Donald Rumsfeld: America Remains the Greatest Republic Ever Established

Mike Brownfield / June 27, 2010

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on Friday participated in the unveiling of his official portrait to commemorate his service as the 21st U.S. Secretary of Defense.  Following are excerpts of his remarks as prepared for the Pentagon ceremony:

I have seen our country in times of depression and prosperity, peace and turmoil, exhilarating triumphs and agonizing wars.  Yet America is here today, as it was yesterday.  And I have every confidence it will prosper and endure.

In my lifetime, our nation’s leaders have had to: tackle the worst economic depression; order troops into combat against the longest of odds on islands in the Pacific and the battlefields of Europe; win legislative struggles that, belatedly, but finally, brought equality to millions of Americans; right our battered ship of state after the Vietnam War and Watergate, win a 50-year struggle against a communist empire of boundless ambition, and an ideology of discredited lies;  and, we have seen – all of us have seen – this great nation take the offense after a devastating terrorist attack, one that shook the foundation of this very building, now almost nine years ago.

Yet, America remains the greatest republic ever established, with the finest military ever assembled, and still stands as the brightest symbol of humankind’s best hopes and aspirations.  And that, I would add, is not something for which we need to apologize to anyone – here or abroad. (more…)