>> our live coverage of the commissioning of the uss gerald r ford is today at 10:00 a.m. eastern. the super carrier named after our 30th president is the newest aircraft carrier. president trump will attend the ceremony in virginia and deliver remarks. 10:00 a.m. eastern on c-span and c-span.org, and listen live on the c-span radio app. >> a commissioning family marks the beginning of active duty for a newly built naval vessel. we will show you three aircraft commissioner ceremonies featuring presidents clinton, bush, and vice president dick cheney. we begin with the uss harry truman.

>> in 1913, harry truman was a young missouri farmer, experiencing some business difficulties as he did from time to time. but as always, he did not give up easily. he wrote to his sweetheart and future wife bess these words. harry truman was a man of his word. it took 85 years but on july 25, 1998, harry truman's ship has come in. [applause] president clinton: of course, president truman's home town of independence, missouri was not

exactly a center of naval operations. coming from the state just south of missouri, we are completely landlocked, and harry truman was an army man. but in 1944, he spoke at the christening of the battleship missouri, on whose decks japan surrendered a year later. he felt an affection for the ship, and as president came to rely, as all presidents to, on the world's greatest navy. the american people still feel a strong affection for harry truman. he seemed to some an ordinary man, but he became an extraordinary president. he represented the best in us and he gave us the best in himself. he never failed to live up to the word of his fellow

missourian mark twain, which he kept on his desk at the oval office, "always do right. this will gratify some people and astonish the rest." 50 years ago, when harry truman became our president, america faced a mountain of crises. europe lay shattered. a cold war bred danger around the world. terrible new weapons made every false step a potential catastrophe. and angry voices were being raised at home by americans against other americans. at such a time and after the rigors of world war ii, some wanted to turn away from the world, to relinquish the leadership that had rescued freedom from tyranny, but harry truman said no. he made courageous decisions, focused always on doing right,

making sure everyone knew the buck stopped with him. he approved massive aid to europe, including our former enemy. in 1948, he became the first leader to recognize the new state of israel, over the bitter protest of his advisors. that same year when stalin closed off western access to berlin, he ordered air support to the beleaguered city. 50 years ago tomorrow, as secretary cohen has noted, harry truman made one of the best decisions any commander-in-chief ever made. he was sickened by stories of african-american veterans fighting heroically for an american war, only to return to violence and hatred.

he wrote, "as president, i know this is bad. i shall fight to end evils like this." and despite the extraordinary political pressures against him, despite himself growing up in a segregated community, on july 26, 1948, harry truman ordered the armed forces to integrate with executive order 9981. from that day forward, our men and women in uniform have truly been a force for freedom and a shining example to all humanity. president truman's decisive acts made crystal clear that america would not stand by while the world unraveled, that our ideas were not just words on parchment, but guide posts for coming together as americans. as truman said in the first address by any american president to the naacp, when i

say all-americans, i mean all americans. the cold war is over, europe is thriving, berlin is united, greece and turkey are vital nato allies working to promote peace in the balkans. israel, japan, south korea are among our strong democratic partners. international organizations like nato, the international monetary fund are essential components of the architecture of peace and prosperity. these are not accidents of history. they reflect the vision of the leader we celebrate here today. harry truman knew a president's ability to persuade others in the world is greatly enhanced when commanding the world's

strongest military. when we restored hope in haiti, the navy was there to make it happen. when we needed quick text and in the persian gulf last winter, the navy was there to put steel behind our diplomacy. and on this day our persuasiveness has been enhanced considerably. this carrier occupies four and a half acres, stands 20 stories tall, home to 6000 personnel , about the population of harry truman's hometown. from aviators in the ready rooms to the engineers in their spaces, to catapult officer who can launch four aircraft in

a minute, to the cooks that prepare meals every day, the crew of the harry truman will do america proud. to the families of those crewmen here today, we appreciate your commitment too. your loved ones on the harry s truman will never be sent into harm's way without clear purpose and superior preparation. as secretary cohen has made clear, the readiness of our military will remain a top priority. today and into the future our forces will be fully capable of meeting our commitments around the world. we have done much to meet these readiness goals, but we must. -- we must do more. as member of congress here keenly appreciate, congress is the vital partner in this effort. this year with bipartisan conditional support, we provide emergency funding for our military operations in bosnia, in southwest asia, and thus are able to meet critical readiness needs.

but congress as yet has not approved the funding we need on the same terms for the crucial operations in fiscal year 1999, which begins only nine weeks from now. if we are to remain fully prepared it is imperative that , congress act. a month ago, the defense department sent a request to congress to transfer $1 billion from lower priority programs to inform training, maintenance, and readiness requirements to sustain our readiness. again i ask congress to approve this request before the summer recess. this ship, the harry truman, is a monument to strength of character, to the character of a president and the characters of those who serve aboard her. the character of the shipyard workers who built her in newport news. the motto you have adopted says it all, the buck stops here. over the next 50 years, america

must continue to be responsible to say the buck stops with the united states. to ask the questions that the president weight honor here today asked. -- we honor here today asked. what are the decisions we make today mean for our grandchildren? is what we are doing good for all of our people? will it be that our freedom expands opportunities, strengthens our unions, advances the cause of freedom and peace and security in the world? will it bring hope to the oppressed and fear to the oppressors? the very site of the harry s truman will summon our best ideals and recall the will and vision of the men who arrived when we needed him most. some will look at this carrier and see only her massive physical dimensions. i hope most of us will see something even bigger. the living spirit of america and

the indomitable courage of one of the greatest leaders are -- our still young nation has produced. to the men and women who will serve on the harry s truman, remember, the book stops with the united states. god speed. and if he were here, he would say give them hell. god bless you and thank you very much. [applause] >> as president trump prepares to speak launching a new aircraft carrier, c-span looks at commissioning ceremonies of the past. dick cheney on the uss ronald reagan, the first ship to be named for a living former president. president reagan was dealing with the effects of alzheimer's disease of the time and was -- at the time and was unable to attend the ceremony. [applause]

v.p. cheney: thank you very much, mr. chairman, senator warner. thank you for those kind words. mrs. reagan, let me say what an -- what a special honor it is for lan and need to be here with you and your family today. nn and need to be here with you and your family today. governor warner, secretary johnson, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, i'm very pleased to visit naval station norfolk and i appreciate the warm welcome. i am sorry to disappoint those that i do not arrive the way the president did recently, on the uss lincoln. next ine when you are port i will try it. to the officers and crew of this base, i bring personal greetings from our commander-in-chief,

president george w. bush. [applause] v.p. cheney: for everyone that loves the navy and honors its traditions, and everyone who admires the name and legacy of our 40th president, this is truly a day for celebration. if the purpose of naming an aircraft carrier is to convey the strength and seriousness of this country and our military, then we have certainly accomplished that. something tells me that any potential adversary of the united states will take notice when word arrives that the uss ronald reagan has been sighted offshore. [applause]

cheney: today, our military gains 100,000 tons of american ingenuity and american power. this ship with its tremendous endurance and nearly unlimited range rises 20 stories above the water, nearly as long as the empire state building is tall, and will sail the seas for 20 years without refueling. there is only one nation in the world that has the resources and the skills needed to build a nuclear powered warship of this size and capacity. there is only one navy in the world that can project its might and its mission to the far corners of this earth. [applause] v.p. cheney: there is only one ship in the world that bears the name of a living american president. [applause]

v.p. cheney: today, the uss ronald reagan becomes the newest member of the greatest navy ever assembled. [applause] v.p. cheney: i want to congratulate everyone who helped build this ship, everyone who will sail in it, then everyone that will make it worthy of it great name. the navy we have today is in many ways a monument to the conviction of ronald reagan. he came to the presidency with a clear understanding of the tools our navy would need to protect the american people and to defend our interests, to honor our commitments to allies, and maintain command of the seas. during his watch, he authorized construction of four nimitz

air force carriers, abraham lincoln, the george washington, the john c stennis, and the harry s truman. maritime superiority, president reagan said, is for us a necessity. we must be able to venture into harm's way, controlling air, surface, and subsurface areas to assure access to all oceans of the world. failure to do so, he warned, will leave the credibility of our conventional forces in doubt. president reagan spent eight years in the white house, removing all doubt about the credibility of our forces or about the clarity of america's purposes. with complete courage and confidence he asserted the right , of all people and all nations to live in freedom. he believed that history is on the side of liberty, and that

all tyrannies are doomed to failure. [applause] v.p. cheney: he believed these things long before he became president and long before he ever entered politics. nothing could shake his determination to rebuild the strength and the morale of every branch of the united states military. nothing could shake his deep moral confidence and sense of purpose, and because of these qualities, ronald reagan changed the course of history, as few men have ever done. [applause] v.p. cheney: you have seen the cause he stood for, vindicated in his own lifetime, and the free peoples of the world will honor his name for generation to come. [applause]

v.p. cheney: the uss ronald reagan set sail in a world filled with new dangers. 22 months ago, we learned the threats which gather for years in secret can suddenly appear in our own cities. in a moment of tragedy our nation was called to wage a global effort against terrorists and the threats they pose. and under president bush this campaign has been unrelenting, -- focused and unrelenting, and the conduct of our military has been superb. [applause] v.p. cheney: the outcome is certain. it will be complete victory for the united states on the cause of freedom. [applause] v.p. cheney: in this war, our carriers have played and will continue to play a decisive

role. on the morning of september 11, 2001, the aircraft carrier uss enterprise was heading home to norfolk. within moments the ship reversed course, and by the next day was within striking distance of afghanistan awaiting orders. it was soon joined by the carl vinson, kitty hawk, theodore roosevelt, and the stennis. many of the combat missions supporting ground operations in afghanistan came from these carriers and gave the taliban its first and last glimpse of american air and sea power. [applause] v.p. cheney: carriers were deployed with equal effect for the liberation of iraq. that conflict signaled a new era in warfare in which precisely targeted weapons launched from great staging bases at sea

enable us to destroy the command centers of the enemy regime while sparing civilians and leaving infrastructure intact. in afghanistan and iraq, we remove regimes that supported terror against others and brutalized their own people. those were swift campaigns but , they were not easy. the united states remains prepared to confront danger wherever we must. as this nation leads the world in fighting terror, we cannot predict every turn in the future course of battle, but standing on this great floating air we can know at least we are ready to answer any challenge to the freedom and security of america and our friends. [applause] v.p. cheney: more than two

decades ago, president reagan made his first voyage to an aircraft carrier, the uss constellation. he called that ship a powerful force in an uncertain world. and a generation later, we can say that of the ship we have no -- now named for him. last month the constellation returned home from its final position in the arabian gulf, for it serves as the night carrier throughout operation iraqi freedom. the constellation will now be replaced by the ronald reagan, which in its own time will know its share of heavy wind and rough seas. but in the lifetime of this carrier, as in the lifetime of its namesake, enemies of freedom will fall away and the realm of freedom will expand further across the face of the earth. [applause]

v.p. cheney: as we think this afternoon of our 40th president, we think also of the devoted wife at his side. mrs. reagan, our nation is so grateful to you. you have shared in your husband's great life, and today you share in the pride of this tribute from the people of the united states of america. [applause] v.p. cheney: may this ship find safe passage in all the voyages ahead, and may almighty god watch over the officers and crew of the uss ronald reagan. [applause]

>> you're watching c-span's look back at aircraft carrier commissioning ceremonies. president trump speaks saturday at the ceremony for the uss gerald ford. remarks by george w. bush on a ship bearing his father's name. george bush senior also speaks of the event which launched the last nimitz class carrier. powered by two nuclear reactors, the george h.w. bush can operate for more than 20 years without refueling and carries more than , 80 aircraft. president bush: i want to thank you all for coming. laura and i are thrilled to help commission an awesome ship, and to honor an awesome man, president george h w bush. [applause] mr. bush: to prepare for this

day i went up to some of my , father's letters. i thought it was especially interesting to read one that he wrote in the late 1940's. he sent it to a friend. here is what he said. he said, you should see georgy now. whenever i come home he greets me and talks a blue streak. sentences disjointed of course. [laughter] bush: he tries to say everything, and the results are often hilarious. some things do not change. [laughter] bush the aircraft carrier : which we commissioned today may be the navy's newest ship, but she has already had an interesting past. her catapult testing took place

during an unseasonable cold snap. her christening was thrown into chaos by a fierce nor'easter. and during construction, the shipyard was closed down because of hurricane isabel. so in keeping with this ship's short history, i brought along an equally strong force of nature, my mother. [laughter] mr. vice president and us., thank you for joining vice president cheney has been a fabulous vice president of the united states. [applause] mr. bush: governor kane, thank you for your welcoming remarks. secretary of state condoleezza rice, i appreciate you joining us. other members of the administration and their

families, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, admiral mike mullen, gavin o'flaherty other members of the united , states armed forces and their families, shipyard workers and managers, members of our family who have joined us, and all the friends of george h.w. bush, we are glad you are here. the story of the uss george h w bush begins in the early days of world war ii, when our dad enlisted in the united states navy. like many servicemen deployed overseas, he was sustained by a girl he loved back home. from her dorm room, she knitted socks for him. in remote pacific atolls, he collected seashells for her. and when he returned home from war, the first thing he did was

to make her his bride. 64 years ago this week, the love of my father's life has been barbara bush. [applause] mr. bush: over the years, our parents have built a family bound forever by closeness, warmth, and unconditional love. we will always feel blessed to have had the best father anyone could ever ask for. we will always be inspired by the faith, humor, patriotism, and compassion he taught us through his own example. and for as long as we live, we will carry with us dad's lessons that integrity and honor are worth more than any title or treasure, and that the truest

strength can come from the gentlest soul. george h.w. bush has the deep love of his family, the admiration of his friends, and the thanks of a grateful nation. [applause] mr. bush: so what do you give a guy who has been blessed and has just about everything he has ever needed? well, an aircraft carrier. [laughter] mr. bush: the ship that bears our dad's name is more than 95,000 tons of aluminum and steel. she will carry nearly 6000 of the finest sailors and marines in the world. [applause] mr. bush: she represents the

craftsmanship of many skilled builders and thousands of hours of preparation. so i congratulate all of you on this tremendous achievement. the ship is a fitting tribute to a generation of men with whom my dad was privileged to serve. she is also a tribute to a new generation of american soldiers and sailors and coast guard men and women, airmen, and marines who have stepped forward to defend the united states of america. again our troops are facing down , a brutal enemy. again, they are making america and the world safer, and again they will come home in victory. [applause] mr. bush: people often ask what i treasure most about being the president.

nothing comes close to the honor of being your commander in chief. every day i am amazed by the skill and courage of our men and women in uniform. and as we send the uss george h.w. bush in service, i know you will do credit to the sailors before you, and the good man for whom this ship named. i ask that god protect this ship and let her know only victory and peace, and i ask god's continued blessings on our wonderful nation. thank you. [applause] mr. h.w. bush: thank you very much. mr. president, mr. vice president, all of the distinguished guests here.

i want to single out captain o'flaherty, what a great man he is and how lucky we are for him to be in command of this ship. you will forgive an old navy man reminiscing, being here at this ceremony takes me back 65 years to another commissioning. this one on the shipyards in philadelphia for the uss san jacinto, the carrier where my crewmates and i were preparing to serve in world war ii. speaking of not many of them being with us, i feel like phyllis diller when she said all of my friends are dying in alphabetical order. but i am glad to be here. [laughter] bush: a few memories of that distant day do stand out. it was during that trip to philadelphia that i gave my name

-- my fiancee an engagement ring. she had come down for the ceremony with my mother and we had only just that week made our engagement public. i thought we had done a pretty good job keeping our romance a secret. by that point in our courtship, it is possible the germans and the japanese were the only people that did not know we were getting married. the other memory that stands out from this first commissioning was the fact that i thought that the san jack was by far the biggest ship or anything else i had ever seen. at 660 feet long and 120 feet high, cut an impressive figure to be short. the next to this ship, it cannot compare. almost twice as long with a 4.5 acre landing field, a tower that exceeds stories above the waterline, and a feature that a few of my granddaughters in particular would really like. that is right, on board this carrier there are mind-boggling 1400 telephones.

[laughter] mr. h.w. bush: for all of the special enhancements this carrier has received, for all of the state of the art technology, safety and environmental features, the most important element will finally be added today in the form of men and women that will serve aboard this floating naval air station. those that were sitting where i was 65 years ago, preparing to serve aboard your new ship, i wish i was sitting out there with you, ready to start the adventures of my naval aviation career all over. i don't know if i could have handled the jets we fly today, but as you prepare to man this ship, i know that you take with you the hopes and dreams of every american who cherishes freedom and peace, and you take home with you the undying respect and admiration of the entire bush family. in just a few moments, i will take part in helping to set the first watch for cvn-77. and from that moment on, until

this ship is officially retired many, many years from now, you will form an unbroken line of patriots protecting this piece of american territory. as someone who has stood that watch and remembers the quiet solitude of that experience i , know you will find comfort and inspiration, particularly in the night sky, where it is basking in the splendor of the stars that you will truly understand the majesty of creation and bear witness to the certain hand of god. the work of this ship will be routinely difficult and it canes dangerous, but only be found in the sacrifices that you will make and the everyday tasks