WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump commemorated Veterans Day with remarks honoring the United States military’s “legacy of gallantry and daring,” expressing gratitude to American veterans for their service to the nation.
“On Veterans Day, we honor those who have worn the uniform, who have borne the battle, who have stood to watch and whose ranks have formed the mighty wall of flesh and blood, bravery and devotion that has defended our freedom for 250 years,” Trump said as he spoke at Arlington National Cemetery.
“Today, to every veteran, we love our veterans, we say the words too often left unsaid: Thank you for your service. Thank you very much,” the president said. “And we want to also say thank you for carrying America’s fate on your strong, very broad, proud shoulders. Each of you has earned the respect and the gratitude of our entire nation. We love you. We salute you. And we will never forget what you have done to keep America safe, sovereign, and free.”
Trump reflected on the stories of American valor, filled with “tales of titans, icons, innovators, and trailblazers who built this country into the greatest, most ambitious, and most prosperous nation the world has ever seen.” He noted that his administration has taken the United States to “new levels,” and said, as he often jokes of late, “We have never been hotter than we are right now.”
But the United States of America, Trump said, would be nothing “without our veterans.”
“Everything we have, everything our country has achieved has been purchased by the muscle, spine, and steel of the United States military,” he said. “We owe it all to the fierce and noble men and women of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, and the United States Marines.”
Trump shared the story of Major Sullivan Ballou of Rhode Island, who wrote to his wife Sarah before the Battle of Bull Run, “I know how great a debt we owe to those who went before us,” and, “I’m willing, perfectly willing, darling, to lay down all my joys of this life to help maintain this government and to pay that debt.”
“Just one week later, Major Ballou did just that,” Trump reflected. “He gave his life to save our country.”
The president told another story of an American hero from World War II, Colonel Bull Wolverton, commander of the 3rd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment. The president shared how Wolverton knelt with his men, the night before D-Day, and prayed, “We ask only this, that we die, we must die, and we as men would die without complaining, without pleading, and safe in the feeling that we have done our best for what we believed was right. We must do what is right.”
“Colonel Wolverton died for us so bravely in battle,” Trump shared of the war hero, who was killed the next day after his parachute became stuck in a tree and he was gunned down by German soldiers.
He also honored Army Captain William Swenson, who was previously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Swenson was driving through the Afghan mountains in September 2009 when more than 60 Taliban insurgents ambushed his convoy, the president said. As Swenson and his comrades fought for hours without artillery or air support, one of his fellow soldiers was shot in the chest, prompting Swenson to cross an open field to help his friend.
“People said, ‘Don’t do it, Captain. Don’t do it,’” Trump said. “He did it. When the terrorists closed in around them and demanded their surrender, Captain Swenson threw a grenade at the enemy and rallied his men to break their advance. He then carried the wounded soldiers hundreds of yards to a rescue helicopter before charging back three times, back and forth, back and forth into the fire to save the wounded and bring them home. Even after seven hours of fighting, he refused to leave any man behind.”
The president thanked Swenson, who was present at the memorial, for his service.
Then he shared the story of retired Brigadier General Dale Stovall, also present at Tuesday’s memorial, who was assigned to rescue a downed American airman “deep in hostile territory” during the Vietnam War.
“Despite the extreme peril, Captain Stovall took off in his HH-53C helicopter and soon came under intense fire, forcing him to turn back. But the captain refused to abandon his mission,” Trump said. “The next day, he willingly plunged back into the danger while taking fire from all directions. He didn’t have a chance, he felt, but he said, ‘I got to do it.’ He rescued the downed American pilot who had been stranded on the ground for 23 days and brought him back home alive, completing the deepest rescue behind enemy lines in the entire Vietnam War.”
Stovall received the Air Force Cross and the Distinguished Flying Cross as well as two Silver Stars, making him the fourth most combat-decorated Air Force Academy grad of all time, the president said, and he told the American war hero: “You are a legend. Thank you, General Stovall. Thank you very much.”
“You look good, General,” the president added. “I wish I looked that good. You look good.”
The president reflected on the “legacy of gallantry and daring” that American veterans have shown, “without parallel in human history.”
“Generation after generation,” the president said, “America’s warriors have left behind the comforts of home and family to face violence, evil, and death so that our families could know joy, goodness, and peace. We honor them so strongly. Our heroes have lived through unthinkable nightmares so we could live the American dream.”
“They have volunteered to give their last breath to all of us so that we could breathe free,” the president added. “And today we know without any doubt in our hearts that after two and a half centuries, America stands tall because America’s veterans stood so strong. And soon our country will be stronger than ever before.”
He also brought up his resolution to declare Veterans Day as “World War I Victory Day,” reminding those gathered of how he saw France celebrating its own Victory Day. Many other countries celebrate “Victory Day,” the president said, and now the United States will as well.
“America’s warriors never quit, never surrender,” he said. “They fight, fight, fight, and they win, win. That’s what we do. We win battles. As you know, today is not only Veterans Day, but it’s my proclamation that we are now going to be saying and calling Victory Day for World War I, Victory Day.”
“We’re the one that won the wars,” he added. “And I said, ‘From now on, we’re going to say victory day for World War I and World War II.’ And we could do for plenty of other wars, but we’ll start with those two. Maybe someday somebody else will add a couple of more because we won a lot of good ones.”
He also brought up that his administration is dedicated to restoring the pride and winning spirit of the United States military, saying that this is why he has renamed the Department of Defense to the Department of War and reversed efforts to make the military politically correct.
“We don’t like being politically correct,” he said. “So we’re not going to be politically correct anymore. From now on, when we fight a war, we only fight for one reason: to win. We fight to win.”
Trump also promised that his administration is fighting for the veterans who have “always been there for us,” saying that in nine months, his administration has “cut the backlog of VA benefit claims in half,” and vowing that VA Secretary Doug Collins is “going to get it down to zero.” He stressed that President Joe Biden’s administration did little to help veterans, but that his White House is focused on working with those who respect and love them.
“Today, the flame of liberty shines bright,” the president concluded. “The people of our nation sleep safe. The American dream surges forward. And our magnificent destiny stands more splendid and glorious than ever before.”
