Bush says military has his ‘undying love and respect’

President Bush on Tuesday, at a parade honoring him and
the armed forces, praised the U.S. military and said the missions it carried
out under his leadership have all been necessary.

“The decisions I made as your commander in chief have not
always been popular, but the cause you have served has always been just and
right,” Bush said. “The missions you have carried out have always been
necessary, and the work you have done has been every bit as courageous and
idealistic as that of any generation that came before you.”

{mosads}Bush noted that, following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks, the U.S. has not been hit by another strike. He gave the military
credit for taking the fight to the enemy and liberating Afghanistan and Iraq
from hostile regimes.

“To the men and women of the Army, the Navy, the Air
Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and all those who serve in the Department of
Defense, you have the respect of a grateful nation that you have kept safe,”
Bush stated. “You have the admiration of millions around the world who would
have never tasted freedom without you. You have the undying love and respect of
a man who has been proud to call himself your commander in chief.”

In introducing Bush, Defense Secretary Robert Gates
thanked the president for transforming the military into a force that is “more
agile, lethal and prepared to deal with the full spectrum of 21st-century
conflict.”

“He has not flinched when faced with difficult wartime decisions,
including the momentous decision two years ago to send more troops into Iraq
and to revamp our strategy there,” Gates added. “Nor has the president ever
hidden from the human consequences of his decisions. We have seen this in
countless visits with the wounded at Walter Reed, Bethesda and other military
hospitals.”