“Young patriots, like Preston, teach all of us about our civic duty as
Americans,” the president said, adding that, “Preston’s reverence
for those who have served our nation reminds us of why we salute
our flag, why we put our hands on our hearts for the Pledge of
Allegiance, and why we proudly stand for the National Anthem.”
Later in his speech, the president emphasized that those who’ve
served deserve more than just lip service when their service
is over. That’s why, he explained, he’d signed the landmark VA
Accountability Act.
“Since its passage, my administration has already removed more
than 1,500 VA employees who failed to give our veterans the care
they deserve. And we are hiring talented people who love our vets
as much as we do,” he said. “I will not stop until our veterans are
properly taken care of, which has been my promise to them from the
very beginning of this great journey.”
Taking care of those who’ve served goes hand-in-hand with the
president’s stated objective of supplying those currently serving with
the tools and training they need to succeed.
“As part of our defense, we must modernize and rebuild our nuclear
arsenal,” he said, “hopefully never having to use it, but making it so
strong and so powerful that it will deter any acts of aggression by any
other nation or anyone else.”
Though optimistic about the future, he remained pragmatic:
“Perhaps someday in the future, there will be a magical moment
when the countries of the world will get together to eliminate their
nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, we are not there yet, sadly.”
While committed to helping the military deal with the high-tech
challenges it faces, the president is well-aware that low-tech
weapons can also have devastating results.
“Army Staff Sergeant Justin Peck is here tonight,” the Commander
in Chief said during his 2018 address. “Near Raqqa, last November,
A SUPPORTER OF PRESIDENT DONALD
TRUMP waits for his arrival at the Kentucky Air
National Guard Base. US Air National Guard
photo by Airman 1st Class Chloe Ochs.
Justin and his comrade, Chief Petty Officer Kenton Stacy, were on a
mission to clear buildings that ISIS had rigged with explosive so that
civilians could return to that city hopefully soon, and hopefully safely.”
But danger is always lurking just around the corner in such
deadly environments.
“Clearing the second floor of a vital hospital, Kenton Stacy was
severely wounded by an explosion. Immediately, Justin bounded into
the booby-trapped and unbelievably dangerous and unsafe building,
and found Kenton, but in very, very bad shape. He applied pressure
to the wound and inserted a tube to re-open an airway. He then
performed CPR for 20 straight minutes during the ground transport,
and maintained artificial respiration through two and a half hours and
through emergency surgery.
“Kenton Stacy would have died if it were not for Justin’s selfless
love for his fellow warrior. Tonight, Kenton is recovering in Texas.
Raqqa is liberated. And Justin is wearing his new Bronze Star, with
a ‘V’ for ‘Valor.’
“Staff Sergeant Peck, all of America salutes you. Terrorists who do
things like place bombs in civilian hospitals are evil. When possible,
we have no choice but to annihilate them. When necessary, we
must be able to detain and question them. But we must be clear:
Terrorists are not merely criminals. They are unlawful enemy
combatants. And when captured overseas, they should be treated
like the terrorists they are.”
That explosive moment near Raqqa when Chief Petty Officer
Kenton Stacy was wounded helps remind Americans that
virtually every day military personnel step into life-and-death
situations. It’s such dedication and commitment, despite
distractions and detractors, that make up the core of a speech
delivered by Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne in Paris
on April 23, 1910. Though formally entitled “Citizenship in a
Republic,” it’s more popularly known as “The Man in the Arena.”
Here’s an excerpt:
122 The TRUMP RALLY Publication