinguished service cross, but his family believe he had earned this nation's highest military honor. they contacted. congressman and his staff who made it their mission, and we think representative bill passed role for making this day possible. henry's parents and brothers did not live to see this day. two of his sisters, dorothy and sylvia, are with us. dorothy, sylvia, your mind is that behind every american who wears this nation's uniform stands the family who serves with them. your mind every american who lays down their life for our country that there is a family who mourns them and honors them through the rest of their lives. every day for nearly 60 years you have lived the poet's words that in the going down in the

morning, we will remember them. i want everyone to join me in welcoming dorothea and sylvia to the stage for the presentation of the medal of honor. [applause] >> the president of the united states authorized by an act of congress has awarded in the name of congress the medal of honor to private first class henry svelha, united states army, for conspicuous gallantry. he distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and interest. the above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a rifleman with the seventh

infantry division in connection with combat operations against an armed enemy in korea. on the 12th of june, 1952. that afternoon ball private first class svelha were patrolling, but they were coming under heavy fire. the platoon attack began to falter. realizing the success of mission in the safety of the remaining troops was in peril, private first class svelha fired his weapon and threw grenades at the advance. in the face of this courage and determination, the platoon rallied to attack with renewed vigor. private first class svelha cannot other early disregarding his own safety, inflicted casualties until fragments from a mortar round exploded nearby when did him in the face. despite his wounds, he refused

medical treatment and continue to lead the attack. when an enemy grenade landed among a group of his comrades, private first class svelha without hesitation and undoubtedly aware of the extreme danger threw himself upon the grenade. during this action, private first class svelha was mortally wounded. private first class svelha's extraordinary heroism at the cost of his own live above and beyond the call of duty are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the united states army. [applause]

>> let's give both families a big round of applause, for anthony and for henry. >> please join me in prayer. gracious god, if you have stirred the hearts once again today as we for the accounts of two great american soldiers, who value their lives of those

under their care more than their very own. good to listen the holy scripture that there is no greater love than this. and so it's this eternal truth in our own hearts as we carry out our responsibilities to you, our families, and the great nation. was the young men and women of our armed services to walk in the footsteps of both anthony henry, protecting and defending our lives in freedom's cost. and lord, continue to bless, empowered, and give great wisdom to president as he leads the nation in these challenging times. and god bless america. in your holy name, we pray, amen. >> thank you so much, everyone. please enjoy the reception. and again to the families, we could not be prouder of anthony and henry. we're grateful for their sacrifice. we're grateful for your sacrifice. you have made this country sector. -- safer.

tony in increase and as a model of courage and patriotism. got less you, and god bless the united states of america. thank you, everyone. [applause]

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>> now, president obama's visit to fort campbell, ky. he first met privately with the special operations troops. then he spoke to service members who recently returned from tours in afghanistan. this is about 30 minutes.

>> ladies and gentlemen, the deputy commanding general and senior commander, brigadier general jeffrey colston and the vice-president of the united states, joe biden. [applause] >> hello, screaming eagles. it is good to be back with you all. i tell you what, i want to thank the general for accompanying me up. i get the honor of introducing the general. i was back here on february 11 to welcome home members of the combat team afghanistan. 155 of you got off that plane in the middle of the night.

the only thing more exciting than watching you get off the plane was watching your family's what you get off. i know from experience that your family's want more than anything to spend time with you. every time i show up at a local home ceremony, i am always worried about getting in the way. i remember my son came back from iraq after a year and there were all these ceremonies. i kept saying stop, i want to see my kid. , i get it.om you guys have been in the fight since the beginning and the risk you have taken, the incredible sacrifices you have made, the comrades you have lost, but losses you have personally injured, you have been in some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world. i have been there a number of times.

i am out of breath climbing up 40 feet, and you guys are up there with 80 pound packs running around. you are just amazing. i am in awe of the job that you do. [cheers] i want to also thank your families. they make sacrifices as well, those intangible sacrifices, those missed workdays and graduations and occasional funerals. more than anything else, just being missed, not having you at home. there was a famous " by john milton. he said they also serve who only stand and wait. if families serve as well, and the rest of america osier families a debt of gratitude as well.

-- owes your families a debt of gratitude as well. their service is as real as yours and is as appreciated. the soldiers here are the most capable warriors. you are the most capable warriors in the history of the world. there has never, never, never been a fighting force as capable as you are. it is my job and my honor today to talk a little bit about the man that i get to work with every day. he just got to spend time with the soldiers who got bin laden. [cheers and applause] by the way, the president is

going to be mad i am taking so long, but today was grandfathers' day, so i went by my granddaughter's little school play before i came out here today. she said come back to my classroom with me. i said i could not. i told her i was going to fort campbell to see the guys out there who got osama bin laden. she said pop, my pop is going out to see the whales, not the seals but the whales. i have been around awhile. i have watched presidents make some difficult decisions. they have all had to make difficult decisions. but sitting in every meeting, getting ready and planning for

this mission to get bin laden, i saw something extraordinary. i saw a president who was told the odds were not much more than 50-50 that he could be there and that we could do this. along with the rest of the national security team, we sat around and he asked our advice and we gave him our advice. finally he just looked at all of us and said i have faith in these guys. he walked off on his own, without anybody giving him any guarantees at on -- at all, and he decided. he had absolute, total faith in all of you, and he made that determination. it was an amazing thing to watch. it was because he had the absolute confidence in you. the number one priority was to get osama bin laden, and he knew the risks, and most importantly,

special operations and the risk to the lives of the people getting in there. i've known bob gates for a long time. he said it is one of the gutsiest decisions he had ever seen. this will go down in history what happened. here to introduce your commander in chief, a guy i am proud to serve with, he is one of the country's leading lawyers himself -- leading warriors himself. [applause] >> thank you, sir. i kelly tried to tell you today just how proud of you that this division in this local community are. more importantly today, you are going to get to hear from the

commander-in-chief just tell appreciative he is of all your service and your sacrifices. please join me in this great privilege of welcoming the president of the united states, barack obama. [cheers and applause] ♪ >> hello, fort campbell! 101st airborne division air assault, hello!

general colt, thank you for that great introduction -- it was great because it was brief. more importantly, thank you for the extraordinary leadership that you've shown here at one of the largest army bases in america. and let me just say, i make a lot of decisions -- one of the earliest and best decisions i made was choosing one of the finest vice presidents in our history -- joe biden, right here. chaplain miller, thank you for the beautiful invocation. i want to thank general colt for welcoming me here today, along with your great command sergeant major, wayne st. louis. the quartet and 101st division

band. all these troopers behind me -- you look great. you noticed they kind of hesitated. we got a lot of folks in the house. ande got military police medical personnel. we've got the green berets of the 5th special forces group. i think we've got a few air force here. well, we thought we did. there they go -- okay. come on. and, of course, the legendary screaming eagles. and although they're not in the audience, i want to acknowledge the 160th special operations aviation regiment -- the night stalkers -- for their

extraordinary service. now, i've got to say, some of you are starting to look a little familiar -- because last december, when we were at bagram, i was out there to thank you for your service, especially during the holidays. and we had a great rally, a big crowd -- it seemed like everybody was there from the 101st. and since then, i know we've had quite a few homecomings. the rakkasans. destiny. strike. bastogne.

and some of the division headquarters -- the gladiators. on behalf of a grateful nation -- welcome home. of course, our thoughts and prayers are with general campbell, command sergeant major schroeder, and all of the screaming eagles and troops that are still risking their lives in theater. and i'm so pleased that ann campbell and marla schroeder, and some of the inspiring military spouses are here. where are they at? right over there. we are grateful to you. god bless you. there they are. thank you so much. this happens to be military

spouse appreciation day. and we honor your service as well. makei didn't come here to a really long speech. i know you're hearing that. it's like, yeah, it's hot! what i really wanted to do was come down and shake some hands. i came here for a simple reason -- to say thank you on behalf of america. this has been an historic week in the life of our nation. thanks to the incredible skill and courage of countless individuals -- intelligence, military -- over many years, the terrorist leader who struck our nation on 9/11 will never threaten america again.

yesterday, i traveled to new york city, and, along with some of our 9/11 families, laid a wreath at ground zero in memory of their loved ones. i met with the first responders -- the firefighters, the police officers, the port authority officers -- who lost so many of their own when they rushed into those burning towers. i promised that our nation will never forget those we lost that dark september day. and today, here at fort campbell, i had the privilege of meeting the extraordinary special ops folks who honored that promise. it was a chance for me to say -- on behalf of all americans and people around the world -- "job well done." job well done.

they're america's "quiet professionals" -- because success demands secrecy. but i will say this -- like all of you, they could have chosen a life of ease, but like you, they volunteered. they chose to serve in a time of war, knowing they could be sent into harm's way. they trained for years. they're battle-hardened. they practiced tirelessly for this mission and when i gave the order, they were ready. now, in recent days, the whole world has learned just how ready they were. these americans deserve credit for one of the greatest intelligence military operations in our nation's history. but so does every person who wears america's uniform, the finest military the world has

ever known and that includes all of you men and women of 101st. you have been on the frontlines of this fight for nearly 10 years. you were there in those early days, driving the taliban from power, pushing al qaeda out of its safe havens. over time, as the insurgency grew, you went back for, in some cases, a second time, a third time, a fourth time. when the decision was made to go into iraq, you were there, too, making the longest air assault in history, defeating a vicious insurgency, ultimately giving iraqis the chance to secure their democracy. and you've been at the forefront of our new strategy

in afghanistan. sending you -- more of you -- into harm's way is the toughest decision that i've made as commander-in-chief. i don't make it lightly. every time i visit walter reed, every time i visit bethesda, i'm reminded of the wages of war. but i made that decision because i know that this mission was vital to the security of the nation that we all love. and i know it hasn't been easy for you and it hasn't, certainly, been easy for your families. since 9/11, no base has deployed more often, and few bases have sacrificed more than you. we see it in our heroic wounded warriors, fighting every day to recover, and who deserve the absolute best care in the world.

we see it in the mental and emotional toll that's been taken -- in some cases, some good people, good soldiers who've taken their own lives. so we're going to keep saying to anybody who is hurting out there, don't give up. you're not alone. your country needs you. we're here for you to keep you strong. and most of all, we see the price of this war in the 125 soldiers from fort campbell who've made the ultimate sacrifice during this deployment to afghanistan. and every memorial ceremony -- every "eagle remembrance" -- is a solemn reminder of the heavy burdens of war, but also the values of loyalty and duty and honor that have defined your lives. so here's what each of you must

know. because of your service, because of your sacrifices, we're making progress in afghanistan. in some of the toughest parts of the country, general campbell and the 101st are taking insurgents and their leaders off the battlefield and helping afghans reclaim their communities. across afghanistan, we've broken the taliban's momentum. in key regions, we've seized the momentum, pushing them out of their strongholds. we're building the capacity of afghans, partnering with communities and police and security forces, which are growing stronger. and most of all, we're making progress in our major goal, our central goal in pakistan and afghanistan, and that is disrupting and dismantling -- and we are going to ultimately defeat al qaeda. we have cut off their head and we will ultimately defeat them.

even before this week's operation, we've put al qaeda's leadership under more pressure than at any time since 9/11, on both sides of the border. so the bottom line is this -- our strategy is working, and there's no greater evidence of that than justice finally being delivered to osama bin laden. but i don't want to fool you. this continues to be a very tough fight. you know that. but because of this progress, we're moving into a new phase. in the coming months, we'll start transferring responsibility for security to afghan forces. starting this summer, we'll begin reducing american forces. as we transition, we'll build a long-term partnership with the afghan people, so that al qaeda can never again threaten america from that country. and, as your commander-in- chief, i'm confident that we're

going to succeed in this mission. the reason i'm confident is because in you i see the strength of america's military and because in recent days we've all seen the resilience of the american spirit. now, this week i received a letter from a girl in new jersey named payton wall. she wrote to me on monday after the news that bin laden had been killed, and she explained how she still remembers that september morning almost 10 years ago. she was only 4-years old. her father, glen, was trapped inside the world trade center. and so, in those final, frantic moments, knowing he might not make it, he called home.

and payton remembers watching her mom sobbing as she spoke to her husband and then passed the phone to payton. and in words that were hard to hear but which she's never forgotten, he said to her, "i love you payton, and i will always be watching over you." so yesterday, payton, her mom, and her sister, avery, joined me at ground zero. and now payton is 14. these past 10 years have been tough for her. in her letter, she said, "ever since my father died, i lost a part of me that can never be replaced." and she describes her childhood as a "little girl struggling to shine through all the darkness in her life." but every year, more and more, payton is shining through. she's playing a lot of sports, including lacrosse and track, just like her dad. she's doing well in school. she's mentoring younger

students. she's looking ahead to high school in the fall. and so, yesterday she was with us -- a strong, confident young woman -- honoring her father's memory, even as she set her sights on the future. and for her and for all of us, this week has been a reminder of what we're about as a people. it's easy to forget sometimes, especially in times of hardship, times of uncertainty. we're coming out of the worst recession since the great depression, haven't fully recovered from that. we've made enormous sacrifices in two wars. but the essence of america -- the values that have defined us for more than 200 years -- they don't just endure -- they are stronger than ever. we're still the america that does the hard things, that does

the great things. we're the nation that always dared to dream. we're the nation that's willing to take risks -- revolutionaries breaking free from an empire, pioneers heading west to settle new frontiers, innovators building railways and laying the highways and putting a man on the surface of the moon. we are the nation -- and you're the division -- that parachuted behind enemy lines on d-day, freeing a continent, liberating concentration camps. we're the nation that, all those years ago, sent your division to a high school in arkansas so that nine black students could get an education. that was you. because we believed that all men are created equal -- that everyone deserves a chance to realize their god-given potential. we're the nation that has faced tough times before -- tougher times than these. but when our union frayed, when the depression came, when our harbor was bombed, when our country was attacked on that

september day, when disaster strikes like that tornado that just ripped through this region, we do not falter. we don't turn back. we pick ourselves up and we get on with the hard task of keeping our country strong and safe. see, there's nothing we can't do together, 101st, when we remember who we are, and that is the united states of america. when we remember that, no problem is too hard and no challenge is too great. and that is why i am so confident that, with your brave service, america's greatest days are still to come. god bless you. god bless the 101st, and god bless the united states of america. [cheers and applause]

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>> now a discussion on the life of navy seals. this is just over 40 minutes. journal" continues. host: joining us is a u.s. navy seal and the ceo of a mission that continues. tell us how you became a navy seal. guest: i joined the team in2001. in april, i wnt to special -- i went to special training and

became a seal in 2002. host: tell us about being a ceo at the mission continues. guest: it started when i first came back from my last deployment in iraq. then i was serving as a commander of an al qaeda targeting sell. my unit was hit by a suicide truck bomb. my wounds were minor. i was treated at the surgical hospital and returned to duty 72 hours later. many of my good friends were hurt far worse than i was. when i visited them, i've realized that they all wanted to continue their mission and of public service, even though their injuries would prevent them from serving in the military. i started the company by

contributing my combat pay. we work with wounded and disabled veterans to help them continue the mission of public service here at home. host: this a piece written in the ""the wall street journal"." can you expand on a quotation there? guest: when i went to training, we fired thousands of rounds at targets with the likeness of osama bin laden on them. every navy seal i know wishes they had a chance to be on that mission last sunday night. we have gotten tremendous respect for the great warriors, who are the elite of those that convicted the mission sunday night. they did a great service to the field teams into the country into the whole world. host: we heard a lot about

sealed training into their role this week. tell us what we may not have heard in their training and preparation. the equipment, mental training, the things that go into it from your perspective. guest: it is important to understand that it is not just an organization based on courage, physical strength, a technical proficiency. it is the combination of the heart and the fist that makes great warriors. we heard about the raid last sunday night. all of the points about technical proficiency has been emphasized. these are men that have a heart and dedication to public service. for the last 9.5 years, they have been engaged in this fight at a great personal sacrifice,

that of their families. they have lost comrades. it is that combination of living goes down use of public service, that's part of what it means to be a real warrior. that is what creates a navy seal. host: you have to be 28 years old. a u.s. citizen, high school graduate, a clean record. guest: there is a basic physical test you have to take to get into the training. it is a 500 meter swim, a set of pushups and situps, the basic test to get into the training. once you are in, it is considered to be the hardest

military training in the world. we started with two and 20 people in my class. by the time we graduated we were down to 21. people in my class. by the time we graduated, we were down to 21. they tie your feet together in your hands behind your back, and you have to jump into a pool and a swim the 50 meters. it is a lot of difficult training, designed to push people to their mental, physical, emotional limits, and a test who they are inside. host: he say this about the training. almost all of the men that survive have one common quality.

guest: that is the quality that helps to create navy seals. it is at the heart of what it means to be a seal. the training is so difficult and painful. there were moments where i thought if i was alone, i might quit. here is someone to my left and right, and i know they need me. they need me to step outside of my own pain, my own fear, and be there for them. those that make it through the training are those that are not just focused on themselves, but on a higher purpose, a larger mission, on the needs of their team, so by the time you get to the end of the training, there is a tight-knit group of people who are willing to step outside of their own pain. it is a lesson that applies to

everybody in all of our lives. if we can step outside a cover pain in service to others, it is incredible. host: how does that play out in missions like sunday? guest: you saw relentless practice come together that they had put in. they had practiced for months against a mock target and went through a drill after drill, practicing time and time again, preparing for every possible contingency, so that no matter what happens on the battlefield, they could return and executed a mission. they had to know that they could rely 100% on the person to their left and right. they had to know on target every person knew their jobs would do their job and be there for them. that creates an incredible team.

host: here are the numbers if you want to talk to our broadcast. -- to every guest. you can send us an e-mail and also twitter us. here is a tweet. guest: these men are members of the united states military. they are protected under the geneva convention. if they were caught or

captured, they would be recognized as a prisoner of war. host: louisville, kentucky, a republican line. caller: i was wondering about the navy seals. they are able to endure -- are they able to endure a lot of pain and suffering from being mistreated like a regular soldier for trying to get information from them? thank god for the navy seals. i am glad they went over there and did what they did. host: are you asking if they are trained to withstand torture? caller: i am sure they are, because they went through a lot

of training. host: can you expand on that? guest: as you go through the basic underwater demolition training, you are put under an incredible amount of pain. if you learn how to deal with discomfort, pain, fear, you also go through other courses, where they teach you how to survive if you are ever taken as a prisoner of war. there is a tremendous amount of training to prepare people for whatever circumstances they may face on the battlefield. the more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war. you push people, make them sweat, pushed them to their limits, so when the time comes, they will be ready in combat. host: will we ever know the identities of those in the team's sixth? -- steam six?

guest: i do not think we will hear about that any time soon. host: is the person that took the shot allowed to talk about it? guest: not publicly now. it may be a decade from now. for the moment, that will remain a secret. host: here is an e-mail asking if there are women navy seals the guest:. . guest: some are specialists, but those that are actually in the navy seals are men and, because of congressional laws. they have played a special part

in the special operations community. they play an essential role there. they played very important roles in special operations. i would keep it as it is working now. host: democrats line. caller: i was in the mediterranean. there was a joint army, navy, marine training base. this was around the second world war.

the captain of my shift -- ship was the commander. we had more casualties. it was really dangerous. host: do you have a question? caller: you are great. the country would not be what it is today without you. host: how many fields are there in terms of numbers? guest: the pentagon reports there is over 2000 active-duty navy seals. they trace their history back to the underwater demolition team, who were responsible for cleaning the beaches in normandy. the actual sales team was

commissioned by president kennedy on january 1, 1962. those were the origins of the navy seals team. host: can you expand on your story in the wall street journal this morning? guest: and they build all of this tension. you know you will go into the hardest test of your life. have a sleeping with my crew in the 10's. we woke to the sound of gunfire regionte -- tents.

we will to the sound of gunfire and we knew that the greatest thing we would face would be then. we would have a formal run in boots in the sand. they ask you to land small rebel -- webber boats on jagged rocks in the middle of the night. -- whetherrubber boats on jagged rocks in the middle of the night. they push you to your mental, physical, emotional limits, to see who will survive and has the courage and perseverance. host: south carolina, independence line. caller: -- independent line. caller: thanks for your service to our country. what are the most important

field principles that an individual can bring to their own civilian workplace to do a better job at work? guest: that is an excellent question. that is what my book is about. those principles that you learn going through seals training that you can bring back into your own life. one principle is you actually become stronger when you think about others. no matter what the pain is that you face in your own life. if you can step outside of it a little bit and think about what you can do for others at that moment, it is amazing how much stronger you become. one thing i notice is that during my hardest moment, it came when i was alone. when i started to get trapped in my own fear and think about what was wrong, that is when i was

the weakest. when i was leaving others in the able to think that the matter how much pain i am in, there is someone else who needs me, that is when i became stronger. it is important to recognize her rich is something that i think we misunderstand in our contemporary society. we think it is something that happens in a flash of bravery. in a moment of great danger and the difficulty, someone steps forward from day to day. one thing i recognize going through the field training is the kind of courage that helps people transform their lives is the courage of perseverance. it is the willingness to do the hard thing that has to be done day after day after day. that is how navy seals are built, with that kind of courage. those are many lessons. thinking of a higher purpose to

guide yourself with the heart and having the fist of discipline and perseverance to help you along the journey. host: there is new video of the compound where bin laden stayed. how does the team actively train for a mission that we saw sunday, when all they have is the outside schematics of the location? guest: you try to get as much information as you possibly can. we know they built a mock compound which they a salted multiple times. they may have only known what it looked like from the outside. what they would try to do is set of different scenarios, contingencies, layouts of what it may have looked inside and practiced different scenarios said that no matter what they happened, they would be prepared to react when they were on the

target. it all comes down to incredible training, relentless practice, and 100% dedication once on target to get the mission accomplished. host: is someone calling the shots from washington, d.c. or is it all on the ground? guest: you get your guidance or commanders intent, who will let you know what the intent of the commander is. once it has been given and you know the intent, all of the calls should be made by the commander on the ground who is there on scene. host: so the helicopter that was lost, it is part of his call to enlighten the situation? guest: that is exactly right.

the intent is probably to eliminate bin laden, bring everybody home safely, as the person on the ground, you have to make the decision, because no one from washington should be making calls like that in a difficult situation. it should be up to the commander on the ground. host: republican line, nebraska. caller: would the cia interrogators have the possibility of interrogation -- they said there was a blackout of about 20 minutes in the middle of the operation. was that intentional so that future prosecutions could not be brought against the navy seals ?eat

guest: there could be many explanations for that. i will not speculate as to why or how that may have happened. it would be tough for me to guess why that may have gone down. host: here is an e-mail. guest: my suspicion is the families of all of these men understand that they were deployed and were engaged in important operations. i would doubt that many of them know the specific details of the missions they were on. all of them are very supportive of these men. it is important to recognize that these warriors return home.

they become fathers and husbands. they need to come home and be welcomed by their families, who understand they have been involved in high-risk, intense operations overseas. host: is there a specific length of service that a seal has? guest: there are different contracts. most of the time it is a minimal active duty commitment of four years. people often serve longer than that. some of the best we have had served sometimes 30 years. they have a lot of wisdom and knowledge that they passed down to younger guys that go through the training. host: when a person transition's

back to civilian life, is their help? guest: there is a great community of fields that help others make the transition. many friends can give guidance along the way. france that can help them figure out how they can use their strength as the mission continues, i work with a team in st. louis, missouri. we are working with wounded and disabled veterans, not navy seals. they are from around the country. we work with them to help them to find -- to find new ways to continue their mission of service here at home. host: independent line. caller: thanks for your service.

your principles sound so spiritual, not religious. i will ask a probably stupid question. i am so fascinated by the work that you do. i sought a documentary about the navy seals. is it pretty accurate? but i know movies and tv, they try to replicate the kind of work you do with the trauma that is not real. is there something i can watch that is pretty accurate? i think the work you do is sell fastening. i am so proud of you. t make our country safe.

guest: there is a discovery channel documentary dawn of a class -- done of class 234 as they went through team training. that is a wonderful documentary to watch. if you wanted to read about the training, there is a book called "the warrior elite." then you can also read "the heart and the fast" -- fist" which is about my team training. host: our guess is officer eric greitens who served in asia and iraq. he is the ceo mission continues and is the author of the book

"the heart and the fist." who flew the helicopters? to the seals have helicopter pilots? guest: they work in special operations community which is called the joint special operations community. we worked very closely with special operations forces from other services. the best special operations pilots are actually army pilots. it was army pilots who played the fantastic role in the mission that went down last sunday. host: a couple of policy questions. from someone who served in afghanistan, are you concerned about the reports this morning about the death of the bin laden and what does this mean about military actions in afghanistan? guest: recognize it was a great

history -- a great victory, but it is not the end of the global war on terrorism. we can count on the special operations community and the entire military community to stay vigilant. we recognize that this may be a time when al qaeda wants to strike back. we must maintain our diligence and our vigilance and take the fight to them in afghanistan. host: so keep what is going on in the afghanistan going? guest: from a special operation standpoint, yes. we have put relentless pressure every single day on what is happening in the al qaeda network. given the intelligence we have gathered so far, when we exploit

that intelligence and we start to figure out and even a clearer picture of how they're working, then what we should absolutely do is use the special operations forces to continue to put pressure on the eal qaeda network. from an operation standpoint, we need to keep pushing forward. host: a briefing from the pentagon will take place on that intelligence. there were stories stemming from the narrative that came out of the operation and how it had changed over the first few days over how the specific facts are concerned. from your perspective as far as narrative's are concerned, were you concerned with the some of the changing nature of the story as it went from the beginning of the week to the end it? guest: 20 recognize in any military operation, emergency, catastrophe, are that the first reports will always been

inaccurate. i was surprised at the level of operational detail that they were giving out so quickly. the fact is it you always find out when people come off of the target and you are able to debrief them, you get a fuller picture of what is actually happening. usually it is most prudent to wait until you have the full picture before you release information. what we saw here is that now, finally, as the commanders have come off of the target and a solid interpretation of the facts. host: could you give your thoughts on the debates as far as the release of the folks of the death of osama bin laden? -- the photos of the death of bin laden? guest: i do not think they should. lot of people have not seen a photograph of what a human body looks like with multiple

gunshots to the head, the body, and it is particularly gruesome. if they were released, they would be everywhere, the newspaper, on the television, on the internet. it is not the kind of thing, i think, i would want young children to be exposed to. i did not think it is necessary. no, i would not release the photographs. host: no concern over an citing more furor from the islamist extremists? guest: at the same time, we cannot make arcturus is based on some interpretation of how violent terrorists are going to react. what is important is that we live by our values and hold true to those core values. really, i think we should keep the photograph just because of

the graphic nature. i do not think it is something that we need to expose people to. host: our guest mentioned dick couch. he will be featured on "q&a" this coming sunday on 8:00 p.m., a full hour of discussion about navy seal operations and things of that nature. that will be this coming sunday at 8:00 p.m. next call from west palm beach, fla., on the democratic line. caller: how're you doing today? i want to commend c-span for their independent journalism. i also want to put in a word for link tv. sir, you do something that is absolutely extraordinary. you served the country and you are trained in everything that you can do. you are proficient in all of them.

heu are the tip of te sword. the men that we have underneath us, being the president -- man. host: what is your question? we will move on. new york, john, on the republican line. caller: do you think the war against political assassinations that president bush signed will be repealed? will the navy seals be able to go into these countries and be able to take out leaders instead of starting these wars? guest: it would be hard for me to speculate with the people in congress would want to do around that. osama bin lawn was a terrorist leader.

-- osama bin laden was determined later and presented a very particular target. i am obviously incredibly pleased with the results. as for the changes in legislation based on that, that would be hard for me to say. host: officer greitens, could you expand on where field teams are deployed? guest: the teams are deployed internationally. they do not have any domestic law enforcement function. it is a force designed to be used outside of our borders. host: maryland, think for reading. the republican line. go ahead. caller: how are you, sir? i would like to enlighten and little bit about what you said about the original navy seals.

it was started before even world war ii. when we got into the seal fight, and there were two teams. team 1 was west coast. team 2 was the east coast. some of the original training to learn how to break into places, etc., they went to jail and a saw some of the first locksmiths and stuff trained us. then we were set up to northern california and washington and went through the marine captive unit to paris to go to vietnam -- prepare us to go to vietnam.

from there we went to s.a.s., the english commandoes, and they took us to wales. they have some of the toughest terrain you have ever seen. they would take is out there in the worst weather, the worst time, to climb these cliffs. they said, when the worst time comes, captor prisoners them. we also were scouts, as you know, and it would gather information. host: caller, thank you. guest: there has been a long tradition of innovative trading in underwater teams for the seals. a lot of our history and tactics we learned from the british, the british special air service to come in the early days. host: next call from las vegas

on the democratic line. are you there? caller: yes. good morning. i have a simple question. my question is one and i have always had the desire to be a navy seal. i came up against opposition. the first lesson we learn is to follow orders in their following orders from the commander in chief. correct? my next concern is in reference to who are you really representing? i appreciate your service, but the past administrations had navy seals available to them but they never utilized them. host: officer greitens? guest: navy seals have been in

use since january 1st, 1962, and been a part of every major conflict that we have had. they play a really important role. oftentimes it is a role we never hear about, and as it is important to keep in mind that this was a particularly dramatic mission that supplies last sunday night. we should be grateful to the seal community, and to all of our veterans, is that they are out there doing this incredibly difficult work every single day often with little recognition and many times people do not know the missions that they are on, the challenges they are up against, and when they take on on behalf of all of us. host: were restrained take place in the united states? -- where does training take place? guest: coronado, california. often sealed teams can actually

do training in many places oliver the world, but the basic training is in coronado, calif.. host: how long does it take? guest: basic training is six months. in order to actually become a navy seal, if you go straight through the training, which not everyone does, but it is usually about 18 months from the time that you begin until the would actually become officially a navy seal. host: tennessee, your next with our guest. good morning. caller: good morning to you. i have a question that i hope he will give some thought. do you think that keeping a standing army and navy of the warriors makes a nation safer or more likely to engage in war with all the attendant death and destruction? guest: a great question.

i think we are much safer when we have warriors who are ready to assert -- ready to serve the, committed to surf. we are much stronger in a stronger position. those warriors are very often the people most deeply understand the consequences and of the ones who would tell you that the greatest victory comes from when you actually do not have to go to war in the first place. in order for us to make it possible, you need warrior's ready to serve the country at a moment's notice and i am really glad that we still do. host: last call for our guest. new york on the democratic line. caller: good morning, c-span. the navy has the navy seals. the army has delta. is there any time that you two units work together on missions? if so, who is in command?

thank you. guest: i probably cannot actually speak to the specific units that you mentioned, but what i can say is that there is a real emphasis around joint special operations and we have a lot of wonderful special operations forces in the u.s. military. army rangers, army special forces, jumpers, navy seals, recall on, we do a lot to bring those forces together in a lot of creative ways. there is no set protocol, i would never say, that a navy officer would always be in charge of a unit, for example, it would be the senior officer of whenever service would be in charge of that particular mission. host: officer greitens, as far as we have talked about the navy seal program, what is the one thing that you wanted to mention about the program or its

operations that maybe we have not talked about our has not been mentioned this week? guest: i would emphasize that the most important point is that sometimes when we think of navy seals we just think of the physical courage, that strike, but it is important to recognize that what really makes a navy seal special is the combination of 'the heart and the fist." it is their perseverance, their willingness to be of service to others, their sacrifice, their own personal safety, their own personal comfort. that is what really makes a seal. it is the combination that what makes a seal special. host: officer greitens has served in afghanistan from asia, an

they have a saying in the military that professionals do it over and over until they cannot get it wrong. >> dick couch was a platoon leader during vietnam. he will discuss the life and training of navy seals. you can also download a podcast. it is one of our many signature programs available online. the pentagon held an off-camera briefing for reporters with more details about the killing of osama bin laden by u.s. forces. we're joined on the phone by one of the reporters in the room, the "washington times" national editor, bill gertz. what did you find out? >> new information and details

are coming out. the briefing was by a senior official who disclosed there was lots of new information about al qaeda. the citigroup has been damaged by the death of bin laden there remains a threat. my own take away from the briefing is that al qaeda is in its death throes. 20 of their leaders have been killed over the couple of years. now the top leader is dead. when al qaeda made the announcement, according to the official, they did not name a successor. there were some details in there about how the number two al qaeda leader is not popular with the group and appears not to be the person who will take over the leadership role. >> we are showing some of the home video footage taken from pakistan. what do they say about these home videos and the way they identified bin laden?

>> they say this is the largest intelligence take from a senior al qaeda leader since 9/11. there were five videos. the first was a video that was a message to america from bin laden. they show about a minute of video from that. they did not release the audience. the senior official said we do not want to be in the position of replacing propaganda. -- of replaying propaganda. they said it was time-worn themes of al qaeda and the typical message. there were two short videos showing outtakes of a prepared statement by bin laden. the most interesting one was bin laden himself watching a small television monitor with video footage of himself in a mountain place.

the video has been shown many times. what was unique is that bin laden's. was completely gray. in the videos they showed earlier, his beard had apparently been dyed black. in the video they showed, it was gray. they said when he was killed that his beard was gray. that is the kind of detail we were getting. >> he said they said this kind of marks the demise of al qaeda. what about plans for future attacks they might have found? >> the most immediate plan of attack was the one announced prematurely by the u.s. government just this week, that there was some plot to go after trains. that is raising a few suspicions. it is not a typical mass casualty attack. they talked about tipping over a

train. they're just the beginning point of exploiting the new intelligence. they created a task force that will be going over all of the minute details. one of the highest priorities will be to find out if there are any immediate attack plans. this is standard procedure in any kind of intelligence break through, what is the most immediate threat to the united states or other allied countries from the future al qaeda attack. >> will that help them learn how to prevent future attacks as well? >> i think the material will probably provide enough information that they will be able to forestall some attacks. there will be some discussion of targets and what types of things. one of the questions i asked the senior official was whether or

not they received any confirmation about concerns that al qaeda was seeking to develop and use weapons of mass destruction the official said that this is one thing they would be looking at closely to determine. >> while you are at the pentagon, it did they mention how the u.s. would deal with pakistan going forward? >> is a touchy subject, obviously. my sense is that the u.s. government is trying to maintain the half a loaf relationship they have with pakistan. there are benefits to that. they have allowed us to do it covert drones strike attacks against terrorists. some say we should cut off the $3.5 billion a year in aid to pakistan. that is the question. the official kind of danced around the question and gave a qualified answer that from the

material they obtained, there was no evidence that the pakistani government was aware of bin laden. when asked if there could be other elements in pakistan the support to bin laden, that was little less clear. the official referred to comments earlier this week from a senior administration official who said it clearly appeared that bin laden had to have some type of support network in pakistan to be able re and not beei detected. one of the big takeaways was that this compound and his hideout was a command central, a central command headquarters for al qaeda. u.s. officials recently said that al qaeda had diversified and a central al qaeda appeared

to be less important than many of the affiliate's in yemen and places like somalia. this briefing made it clear in the information they recently recovered that osama bin laden was an act of commander -- active commander for terrorist activities from this compound. >> we appreciate the information. >> thank you very much. >> vice president biden on thursday participated in a wreath-laying ceremony. he is joined by defense secretary robert gates. this is just under five minutes.

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>> on friday, president obama was at a transmission plant in indianapolis to hear about alternative energy technology being developed there. he talked about the impact on job creation in his weekly address. we will also hear the republican address by massachusetts senator scott brown. he commands the military and intelligence services on the killing of osama bin laden and

the counter-terrorism efforts that continued in afghanistan. >> i am speaking with you today from the allison transmission plant in indianapolis, indiana. this is a place where american workers are doing big and impressive things. the hybrid technology the manufacture here already powers nearly 4000 buses all over the world. those buses have already saved 15 million gallons of fuel. soon they will expand the new technology to trucks as well. that means more vehicles using less oil. that means more jobs. more than 200 new workers at the plant alone. that is important because even as the economy is growing after one of the worst recessions in our history, even as we have added more than 2 million private sector jobs over the past 14 months, i still meet and hear from americans struggling to get out of their own personal recessions. a lot of folks out there are

still looking for work. many folks who do have jobs are finding that their paychecks are not keeping up with the rising cost of everything from tuition to gas prices. in a lot of places across the country like here in indiana, gas has reached an all-time high. although our economy has not been the focus of the news this week, not a day goes by that i am not focused on your jobs, hopes, and dreams. that is why i came here. the clean energy jobs at this plant are the jobs of the future. they pay well right here in america. in the years ahead, is clean energy companies like this one that will keep our economy growing, create new jobs, and make sure that america remains the most prosperous nation in the world. alliso transmissionn is also part of the ultimate solution to high gas prices. we know there are no quick fixes. in the short term, we're doing everything we can to boost safe

and responsible oil production here at home. last year, american oil production reached the highest level since 2003. over the long term, the only way we can avoid being held hostage to the ups and downs of oil prices is if we reduce our dependence on oil. that means investing in clean, alternative sources of energy like advanced biofuels and natural gas. that means making cars and trucks and buses that use less oil. other countries know this. they are going all into it invest in clean energy technology and jobs. i do not want other countries to win the competition for these technologies and jobs. i want america to win that competition. i want america to win the future. i know in a tough fiscal climate, it is tempting for some to try and cut back on our investments in clean energy. i absolutely agree the only way we will be able to afford the things we need is by cutting the things we do not. we have to live within our

means. i refuse to cut investments like clean energy that will help us to out-compete with the rest of the world. i refuse to cut investments that making it possible for flans -- plants like this to grow and add jobs across america. we can do this. i do not to believe that because i see it happening in plants like this. i believe it because i hbelieve in the americans making it happen in places like this. i am optimistic about our future. america is still home to the most on to real, industrious, and determined people on earth. there is nothing we can accomplish when we set our minds to it. that is what we -- there is nothing we cannot accomplish when we set our minds to it. thank you have a great weekend. >> i have the honor of representing massachusetts in the united states senate. last sunday night, we heard president obama deliver the message that americans have been waiting for since september 11,

2001. it is a very rare thing when so many people across the world observe the loss of life was something other than regret. this man, the late osama bin laden, had chosen his fate long before in a life filled with cruelty. if he expected mercy when our forces found him, that was asking much more than he was ever known to give. this was a man who rejoiced in the suffering and death of others. he set in motion all the horror and grief of 9/11 and considered it just a start. he was a teacher of evil. for him, the lesson is over. none of this can compensate for the murder of his victims nor will ease the sorrow of those who still mourn. but it sure counts for something. it is always a victory when justice has the final word his killing was the result of

coordinated efforts going back many years. it was the dramatic conclusion of intelligence gathering begun long before. it was the work of a military second to none. the operation was a model of sustained, concentrated military action. the example will not be lost on other terrorists. any escape they make will be temporary. any sanctuary they find will be uncovered. those who harm or threaten the american people will be dealt with on our terms, however long it takes. this was the pledge of president george w. bush in the days after 9/11. he kept it in seven years of relentless, decisive action against the al qaeda network. in the case of bin laden, it was up to president obama to give the final order. he did that calmly and decisively. it was a fine moment for our commander in chief and for our country. above all, this past week has above all, this past week has reminded us of the skill