that got 140 miles an hour. guest: i have not heard of that and i am sure ray lahood, a secretary of the treasury, would want to know about it is cool. will's no way this country escape paying for the roads some out there the question is, will pay, who is going to pay, and what is the right level of spending? you can argue that the right way to spend is to build the highest-technology roads possible and as car companies to build their cars that would have not much wear and tear on the roads. that's difficult to get through congress. host: fawn johnson with national journal, public transportation and other issues. banks for your time. happy memorial day. the president of the united states will make an announcement concerning his choice for the joint chiefs of staff, that's nomination of general martin dempsey. you can see that live.

that is scheduled to start at about 10:00 at this morning. and the washington post has photographs of the u.s. soldiers lost in iraq and afghanistan. we leave you with those. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011]

[bell tolling] >> as we just heard, started shortly here on c-span, president of obama women army chief of staff general martin dempsey as his new chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. confirmed comedy will replace admiral mike mullen whose second and final term and this fall. we'll take you live to the white house rose garden shortly. until then, let's take a look at u.s. efforts to train the afghan army and police forces from this morning's "washington journal." we will show you as much of this as we can. an update on operations in afghanistan. joining us is major-general

james mallory, with the nato aining mission. he is the afghan deputy commanding general for the army. first off, there are reports in the united states talking about two and attempted suicide bombings in afgnistan, some dealing with the work of security forces. can you give us an update? guest: well, every day here we face the threat of suicide bombings because it is essentially the last strategy that the taliban has. they have failed in their attempts to take territory, havingeen ejected from considerable amounts of territory that they traditionally controlled. they have not been able to mount any kind of conventional force attacks, to retake those territories, so they are resorting to those actions to

get as big a bang for the buck as they can, to strike some terror into the hearts of people. host: as far as the afghan security forces are concerned, how prepared are they as of today to withstand these attacks and fight against the taliban? guest: well, the afghan national security forces are now a robust force, both of the police and the army. they have a very deep bench. they can absorb losses and continued to march in terms of defending the soveignty, integrity of this country. host: as far as the taliban is concerned, have a managed to infiltrate members of the security force? one story said one of the bombers was wearing a police uniform. guest: there have been very few

instances of actual taliban infiltration. that is a deliberate process of putting agents in place. most of the time, it is an impersonation of an officer or an afghan soldier, and they try to obtain access to a base and attack a very soft targets such as a hospital or a bank. as you said, they are trying to simply sow some terror, and that is the only option it appears they have left at this time. host: as far as training is concerned, how much has been invested in the afghan security forces, and can they stand on their own? guest: the afghan security forces, in late 2009, stood at about 200,000. our forces, as you know, surged

>> we will ticket to the white house where president obama is announcing changes to the department of defense. this is live coverage. >> in a few moments, will join members of our armed forces, their families and veterans for the memorial day observance at arlington. there and across our nation, we will pause to honor those who have given their last measure of devotion in defense of our country. theirs was the ultimate sacrifice but it is one that every man and woman who wears america's uniform is prepared to make. so that we can live free. the men and women of our armed forces are the best our nation has to offer and they deserve nothing but the absolute best in return. that includes leaders who will guide them and support their

families with wisdom and strength and compassion. that is what i expect as commander in chief as we work to keep our nation secure and our military the finest in the world. i found those qualities in leon panetta who i announced last month was my choice to succeed r. and standing secretary of defense bob gates who i thank for joining us today. i found these qualities and the leaders who will complete our team at the pentagon and whom i am proud to announce today. general martin dempsey as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. admiral james woodifeld as the vice chairman and to succeed general dempsey, general ray odierno. since taking office, i have been very grateful for the leadership

of the current chairman, admiral mike ramallah, and the vice chair, general jim 'hoss' cartwright. they have served our nation with distinction for decades. today i will simply say that like president bush before me, i have deeply valued the professional status of mike mullen and his integrity. on his watch, our military forces have excelled across the spectrum of nations, from combat in iraq and afghanistan to relief efforts after the haiti earthquake. he has helped revitalize nato, reset our relations with russia, and steered our relationship with pakistan and china. i believe history will also record mike mullen as the chairman who said what he believed was right when he declared that no one in uniform should ever have to sacrifice their integrity to serve their country. i have also benefited enormously from the advice and counsel of hoss cartwright.

he is that rare combination of technical expert from cyber to missile defense and strategic thinking. whether it was updating our nuclear posture or preparing our military for 21st century missions. i will always be person a graceful to hoss for his friendship and partnership. as he concludes four decades of service and the marine corps, he could do so that he knows our country is secure and the military is stronger because of his remarkable career. i know that michelle joins me in saluting deborah mollen and sandy cartwright. with the advice and consent of the senate, it is our hope and expectation that leon panetta will soon take the reins as secretary of defense. general karzai's term ends this summer and admiral mullen's term ends this fall. i am announcing the successors

today because it is essential this transition bc must and we stay focused on the verge of national security challenges before us. i want to thank the secretary of defense, defenselind during this transition period in it -- with nearly 40 years in uniform, martin dempsey is one of our nation's most respected and combat-tested generals. in iraq, the letter soldiers against a brutal insurgency. having trained iraqi forces, he knows the nation's must ultimately take responsibility for their own security. having served as acting commander of central command, he understands that in iraq and afghanistan, political progress and secure the games go hand in hand. just as he challenged the army to embrace new doctrine and tactics, i expect him to put all our forces to continue adapting and innovating and ready for the missions of today and tomorrow. i was proud to nominate marty as army chief of staff and i

realized he only assume that position last month. marty, your tenure as chief may be the shortest and army history. it is your lifetime of accomplishment that brings us here today and i thank you for your willingness to take on this new assignment along with your wife and her three children, all of whom have served in the army. today i want everyone of our men and women in uniform to hear the words of that you spoke to your soldiers under first day as chief. it is are shared message to all research, especially our troops in harm's way. "we will provide whatever it takes to achieve our objectives in the current fight." as vice chairman, admiral sandy winnifeld will draw on over 30 years of experience. his character striker play

critical role in air strikes over iraq. having served as a commander, he is well aware allies. having served on the joint staff, he is known and trusted here at the white house. most recently as head of northern command, he has been responsible for the defense of our homeland and support to states and communities in times of crisis such as the recent tornadoes and floods along the mississippi. he supported our mexican partners in their fight against the cartels and their japanese allies in response to their nuclear emergency. sandy knows we have to be prepared for the full range of challenges. i thank you, sandy, ander wife mary and her two sons for your continued service. i have selected general dempsey and admiral winnifeld because of their record in potential and individuals but i have also selected because they will make an extraordinary team despite their competing loyalties to army and navy. between them, they bring deep experience in virtually every

demesne, land, air, space, see, cyber. both of them have the respect and trust of our trip to the front lines, our friends in congress, and allies as partners abroad. both of them have my full confidence. they both have something else -- for the first time, the chairman and vice-chairman will have the experience of leading combat operations in the years since 9/11. two mullins in particular speak to this leadership -- on the morning of september 11, 2001, the enterprise was returning home from the persian gulf when word came of the attacks. rather than wait for orders, sandy took the initiative, reversed course and put his ship and aircraft within range of afghanistan by the next morning. that set the stage for the strikes that followed. a few years later, as marty's of first armored division was rotating out of iraq, he got new orders. he turned the division around,

checked into new parts of iraq and defeated and insurgent uprising. it was a remarkable maneuver that has entered the annals of military history. well folks across the army are proud to see one of their own selected as chairman, i also know this means losing the new cheapen a time of war. for the next army chief of staff, i am nominating one of the army's most accomplished soldiers, and one of the tallest, general ray odierno. in three pivotal vote deployments to wreck, he commanded the troops that captured saddam hussein, partnered with general petraeus to bring down the violence, and then transferred responsibility to iraqi forces allowing us to remove some 100,000 american troops and and air combat mission. after years on the front lines, ray understand with the army must do to prevail in today's wars and prepare for the future and to preserve the readiness of the soldiers and families who

are the strength of america's families. we are fortunate that ray's dedication to our soldiers is shared by his wife linda and their families, including their son tony, a, a veteran an advocate for his fellow wounded warriors. i urge our friends in the senate to confirm these outstanding individuals as swiftly as possible. they are innovative, flexible, focused on the future, and deeply devoted to our troops and their families. general dempsey, admiral winnifeld, we have much to do from bringing our troops home from iraq to reducing our forces in afghanistan and transitioning to the afghan leader. from the feeding of credit to protecting the libyan people, all this even as we make difficult budget decisions while keeping our military the finest fighting force in the world. above all as commander-in-chief, i will be looking to you and the rest of the joint chiefs for what i value most in my

advisers, you're honest, unvarnished advice and a full range of options especially when it comes to our most solemn obligation, protecting the lives of our brave men and women in uniform. we have no greater responsibility as we are reminded today when we honor all those who sacrificed so that we can enjoy the blessings of freedom. again, to marty, sandy, and ray and your families, thank you for your patriotic service and your readiness to lead once again. thank you very much, everybody. [no audio] >> army general martin dempsey chosen to be the next chief of staff admiral sandy winnifeld as

head of the northern command nominated as the vice-chairman and both will face confirmation by congress. in 45 months, we will hear again from the president as he has to arlington -- in 45 minutes -- in 30 minutes, we'll hear again from the president as he lays a wreath at the tomb of the unknowns in arlington. he will go to the nearby amphitheater in arlington where he will deliver his annual memorial day address for you can watch his comments live this morning at about 10:50 eastern. all this memorial day weekend, we're showing commencement addresses did this afternoon, several more starting with actor denzel washington at 3:00 p.m. eastern and an actor and diabetes research advocate john ratzinberger, followed by a supreme court justice sonia sotomayor at the university of south cockrel line in columbia. commencement addresses this afternoon starting at 3:00 eastern on c-span. before president obama's remarks

at arlington, let's take a look at a discussion on the current role of u.s. forces in iraq and the progress of the iraqi military and security forces. this is from this morning's "washington journal." "washington journal" continues. host: joining us from baghdad, major-general jaffe -- jeffrey buchanan with the strategic aspects director. thank you for joining us. first, can you give us the scope of what troops in iraq are doing current day? guest: thank you for having me on the program, pedro. we have about 46,000 troops -- soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coastguard, as well as other government civilians that are serving in iraq. under operation new dawn, we performed three tasks on the military side for stability operations, which is our focus.

our first task is to advise, train, as is, and equipped the iraqi security forces. our second task is to conduct counterterrorism operations. and the third task is to support and protect the civilian workers that come from the embassy as they work in the civil capacity throughout the country. host:, to start with, as far as the security forces your training, are they ready to go on their own? guest: pedro, iraqi security forces have had the lead for internal security throughout the country since last summer. the total now is 650,000 troops, a little over 400,000 in the ministry of interior forces, which includes the police, the federal police and border enforcement troops. and about 250,000 and counterterrorism forces and ministry of defense forces, which includes the army, navy,

and the air force. so, they have had the lead for security. they have been doing an incredible job. the level of violence is a fairly steady at has been down -- it is down to less than 10% of what it was, say, in 2007. this does not mean they did not have room for growth, that they did not need additional help, and we are determined to give them the help we can as long as we are here. host: specifically what kind of help do they need? guest: i will give you a couple of examples. and some of these related to both internal security but some also relate to the external defense requirements. that is where they probably need of the most development. first of all, the iraqi security forces have had the fastest growing security forces of military in the world over the last years. additionally, they have had the highest of what we call the op-

tempo, the number of troops actually deploy. they have built a very good counter insurgency force -- in my opinion, the best in the entire region. but they do have some gaps they need help with. three in particular our intelligence, sustainment -- or the ability to maintain the equipment they have and perform logistical functions -- and then the last one relates more to the external defense requirements, but it is about the ability to integrate all of the effects of combined arms. infantry, armor, artillery, aviation, air force aircraft -- bringing them all together on the point on the battlefield. something they may have to do for external the fence but what they have not had to do for the insurgency. host: the major-general joining us and so 8:30 to talk about iraq. if you want to ask questions, here are the numbers --

we have set aside a special line for iraq vets -- because of the delay involved in talking with the major general, when you are told to ask your question a statement, go ahead and do that. it will keep the conversation flowing. once again in the queue, go ahead and make your statements and comments when you have a chance and then we would get the general to respond. major general, as far as the counter-terrorism efforts, what happens at the end of the year in terms of current forces in iraq and the current counter- terrorism efforts that are going on? guest: our two countries signed a bilateral century agreement in 2008, and that agreement

established conditions for the u.s. forces to continue to operate in iraq through 2009, 2010, and 11. we lived up to every single acquirement under our bilateral security agreement. but one of the arctic -- articles, one of the requirements, includes the mandate that u.s. forces transition completely to a civilian-led authority by the end of 2011. we are on track to do that completely. but this does not mean, however, that the united states is not going to live a very strong relationship with iraq. much of our relationship will be governed by the civilian relationship led by ambassador jim jeffries and his team. things like police professionalism asian, that has been a military responsibility since 2003, is now shifting to a responsibility under the embassy and the bureau for international narcotics and law enforcement. on the military side, we intend to maintain a very strong military.

the military relationship three things like joint training exercises, as well as maintenance of -- educational exchanges, and those sorts of things. host: what is the chance that the mission as far as military would be extended? guest: well, it has been communicated a number of times to the leadership of the government of iraq and they are just now taking on this very serious debate. as the iraqi people and the leadership of the iraqi government determines specifically where do they need help and what do they want to ask us for, the military leaders are coming forward with what you might call a readiness assessment. they are establishing the capabilities and limitations of their forces and helping provide that to civilian leaders of the country, who will then take a look at strengths and weaknesses, compare them to what they see as current or future

threats, and then make decisions on where they are vulnerable and how they might mitigate the risks that they see. if in going through the process that they decide they want to continue help from the u.s. military, they continue to ask. our government, as communicated by a number of our leaders, would seriously consider any request that the iraqi government makes. to my knowledge, they have not yet made such a request. host: that it remains stable -- guest: i really cannot speculate. it depends on all sorts of things. stability is more than just the provision of security. that absence of violence does not necessarily mean stability.

all sorts of things related, including economic development and capacity. the nature of ethnic and religious conflict, whether or not they are able to answer and maintain a strong dialogue to work out their differences, to ensure that all parts of the government are connected, from the national level down to the provincial and local level. but as far as the security goes, i think the iraqi security forces have made tremendous gains. they are on the right track. i still have room for improvement. we are determined to help them as much as we possibly can. and i feel very good about where they are headed. i think if we maintain a strong partnership, whether u.s. forces are here or not, then we will be able to help them well into the future. host: phone calls are lined up for you, general, so we will start. and those who are calling, once you're told to do so, go ahead with your question of common and leave it at -- at that of the

general can respond. texas, republican line. go ahead. caller: good morning, everyone. may i please say to our guest this morning, thank you, sir, for your service to our country. it is memorial day and all of us out here are mindful of all of the blood and treasure we have spent to preserve our great country. which makes me often confused as i find it supremely ironic that, in spite of the sacrifice we have made to preserve our great country, our politicians are busy surrendering our national sovereignty to mexico. host: next call is from -- go ahead, sir. guest: could i say something?

first of all, i want to comment on what then said, being that it is memorial day. it is very important for us in iraq and overseas to all remember the tremendous sacrifices of all our servicemen and women over the years who have given us all the opportunities that we really enjoy. as a service member who served a number of tours in iraq, i have lost a lot of good friends, both iraqi and american. but i do have to say that i do not think any of those sacrifices have been in vain. we have made a tremendous difference for people, we have made a tremendous difference for our country. i am not exactly sure how it is going to turn out. history will judge that. but we have given them a very powerful opportunity for the future, and so i'm hopeful that it will work out the way it absolutely should. host: waterloo, nebraska.

jeffrey, go ahead. caller: thank you so much for the opportunity, and i will be brief. general, i was in the 82nd airborne division in 2004. we had them locked down tight for their elections and then we moved into solder city. -- into sadr city. good luck to you and your men in the airborne, sir. guest: thanks, jeffrey. i served with the 82nd but it was quite a while ago, 1983- 1985. a great outfit with a tremendous history, and you are part of that history. the one thing i would like to say is sometimes we forget the changes over the years. you would not recognize baghdad, you would not recognize the green zone or the international zone. one thing you would not recognize about it is the iraqi

security forces are firmly in the league. they have complete responsibility for security of the green zone, as they do for sadr city. so what you need to know, though, is you helped plant the seeds for the success we are enjoying today. your sacrifices over the years have added up and have really made the difference. host: louisville, kentucky, democrats line. caller: first of all, major, i would like to thank you and all the servicemen who have sacrificed for our country. the next thing i would like to say -- approximately how long did it take for us to really trained some of the people over there, you know, in afghanistan and iraq? next thing, i want everybody to remember, when our servicemen

come home, they come first. no matter what we do, we are going to have to give everything -- all americans -- we cannot forget what they have done, and we need to give them every -- i do not care what it is, volunteer work, whatever -- just go talk to them. babysit, do everything. just do not pretend like they are back and we are going to celebrate that they are back. host: go-ahead, major general. guest: thanks, jenny. i think it was jenny from louisville. i appreciate your support. i cannot tell you what it means, what sort of feeling of pride you have when you're in the military and you walk through an airport and people come up and pat you on the back. it's tremendously powerful. but do not forget our families either. our families sacrifice every bit

as much as we do, and their sacrifices over the years have really enabled us to get the job done. i took it for granted. i am now in my fourth tour in iraq. i took for granted all along until i had a son deployed to iraq, and he is now in afghanistan. just to see what families go through, it makes an incredible difference. you asked how long it takes to train the iraqi troops. i cannot speak for afghanistan, but as far as the iraqis go, giving them the basic knowledge required to fight an insurgency , the blocking and tackling, that can be done in a relatively short amount of time. we started this effort with the new iraqi army in the summer of 2003. i think the more important aspect is the professional

ization in both the officer corps and the noncommissioned officer court that takes years to develop the kind of leadership that we think that the iraqi soldiers, basic iraqi soldiers deserve. when they look at our military, what sets us apart from most of the other militaries in the world is the tremendous professionalism of our non- commissioned officer corps. they see what our sergeants do when they're given the freedom to make decisions. they get what we call commander 's intent or commission orders. they typically are not told exactly how to do it and they are the free -- they are free to do what they need to do to get it done. the iraqis see that, they want that sort of relationship, but it takes years and years of development for their leadership. host: general, jim hines from

twitter asks for what he calls a frank assessment on troop morale. guest: our troop morale is very high. i think i mentioned the numbers. we have had a little bit less than 50,000 troops here since the change from operation iraqi freedom to new dawn. we have a lot of work to do. because we have a lot of work to do, our men and women are very busy. when they are busy and they can actually see the benefit of their labor, they see the difference made in a unit. they see the difference made when they are even delivering logistical supplies or protecting our own forces. that reinforces their sense of value and all of the contributions that they make. i mentioned a little bit earlier that we all enjoy tremendous support from everybody back home.

on a holiday, you get christmas packages, labeled "to any soldier." regardless of what people thought about whether or not we should be involved in iraq, the men and women of the united states have supported us all along the way, and that has led to an maintained a very high sense of morale. host: on our line from lancaster, california. go ahead. caller: good morning, general. i was calling with a question for the man in power for iraq. i have not been deployed in a while. i'm trying to see if we are where the u.s. wants it. what advice do you have four servicemen looking to deploy in a zone such as iraq?

guest: well, one thing that has changed over the last eight years is that our military has looked increasingly at both the national guard and reserve as an operational reserve rather than a strategic reserve. in other words, in order to enable all the active forces to operate, we have to work together on one team with our brothers and sisters. it is required for us to be able to conduct operations, but at the same time, that ensures a higher manning level, a higher equipping rate with modernized equipment for our reserve forces. what i would say is there is plenty of opportunity to deploy if that in fact is what you're looking for. the need, whether it is here in iraq or in afghanistan, or in other environments to include those that are supporting

humanitarian assistant missions throughout the world, even for example in africa. the need is out there. stick with it. i want to thank you for your service. i know that service as a reservist can often be hard, but your contributions are very much appreciated. host: is army personnel involved in rebuilding structures that are deployed? guest: we have been rebuilding structures that have been deployed -- that have been destroyed dating back to 1991. as well as those that have been destroyed by the terrorists. but we also think even more importantly are helping provide a more resilient said of infrastructure throughout the country. this goes from medical clinics to the agricultural industry. dams, bridges, electrical

systems, the u.s. army corps of engineers has been involved in every step of the way. the military has been involved. usaid, a number of different organizations under the in the district of the administration have been involved. host: sarasota, florida, is next. a call for major general jeffrey buchanan. go ahead. caller: hi, general. my wife and i testified in front of congress on behalf of the military people. i served in the marine corps the 1960's. you can google our name. it is carl and mary sheldon, s- h-e-l-d-e-n, but you have to

spell the entire name out. when we testified on from of cut -- in front of congress on the behalf of the american people and the united states, we testified against civil asset forfeiture. there is a large difference of us that have served in the services to what the politicians do in this country. we moved to sarasota, florida, from san francisco after we testified. we have had three attempted murders on our lives here they found out about who we are through our sun's divorce. his wife ran her mouth off about our suit against the government and we are out about $600,000. my question to the general is why is there such a vast difference of us still being up

for the constitution and being treated very differently under the civil asset forfeiture law. guest: thank you, carl. general? guest: you know, i do not have much expertise in this area, but i thank you for your service. you're welcome to stand up for what you think is right. if i could just for a second, i want to talk about something that we have seen here over the years with respect to democracy. this is an important thing for all of us to learn from. i think as a typical american, i have taken over the years the responsibilities that democracy brings as well as the rights -- i have had a tendency overtime

to take it for granted. but when you see it start from ground zero like we have in iraq over the years and you start understanding things like democracy is a heck of a lot more than just being able to vote for somebody, but it brings with it a sense that the people are really responsible for the government, and the government is accountable to the people, i think that is very powerful. i think the iraqi government is learning that over time, and they have learned from watching their other neighbors throughout the region in what might be called the arab spring. what they're learning as they are dealing with protesters, how do they listen to the people, how do they understand that they have a right and a responsibility to speak up, and how does the government ensure that it is in fact accountable to the people? host: louisville, kentucky, on our independent line, is next. caller: yes, sir. i would like to ask two questions. one, what are we doing to win

the hearts and minds of the afghan and iraqi people? >> we go to arlington national cemetery where we will be hearing from president obama during the annual wreath laying ceremony at the tomb of the unknowns. you're watching live on c-span. ♪ [amazing grace]

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[no audio] >> as we watch here at the tomb of the unknowns, it is a warm day in washington, d.c. and you saw the crowd with their fans and is expected to hit 95 degrees today. the tomb of the unknowns at arlington national cemetery stands on top of a hill overlooking washington. is one of the most popular size of the summer -- cemetery and it opened in 1932. it is made from marble quarried in colorado, weighs 72 tons, and cost $45,000 back in 1932. it was originally named the tomb of the unknown soldier but later other unidentified soldiers were buried here.

the soldiers and to hear from the first and second world wars and the korean war. there was a vietnam war soldier entombed here under president reagan but he was disinterred and identified and that soldier was taken home to st. louis and buried at his family's home. after that, the vietnam war crept it was decided would remain empty. you can see the soldiers in full uniform, very warm here on washington, d.c. day and there is a perpetual guard here that walks back and forth in front of the tomb. they have done that since july 2, 1937. those are army servicemen. you're watching live coverage here on c-span. [no audio] [gun salute]

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[no audio] [sound of rifles cocking] [sound of cameras clicking] [no audio] >> how president obama has arrived and is being greeted. the secretary of defense and admiral michael mullen, chairman

of the gene -- joint chiefs of staff, and patrick halladay, supervisor of the cemetery, and major general commanding general of united states army military district of washington. [no audio] [no audio]

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>> we are here at arlington national cemetery where president obama will be joined by defense secretary robert gates as he lays a wreath have the tomb of the unknowns. he will then go over to the amphitheater at the cemetery and make the annual memorial day speech. we'll bring you live coverage of the president as he makes the rounds to a number of important morel's on this day, the world or tomorrow, the villa -- the vietnam wall, and the korean war memorial. there are even more visitors as -- then usual.

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>> we made our way from the tomb of the unknowns to the amphitheater here at arlington national cemetery. the president laying the wreath, the standing with the commander of the u.s. joined forces, and u.s. secretary robert gates behind him. this is a place that has hosted a state funerals and memorial day and at veteran's day ceremonies, as well as easter celebrations. about 5000 people attended these

ceremonies each year. the at the theater is built mainly from marble that comes from vermont. congress authorized the amphitheater to be built in 1913. woodrow wilson a laid the cornerstone in 1915. the cornerstone had some items in including a bible and a copy of the constitution. the amphitheater was finally finished in 1921. it seeks about 1500 people. -- seats about 1500 people.

[applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing for the interaction of the prese --

introduction of the president and the invocation. [unintelligible] admiral michael mullen, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. the hon. robert m. gates, secretary of defense. ladies and gentlemen, the president of the united states. [applause]

ladies and gentlemen. >> please join me for the invocation -- [inaudible] you make yourself known to us three wondro through -- your wondrous works and creations. from our earliest beginnings, you have guided us in times of adversity and prosperity, through a periods of war and peace. among all the nations of the earth, america has been richly blessed in extraordinary ways.

we turned it to you today to remember with honor and respect our fellow citizens who have fought in wars as members of our armed forces could many of these a gallon americans died before our enemy's -- gallant americans die before our enemy's guns in the third of their youth. many of these patriots are long dead. time will never dim the glory of their deeds nor the sting of their loss. we remember them and honor their sacrifice. enable us to fully embrace the legacy of valor, duty, and sacrifice of these quiet heroes, american heroes who caused our flag to fly high and with honor, and allow us to take up the light of liberty that they have given also that our watch

may remain undimmed. it is for this we pray, amen. >> please join in the united states marine band in the singing of our national anthem. see o say can you by the dawn's early light what so proudly we hailed at teh twiligh -- the twilight's last gleaming whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight over the ramparts we watch or so gallantly streaming and the rockets' red glare at the bombs bursting in air gave birth through the night

that our flag was still there o say does that star spangled banner yet wave for the land of the free and the home of the brave ♪ [applause] >> please specibe seated. ladies and gentlemen, admiral mullen. >> mr. president, secretary gates, secretary shinseki, members of congress, distinguished guests, veterans,

fellow americans, and most especially, families of our fallen warriors, welcome. if it is true that the nation defines itself by those it honors, then on this day and in this place, let it be known that america is still the finds itself -- defines itself as the most noble of the nation's. we have been represented and we have been defended and we have been made free not solely by the mere strength of our ideals, but the courage of young men and women who have been willing to die to preserve those ideals. soldiers in battle will tell you, and they will mean it, that they fight primarily for each other, that they are driven forward under fire by an earnest desire not to let each other down. but they would not have been placed in that and have not

been so ready to sacrifice themselves were it not for a deep love of country, fondness for home, and a heart beating with ardor for the lives and livelihoods of their loved ones. that is, i believe, how they would most like to be remembered, those who have fallen and are missing, not for the lives of the lost, but for the ones they lived, the ones they protected, the once they saved. their legacy is not in the death. it is ultimately not in their sacrifice. it is in the sunrises and sunsets, the birthdays and holidays, the first dates and the firstborns, all the cherished moments they have made possible for the families they left behind, and for the thousands of their brothers and

sisters in arms still out there, on a point and on patrol. their legacy is in the hopes we yet harbor, the dreams we get share, the laughter and tears, the fear, the joy and love, all the things that make us human, all the things that make us alive. these are their gifts to us. life is their legacy. let us lift it to the top. let us mourn at, yes, they're passing, but let us also promise ourselves to do that which we can every day starting today to prove worthy of what our fallen have given us at so great a cost. let us look after their children, let us and bind up the wounds of their comrades, let us remember that the best of what america represents to the world lies here in these and other

hollow places -- hallowed places, but the best of who we are as americans live in our own hearts and actions brought what we do to honor those who have rendered this last full measure of devotion. today we must solemnly remember. tomorrow, we must generously live. those brave who sleep here ask for nothing more than we who survived them to demand of ourselves nothing less. god bless our fallen, the missing, and their families, and god bless america. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, this and now to the staff sergeant of the united states marine band performs "america the beautiful."

♪ >> ♪ oh beautiful for spacious skies for amber waves of grain for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain america, america on thee his grace and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea ♪

♪ oh beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond thy years thine alabaster cities gleam undimmed by tears america, america theehed his gracve on and crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea ♪

[applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, secretary of defense andgates. [applause] >> mr. president, and veterans, active service members, families, welcome. for many americans, memorial day is a welcome respite from work, an extra day to spend at the beach or finish errands. we must never forget that it is foremost an occasion to reflect, to remember, and to honor the brave men and women who have fought and died for us. each year we set aside a single

day to reflect on the service of our armed forces and generations past and present. a day where we must also honor the sacrifices of a military family members, who in recent years have borne the brunt of it repeated deployments, long pargings -- partings, and the fear of receiving the knock on the door with the worst of all possible news. i urge all americans to remember that just as each and every day troops faithfully serve their mission to protect us, so each and every day they deserve our recognition, our respect, and our conscious gratitude. every soldier, sailor, airman, marine and coast guard wearing the uniform today and enlisted or re-enlisted, knowing they would serve at at time of war -- as eucidydes put it, the

best are the ones who know what danger is before them, and yet and go out to meet it. i know this will be my the final opportunity to stand and speak at this place and paid tribute to the fallen. it is up to us to be worthy of their sacrifice in the decisions we make, the priorities we said, the support we provide the troops, and veterans, and their families. for the rest of my life, i will keep these brave patriots and their loved ones in my heart and my prayers. as i know does their commander in chief, who has so steadfastly serve those bearing the brunt of the fight. i have had under a severe with president obama the past five years -- had the honor of serving with president obama the past five years. he has never shrunk from the tough decisions, the heavy burdens, and its responsibilities of command --

the true responsibilities of command. is my privilege and my honor to introduce the president of the united states. [applause] >> thank you. thank you so much. please be seated. thank you, secretary gates, and thank you for your extraordinary service to our nation. i think that bob gates will go down as one of our finest secretaries of defense in our history, and it has been an honor to serve with him. i also want to say -- [applause] i also want to say a word about admiral mullen.

on a day when we are announcing his successor as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, and as he looks forward to it will deserve retirement later this year -- a well-deserved retirement later this year. admiral mullen, on behalf of all americans, we want to thank you for your four decades of service to this great country. [applause] we want to thank deborah mullen as well for her extraordinary service, major general kyl course, the commanding general of our military district of washington, nancy horst, the superintendent of arlington national cemetery, as well as

his lovely wife, doree and to the chaplain. thank you for your extraordinary service. [applause] it is a great privilege to return here to our national sanctuary, this most hallowed ground, to commemorate memorial day with all of you. americans have come to pay their respects. with members of our military and their families. with veterans whose service we will never forget and we will always honor. with families whose loved ones rest all around as an eternal peace -- us in an eternal peace. to those of you who mourn the loss of a loved one today, my heart goes out to you.

i love my daughter is more than anything in the world. i cannot imagine using them. i cannot imagine this in a sister or brother or parent at war -- losing a sister or brother or parent at war. the grace so many you can read in art's is agreed i cannot fully now -- grief so many you carry in your hearts is a grief i cannot fully know. this day is all about you, and it is a day that has meaning for all americans, including mae. it is one of my highest honors, my most solemn responsibility as president, to serve as commander in chief of one of the finest fighting forces the world has ever known. [applause] and it is a responsibility to carry the special weight on this day.

it carries a special weight each time i meet with our goldstar families and i see the pride in their eyes, but also the tears of pain that will never fully go away. each time i sit down i at my desk and signed a condolence letter to the family of a fallen, sometimes the family will write me back and tell me about their daughter or son that they have lost, or a friend will write me a letter about what they're battle buddy meant to them. i received one such letter from an army veteran after i visited arlington a couple of years ago. paul saw is a photograph of me walking through section 60, where the heroes who fell in iraq and afghanistan lay. the headstone marked the final

resting place of a staff sergeant, joe, who he told me was a friend of his, one of the best man he had ever known, who was always there to lend a hand come from being a volunteer coach to helping to build a playground. it was a moving the letter, and paul closed it with a few words about the hallowed cemetery where we are gathered today. "the venerable warriors assembled their 4knew full well the risks of military service and it felt pride in defending our democracy. the true lesson of arlington is that each headstone is that of a patriot. each headstone shares a story. thank you for letting me share with you this story about my friend joe."

the staff sergeant was a patriot, like all the venerable warriors who lay here and across this country and around the globe. each of them at honor to what it means to be a soldier, sailor, airman, marine, and coastguardsman. each of them a link in an unbroken chain that stretches back to the earliest days of our republic. on this day, we memorialize them all. we memorialize our first patriots, blacksmiths and farmers, slaves and free men, who never knew the independence they won with their lives. we memorialize the armies of men and women disguised as men, black and white, who fell in apple orchards and corn fields in a war that saved our union.

we memorialize those who gave their lives on the battlefield of our times, from normandy to manila, inchon, baghdad, helmand, jungles, does its, city streets around the world -- deserts, city streets around the world. what bonds this chain together across generations is the chain of honor and sacrifice, not only a common cause. our country's it causes -- country's cause. but also a spirit captured in the book of isiah, mailed to me by the family a second lieutenant. "when i heard the voice of the lord sing who shall i send, who shall go for us?

i said, here i am, send me." that is what we memorialize today, that spirit that says "send me, no matter the mission. send me, no matter the risk. send me, no matter the sacrifice." the patriots we memorialize today sacrificed not only all they had, but all the whatever no. they gave of themselves until they had nothing more to give. it is natural when we lose someone we care about to ask why it had to be them, why my son, why my sister, why my friend, why not me. these are questions that cannot be answered by us. but on this day, we remember that it is on our behalf that

they gave our lives -- their lives. we remember that it was their courage, their unselfishness and devotion to duty that sustained this country for all its files and will sustain it for all the trials to come. we remember that the blessings we enjoy as americans came at a dear cost, that our presence here today as a free people in every society bears testimony to their enduring legacy. our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay. but we can honor their sacrifice, and we must. we must honor it in our own lives by holding their members close to our hearts and heeding the example they set. and we must honor it as a nation

by keeping our sacred trust with all who wear america's uniform, and families who love them, never giving up the search for those who have gone missing in our countries flag or held as prisoners of war, by serving our patriots as well as they serve us from the moment they enter the military to the moment they leave at to the moment they are laid to rest. that is how we can honor the sacrifice of those we've lost. that is our obligation to america's guardians. travis, the sonke of a marine who aspired to follow in his father's footsteps and was accepted by the u.s. naval academy. his roommate at the academy was brendan, a star athlete and a born leader from a military

family just like travis. the two became best friends, like brothers, brendan said. after graduation, they deployed ,travis to iraq, brendan to korea. on april 29, 2007, while fighting to rest of his fellow marines, travis was killed. brendan did what he had to do, he kept going, poured himself into his seal training and dedicated it to the friend he missed. he married the woman he loved and with his tour in three behind him, he deployed to afghanistan ho. he gave his own life along with eight others in a helicopter crash. heartbroken, yet filled with pride, they knew only one way to

honor their son's friendship. they moved travis from this cemetery and a pennsylvania and buried them side-by-side in arlington. "warriors for freedom" reads the epitaph written by travis' father. "brothers forever." the friendship between first lieutenant travis and lt. brendan reflects the meaning of the memorial day. brother road, a sacrifice, love of country -- brotherhood, a sacrifice, love of country. it is my prayer that we honor the memory of the fallen by living out those ideals every of our lives, and the military and beyond. may god bless the souls of the venerable warriors we have lost

and the country for which they died. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain outstanding for the playing of -- remain standing for the playing of "taps" and a benediction. ["taps" playing]

>> go into the world to preserve the peace, remember the wisdom you have learned and the courageous, cling to that which is good always, resist evil to

the utmost, lift up the oppressed, defended the helpless, honor god, fear no man, above all, love and serve the lord. amen. >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain in place until the president has departed. ♪

[applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, enjoy your day.

>> the memorial day address entered bids here at arlington national cemetery. -- and attributes at arlington national cemetery. we will bring you the president's address later tonight, at 8:00 p.m. eastern on c-span. you will also be able to watch them on line at the c-span video library. throughout this memorial day, we will be visiting a number of memorials throughout the nation's capital, starting with

the world war ii memorial, which honors the 16 million people who served in the u.s. armored forces, the more than 40,000 who die, and those who supported the war effort at home. this is one of the new are memorials on the national mall, opened in 2004. it sits right between the washington monument on the east and the lincoln memorial to the west. you can see the wall of stars and a background behind the wreaths. more than 4000 ford 48 gold stars, representing americans who died -- 4448 gold stars, representing americans who died in the war. the monument has 56 $8, two arches, are arranged in a semicircle, and each one of those columns is inscribed with the name of at the 48 states that existed in 1945, and the district of columbia, the last that territory, the territories of hawaii and other u.s.

territories at the time. -- the alaska territory and the territories of hawaii and other u.s. territories at the time. the national world war ii memorial -- you can see the washington monument in the background. 400,000 died. we are looking at the war memorials on the national mall this memorial day. we are going later to the vietnam wall and the korean war

memorial, all situated near the lincoln memorial on the national mall. today, even more popular places than usual for visitors on this memorial day weekend. today we are also showing some more commencement addresses. this afternoon, we will have actor denzel washington at 3:00 eastern, and after that, actor and diabetes advocate john ratzenberger, followed by justice sonia sotomayor as she attends the graduate ceremony at the university of south carolina in columbia. next, a panel discussion on the issue of american identity. we will hear from conservative syndicated columnist charles krauthammer, fox news contributor juan williams, and tennessee republican a lamar alexander, looking at an 1894

speech by theodore roosevelt on americanism and our relates to the country today. this is hosted by the hudson institute and runs about two hours. >> "national affairs" is pleased to be coasting this symposium this year along with the hudson institute. quick words of banks before we get started. first of all, bill mcchrysta -- all and crystal, who always done the real work of making this happen, and to the bradley foundation, which supports so many important projects aimed at advancing american ideals and our understanding of american life. we are honored to have with us so many of the foundation's board members and their families, as well as the foundation's staff members. many thanks to all of you.

we're particularly grateful to thdad for his guidance and wisdom. -- dan for his guidance and wisdom. one product of an american identity was e pluribius unum, which produce a report in 2008 that i would highly recommend it to anyone interested in are subject this morning. the question of taking it up the way we will to date is a collection of new readings entitled "what so proudly we hail." i see that a lot of you have copies of the book with you. the book is a collection of short stories and speeches and reflections that all in one way or another get the question of american identity, who we are and what we are about as a nation. it is about america's character and creeks, the place of the

law, courage, sacrifice, civility, republican virtues in our civic life, and about the enormously difficult challenges of assimilation and integration in american life, building and sustaining our impossibly complex society. it is a collection that, as the subtitle suggests, speaks not just to the mine, but to the heart and soul, one of the things it captors especially well is the way that american patriotism is simultaneously it addressed to the hearts and minds of american citizens. our creed has always been part of philosophy and part poetry. that has made american civic education especially complicated and challenging, and the aim of our symposium today is to take up a portion of that challenge. as before, this book suggests, the best way to do that is through conversation, grounded in a particularly rich and engaging text, and ideally, also helped along by wise teachers. we are fortunate to have with us a panel of people prickly suited for just such a conversation.

-- perfectly suited for just such a conversation. all i need to do is tell you who they are in and help them get started trade with us is lamar alexander, senator from tennessee, robert george, professor of jurisprudence at princeton university, daniel henninger, deputy editorial-page editor of "the wall street journal," charles krauthammer, a pulitzer prize-winning columnist, harvey mansfield, a professor at harvard university and a winner of the bradley prize, which will be given out tonight, a professor of history at the university of tennessee, paul singer, founder of elliott associates, juan williams, journalist and fox news analyst, a co-editor of this new volume. our conversation will be guided by and diana's two other

coeditors, and teachers at the university of chicago and now with us in washington. amy will get us started this morning. with no further ado, amy katz. [applause] >> thank you. can anybody hear me? at one point in his essay "true americanism," theodore roosevelt suggested that americans who choose to live in europe never become europeans. they only cease to be american and become nothing. centuries -- a century later, at the university of chicago, i saw this assertion turned upside down. a few weeks after 9/11 in the first week of my course on human beings and citizens, i began by asking the 28 eager freshmen to

identify themselves by name and say a few words about who they were broug. the following ensued -- student 1, korean-american. student 2, hispanic- american. student 3, catholic-american. and so it went until one student well,"i'm q, and i'm, just american, which i guess means just nothing." his classmates, silently but sympathetically, concurred. [laughter] familiar with the posturing of other graduates, i would normally have it dismissed the student's speech as well as the cause of action, but this was just after 9/11, one at 3000 of their fellow citizens were killed merely for being just americans. in what country, i wondered, did these people, united states

citizens of, think they were living? 10 years later, what it means to be an american remains troublingly unsettled. we increasingly celebrate diversity and multiculturalism and on, globalization and internationalism abroad. many of our most privileged young people regard themselves mainly as the citizens of the world. among intellectuals, the very idea of national identity is challenged. spontaneous displays of patriotism often provoke more critiques from opinion leaders -- moral critique from opinion leaders. regarding immigration, we no longer here of the melting pot. it has been years since serious public figures spoke of the american way of life. what, then, do we americans have in common, and what unites us as americans?

how do we americans identify ourselves as individuals and as a people? what do we look up to an rever e? to what larger community and ideals are we devoted? for what are we willing to fight and sacrifice? making its public debut today, our new anthology, entitled "what so proudly we hail," speaks directly to these questions, informed by the conviction that making citizens is as much a matter of the heart as it is of the mind. it seeks to exploit the soul shaping possibilities of american george soros, political speeches, and songs to provoke -- american short stories, political speeches, and songs to

provoke reflection. the american creed, liberty, equality, individual enterprise, religious freedom and toleration, the american character, displaying its strengths and weaknesses of individuals who are informed by the american creed, the virtues of a robust citizenry, among them at self-command, courage, senility, public spiritedness, and reverence, the sometimes competing goals of civic life, lifting the floor, elevating the ceiling, preserving and perpetuating what we hold dear, and finally, how to make eight national one out of a multi- cultural many. theodore roosevelt's speech, which appears in our final chapter, the segment on immigration and assimilation, it makes it clear that creating an american unum out of our

variegated pluribus is hardly any difficulty. written in 1894, went a little soap -- when the legacy of the civil war and european immigration provoked concerns about national unity and identity, roosevelt insists on the necessity of undivided civic loyalty and it national attachment to the american republic. our panel this morning will use theodore roosevelt's s.a. as the point of departure for considering -- essay as the point of departure for considering the meaning and significance of an americanism today. they have all read the essay. many of you have probably not. to make it possible for those here and those watching on c- span to follow the composition and help to prime the panel's pump, we will give the theodore roosevelt the first words, as

leon will read excerpts from the estate. -- essay. >> i will not try to impersonate -- [laughter] but i will try to read it with some gusto. "we americans have great problems to solve, threatening evils to fight, many deeds to do, if as we hope and believe we have the wisdom, strength, courage, and a virtue to do it. yet there is one quality we must bring to the solution of every problem -- that is an intense and fervid americanism. we should never be successful over the dangers that confront us, we shall never achieve a true greatness nor achieved a lofty ideal which the founders and preservers of our mighty federal republic have said before us, unless we are americans in heart and soul, spirit and purpose, keenly aligned to the responsibility implie