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Dreier Commemorates Memorial Day Across the Foothills
SAN DIMAS, CA – Congressman David Dreier (R-San Dimas, CA) attended Memorial Day ceremonies across the Foothills today, honoring fallen service members and their families for their sacrifices on behalf of our country. Dreier attended events in La Crescenta-Montrose Memorial Day program at the Vietnam Memorial, the San Marino program at Lacy Park, the La Cañada-Flintridge ceremony and parade, and the Fairmont Cemetery observance. He delivered the following remarks at each event:
“It has been a privilege to stand here on previous occasions. Every year we come together on Memorial Day to remember the war dead and to honor their service. We are humbled by their sacrifice. But I believe we honor them fully not just in solemn remembrance, but in commemorating their legacy as well.
“Their legacy, first and foremost, is our 221-year history as a nation that was founded in, and has prospered by, a commitment to liberty. We have faced many crises. But we have endured because the men and women of our armed forces have fought to defend the principles on which our country was built.
“These principles are enduring because they are universal.
“Across all cultural and geographic boundaries, people want to live in liberty, which is why the legacy of those we honor today is evidenced not just here at home, but in the many fledgling democracies around the world.
“Democratic governance is taking hold in places that previously knew only totalitarianism and military dictatorship, like Macedonia and Indonesia. Places that were plagued with violence and chaos, like Colombia and Liberia. Places that were controlled by a foreign power, like East Timor and Kosovo.
“In some of these places, our military has played a direct role, such as the former Yugoslavia. But their greatest influence has been simply in defending the principles that offer the only path to lasting peace. We have seen throughout our history that wherever there is tyranny, there can be no real security. Wherever repression and poverty allow resentments and extremism to spread, violence will always follow. And because repression’s greatest enemy is liberty, the violence that follows will always threaten our security and our interests.
“In recognition of this fact, I had the privilege of founding a bipartisan commission in the Congress called the House Democracy Partnership. For the last five years, this commission has worked with a number of new and reemerging democracies, like those I named before, to provide support and assistance in their quest to solidify their democratic gains.
“As we engage with the popularly elected representatives of these countries, the legacy of our armed forces provides the context for this work. We act with the knowledge that their sacrifice is what has enabled the United States to serve as a model for the rest of the world, and the recognition that failure to see democracy take hold threatens our security.
“Of the 15 countries with which the House Democracy Partnership is currently working, the stakes are highest in Afghanistan and Pakistan, ground zero for the struggle against violent extremism. Nearly 100,000 of our men and women in uniform are currently in harm’s way in the region, as we all know very well. They are doing what they have always done: valiantly defending the people of the United States of America.
“We want them to be able to complete their mission and come home as soon as possible. That means that the Afghan people must build a stable, peaceful, democratic government that will neither threaten the United States nor allow a breeding ground for terrorism to once again take root.
“As difficult as that process is, the right seeds have been planted. I have seen former adversaries in war sit around a table in Kabul, discussing the path forward for the Afghan people. I have worked with legislators in Islamabad who are determined to root out all forms of terrorism until it is completely eradicated from Pakistani territory.
“These democratic efforts are made possible by the work that our troops are doing. Our service members are working to create the security and political space for these efforts to be successful. This is a Herculean task that can seem impossible at times. But if our nation’s history demonstrates anything, it is the power of liberty and democratic principles.
“And our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and Guardsmen have been their guarantor for 221 years. Today, along with solemnly remembering those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, we honor all who have served, and all who are currently in harm’s way. And we honor them with the recognition that the fruit of their sacrifice is evident not just here at home, but around the globe.”