Thank you for inviting
me to be with you on this special occasion. It is indeed an honor to have
the opportunity to recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of some
truly extraordinary people.
It is said that actions
speak louder than words. Given that, the individuals we are recognizing
today can be heard loud and clear – through their bravery, through
their actions, and through their commitment to upholding the law.
This afternoon, we
are honoring these officers for their courage shown in the line of duty.
Courage that let them risk death in a blazing fire to save a frightened
elderly woman. Courage that drove them to pursue cop killers for their
entire careers in the name of justice.
We are also honoring
these individuals for their actions -- actions which have sometimes brought
them personal injury. Actions such as chasing and then tackling carjackers
and thieves even though they were seriously wounded themselves. Overcoming
paralyzing injuries and returning to their departments to continue to serve
their communities. Battling fires, drug dealers, and cancer all at the
same time – and beating all three. Or going into deadly situations
armed only with words, and getting shot in the midst of those negotiation
efforts.
In addition to these
remarkable individuals, we are honoring teams who have produced successes
far beyond their size. Who have trained thousands of officers in the D.A.R.E.
program and, through them, have reached millions of children with anti-drug
messages. Who, at significant personal risk, have recovered hundreds of
stolen vehicles and arrested thousands of car thieves and other criminals.
We are honoring soldiers
in law enforcement who have served on the front lines of the war on terrorism.
Soldiers who have fought anthrax attacks. Captured fugitive serial bombers
responsible for terrorizing the nation. Subdued a man holding a grenade,
then took that grenade and held it in his bare hands until the bomb squad
arrived.
Today, I had the pleasure
of sitting with one of these individuals – Murphy North Carolina
Police Officer Jeff Postell – who captured a man we at the FBI had
been hunting for five years.
Thanks to Jeff, Eric
Rudolph is now safely behind bars. And what is particularly wonderful about
Jeff's story is that, as Jeff told swarms of reporters at the ensuing press
conference, he was just doing his job.
That is what makes the recipients of all 12 of these awards so impressive.
Each of you, with all of your accomplishments, with all of the lives you
have saved, believed that you were just doing your job.
The men and women of
law enforcement – federal, state, and local – are bound together
by our common vocation. And it is more than just a job, or a career, or
a profession. It is a very personal mission.
It is a mission that
we can fulfill only by working together with our law enforcement counterparts
here in the United States and around the world. United, we can and are
defeating criminal rings, drug traffickers and terrorist networks. None
of them can long withstand the power of a united law enforcement family.
It is a mission that
requires deep commitment. Indeed, commitment to duty and honor is the very
heart of what it means to be a member of the law enforcement community.
Demonstrating that
commitment, there are some here who were gravely injured. Thankfully, each
of you were able to return to your homes and your families and to attend
this awards ceremony.
Tragically, however,
some of our heroes have died. And later tonight, at the Candlelight Vigil,
we will recognize hundreds of those other heroes – the ones who could
not make it home.
I want to take a moment
to remember just one of those heroes. He lived – and died – with
exactly what we are recognizing today -- commitment. He was FBI Special
Agent Lenny Hatton. Panel 23, West-21 of the fallen officers memorial.
I have told this story before, but it bears repeating on this occasion.
Lenny was one of the
many law enforcement professionals we lost on September 11th, 2001. He
died while helping victims escape from the Twin Towers in New York.
I had the honor of
attending Lenny's funeral Mass in his hometown in New Jersey, and listened
while Lenny's friend and partner, Chris O'Connell, delivered his eulogy.
Chris closed his praise for Lenny by saying: "Special Agent Lenny
Hatton stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the finest and the bravest. Until
we meet again, my partner, my friend."
Chris O'Connell was
and is a detective with the New York Police Department. But it did not
matter to Chris or to Lenny that one worked for the NYPD and one worked
for the FBI. They just wanted to get the job done. They were a team.
Chris and Lenny reminds
us today that we are all in this together. We are all part of the same
team. And we in the FBI are proud to be your partners. You, more than anyone,
stand on the front lines of our nation's battles against crime and terrorism.
It is our honor and our privilege to stand alongside you.
Thank you for your
service and your devotion to duty. Thank you for inviting me to share this
celebration with you. God bless.
