1148 May 19 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 2000

Proclamation 7309—National Safe before Memorial Day as ‘‘National Safe Boat- Boating Week, 2000 ing Week.’’ Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, May 18, 2000 President of the United States of America, By the President of the United States do hereby proclaim May 20 through May 26, of America 2000, as National Safe Boating Week. I en- courage the governors of the 50 States and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and offi- A Proclamation cials of other areas subject to the jurisdiction Living in a country bordered by oceans of the United States, to join in observing this and blessed with abundant lakes and rivers, occasion and to urge all Americans to use Americans have made recreational boating safe boating practices throughout the year. one of our Nation’s most popular pastimes. In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set Each year, more than 74 million Americans my hand this eighteenth day of May, in the take to the water with family and friends to year of our Lord two thousand, and of the relax and enjoy the beauty of the natural Independence of the United States of Amer- world. ica the two hundred and twenty-fourth. But each year, for too many Americans, William J. Clinton boating ends in tragedy. Most boating-re- lated injuries and deaths are the result of [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, human error and poor judgment, caused, for 8:45 a.m., May 22, 2000] example, by excessive speed, failure to follow NOTE: This proclamation will be published in the safe navigation rules, and drinking or taking Federal Register on May 23. drugs while operating watercraft. These inju- ries could easily be prevented by using com- mon sense and making safety the first pri- Remarks on the 50th Anniversary of ority. Armed Forces Day in Suitland, Boating accidents can occur at any time— Maryland whether the water is smooth or turbulent and May 19, 2000 whether the boater is experienced or a nov- ice. One of the best ways to make a rec- Thank you very much. Secretary Cohen, reational boating experience safe and enjoy- thank you for your kind words and your truly able is to ensure that everyone on board al- exemplary leadership of the Department of ways wears a life jacket. To reinforce this life- Defense. Secretary Slater, thank you for your saving message, the National Safe Boating presence here and the support you have Campaign has once again selected the theme given the Coast Guard. General Shelton, ‘‘Boat Smart from the Start! Wear Your Life thank you for your lifetime of service and Jacket!’’ for this year’s observance. Rec- for your leadership of the Joint Chiefs. And reational boating organizations, including the Senator Glenn, I thank you for your service, National Safe Boating Council and the Na- your personal friendship to me, and your as- tional Association of State Boating Law Ad- tonishing lifetime example. We’re all looking ministrators, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard, forward to going into space in our late seven- other Federal agencies, and State and local ties, thanks to you. I thank the members of governments, are continuing to promote the Joint Chiefs and the Service Secretaries. safety through education by emphasizing the General Jones, General Shalikashvili, thank importance of wearing life jackets and prac- you for being here. Ladies and gentlemen ticing boating and water safety. of our Armed Forces, family members, and In recognition of the importance of safe friends. boating practices, the Congress, by joint res- I want to begin, if I might, by paying trib- olution approved June 4, 1958 (36 U.S.C. ute to the men and women of our military 131), as amended, has authorized and re- who work in the White House, my Andrews- quested the President to proclaim annually based Air Force One crews, my helicopter the 7-day period ending on the last Friday crews, my military aides, and those from Administration of William J. Clinton, 2000 / May 19 1149 every branch of the services who actually peace in Bosnia, and everywhere you go, al- work at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Without ways representing the best of America. you, we couldn’t do America’s business, stand Some of you have mentioned to me, from up for America’s interests, or even keep the time to time as I meet our service personnel, White House open as America’s house. that you see in the pictures at the Oval Office Thank you for 71⁄2 wonderful years. the stands of military coins I have there given As has already been said, 50 years ago to- to me by units, officers, and enlisted per- morrow America marked the first Armed sonnel all over the world. I have about 400 Forces Day. It was then an uncertain time now. And my historians at the White House for our country, Americans coming to realize say I have visited more military units than that our new global leadership carried with any President before. All I can tell you is, it global responsibilities, chief among them, it’s been one of the great honors of my life. the defense of freedom across the world. I never get tired of it. And if you have a American troops then still occupied Ger- coin I don’t have, I’d be glad to have it today. many and soon would be pouring into Korea. [Laughter] All around us there were new and terrifying I never cease to be amazed at all the dif- weapons, determined adversaries, and an un- ferent things we ask our Armed Forces to familiar landscape. Against that backdrop, do. We ask them to serve in the White House President Truman moved to put in place the or in Kosovo’s Camp Bondsteel, on the deck foundations of America’s modern military, a of a carrier or on the crew of a space shuttle force united under the Department of De- launch. We ask you to defend our interests fense. in a 21st century world of high-tech weapons, The first Armed Forces Day celebrated fast-moving, small-scale warfare, peace- service unity, honored those in uniform, and keeping—sometimes when there’s no peace reassured Americans that our military was to keep—and terrorism. But the 21st century ready for whatever challenges lay ahead. Fifty years later we can look back proudly challenge is the same essentially as President on a half-century in which America’s best Truman defined 50 years ago, readiness for have more than met those challenges. We any eventuality. Today I want to talk just a are as secure at home and safe from external little bit about what we are doing and must threat today as we have been at any time continue to do in the areas of personnel read- in our long history. For that, we owe every iness, combat readiness, and civilian readi- American in uniform and everyone who has ness to help you meet that challenge. served before an eternal debt. As has already been said by previous Next week, as we celebrate Memorial Day, speakers, the people in our Armed Forces we will remember the thousands of men and are our most important asset. So our first task women who have given their lives so that we is doing the best job we can of recruiting might live in peace. I hope all Americans will and retaining good people, to train them to teach our children how their forebears do their jobs right, to train them so they can fought and died for the freedoms we hold do their jobs safely, and then to provide the dear. I have asked every office in the Federal state-of-the-art equipment that will keep Government to observe a moment of remem- them ahead of every adversary and every brance for our military dead, to put the ‘‘me- eventuality. morial’’ back in Memorial Day. Keeping faith with you is a sacred obliga- Over my service as President, I have seen tion. We’ve tried to do it. Over the last 2 our men and women in uniform meet every years, military pay has been raised by more conceivable kind of challenge, from flying than 8 percent, with another significant raise flawless missions over Kosovo to working to slated for this year. This year’s raise was the contain Saddam Hussein to keeping our largest in about 20 years. In July we’re in- word on the Korean Peninsula to slogging creasing parts of the military pay scale as through the mud to rebuild lives and com- much as 5 percent more to reward service munities in the aftermath of Hurricane members who gain experience and stay with Mitch in Central America to keeping the us to put it to use. 1150 May 19 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 2000

And we must never forget that, although I’ve talked about our budget and priorities we recruit individuals, we must retain fami- for readiness, but we also must meet our re- lies. Thanks to the leadership in the Depart- sponsibility for civilian readiness, creating an ment of Defense, military child care and understanding among our elected officials schools are now the envy of many civilians. and among our people at large that power We are working to provide better military and prestige don’t just happen, that America housing and taking steps to improve access cannot be a leader for peace and freedom to medical care for all military personnel, and prosperity without paying the price. Ci- families, and retirees. vilian readiness means commitment to keep- Readiness also means making sure our ing our military the best trained, the best forces are trained to fight and equipped to equipped, the best led fighting force. It win. The world we live in demands a high means support for diplomacy that can help tempo of operations. That puts strains on in- us avoid using force in the first place. It dividuals and families and creates important means that when we do make the difficult challenges for readiness. decision to commit our troops, we stay the I realize that I am the first President to course. serve his entire service in the post-cold-war Secretary Cohen talked about our involve- era and that, as a consequence, I have im- ment in Kosovo. Last spring I had the privi- posed more high-tempo operations on the lege of meeting with our fighting men and women from Barksdale and Norfolk to military, more different kinds of things in Aviano and Skopje. When I met the Wing more different circumstances than any pre- Commander of Spangdahlem Air Force Base vious President in peacetime. Often, when in Germany, he told me, ‘‘Sir, our team wants I see our young men and women in uniform, to stay with this mission until it’s finished.’’ I don’t know whether to thank them or apolo- He could have spoken for every one of our gize, because I know what burdens I have men and women in uniform. When we and imposed on many of you and your families. our Allies responded to the rising tide of vio- All I can tell you is America is a safer, strong- lence in Kosovo, we sent a message of hope er place, and the world is a more peaceful, and determination to Europe and all the more democratic place because of what you world. have done. And we have to continue to do Let me remind you that there had pre- everything we can to ease your burdens and viously been a terrible war in Bosnia. It took make it more likely that you will be success- the world community a long time to respond. ful. When we did, we put an end to it, and people We have tried to watch combat readiness are living and working together there in closely. We have tried to respond rapidly peace. Then as if no lesson had been learned, where there are strains. For several years Mr. Milosevic drove nearly a million people now, we’ve increased the amount of money out of their homes in a poor country, over available for readiness spending, including difficult roads and adverse circumstances. $5.4 billion for the year ahead. We’ve worked Thousands lost their lives, but nearly a mil- with Congress to protect funds for training lion people were run out of their country just and equipment and proposed an increase of because of their ethnic background and the $124 billion to support military personnel, way they worship God. That was a threat to strengthen readiness, and speed moderniza- our national interests because it was a threat tion with improved facilities through the next to the security and stability of southeastern 5 years. That includes the latest advances in Europe and because it was a colossal affront digital communications and navigation tech- to the basic notions of human rights and free- nology for soldiers in the field, advanced dom. combat aircraft, like Super Hornets, Raptors, The 20th century has witnessed a lot of and the Joint Strike fighter, new and mod- this kind of hate and human suffering. But ernized destroyers, and a new aircraft carrier it ended with an affirmation of freedom and and, less exciting but perhaps even more im- human dignity, because in the face of division portant, more money for spare parts. and destruction, we helped to stand with our Administration of William J. Clinton, 2000 / May 19 1151

Allies and good people in that region for hu- but inescapable truth, that the survival of manity and for freedom. freedom requires great cost and commitment Well, what’s happened since then? Our and great personal sacrifice.’’ troops are on the ground in Kosovo, doing We’re a long way from the cold war world another job every bit as vital, working to help in which President Kennedy spoke those the people there rebuild their lives and build words. But today, the words are still true, a lasting peace. Now our Allies and partners where you stand as freedom’s guardians in have taken on the lion’s share of the burden. a world where communication is instant but Since the end of the conflict, our European so is destruction, a world where the threats Allies and others are supplying 85 percent of the last century have largely been van- of the troops and nearly 85 percent of the quished but the timeless demons of hate and police on the ground. Our share of inter- fear and new destructive possibilities rooted national assistance for Kosovo is now well in new technologies and new networks are under 20 percent. with us, in a world where millions still strug- It’s been a fair burden sharing because we gle for liberty, decency, and the very basics bore the majority of the responsibility for the of life. military conflict that made the peace pos- Today America thanks you for your com- sible. But it’s still important that we do our mitment, renews our pledge to stand with part. Our presence is vital, for our forces you, and asks you to continue to do your best symbolize something fundamental about the and give your best for freedom. The last 50 promise of America, the possibility of true years are proof that when you do your job, peace and, frankly, the confidence your pres- and we support you, the world is a much, ence gives to others because nobody doubts much better place. that if any job can be done, you will do it. Thank you, and God bless you. Our forces in Kosovo are doing a terrific job under still difficult circumstances. We must give them the tools to succeed and the time NOTE: The President spoke at 10 a.m. in Hangar to succeed. 3 at Andrews Air Force Base. In his remarks, he referred to former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs Yesterday the Senate of the United States, of Staff Gen. David C. Jones, USAF, (Ret.), and in bipartisan fashion, cast a profoundly im- Gen. John M. Shalikashvili, USA; President portant vote. They affirmed our Nation’s Saddam Hussein of Iraq; and President Slobodan commitment to stay the course in Kosovo, Milosevic of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia rejecting language that would have called our (Serbia and Montenegro). resolve into question, permitting people to say, had it passed, that the United States would walk away from a job half-done and Remarks at a Democratic leave others to finish. But the Senate said, Congressional Campaign Committee ‘‘No, we won’t walk out on our Allies. We Luncheon in Philadelphia, won’t turn our back on freedom’s promise. It may be a difficult job, but we started it, Pennsylvania and we intend to finish it.’’ And I would like May 19, 2000 to thank the Senators, Republicans as well as Democrats, and the American leaders Thank you so much. I told the folks at our around the country, Republicans as well as table here that I have been in this room many Democrats, who took this position to stand times. The first time I came here was long by you until the mission is completed. before I was President, but I’ve been here In 1963, on Armed Forces Day, a great a lot since I’ve been in office. I’ve been to American veteran, President John Kennedy, a lot of dinners, lunches, meetings. I love said that our service men and women ‘‘stand this city hall, and I love this room, and I as guardians of peace and visible evidence never tire of coming here. of our determination to meet any threat to I want to thank all of you, and in their the peace with measured strength and high absence, the mayor and your former mayor resolve. They are also evidence of a harsh as well, Ed Rendell. He’s doing a great job