DENVER, Aug. 27 DNCC-Kennedy-rmks
DENVER, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a transcript
of a speech, as prepared for delivery, by Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy (Ret.) at
the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, August 27, 2008:
Scheduled for delivery: August 27, 2008 - 7:00-8:00 pm MT
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080331/DNCCLOGO )
Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy (Ret.)
Democratic National Convention
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery
My name is Claudia Kennedy, and for 32 years I served with some of our
nation's most dedicated, courageous patriots: the men and women of the United
States Army. I was proud to be the first woman in army history to rise to the
rank of three-star general. But most of all, I was proud of our soldiers.
We train them hard. We tell them, "You have to know who you are and what
you stand for." I'm here today because I know who Barack Obama is and what he
stands for. He has the judgment, the resolve and the vision to be a superb
commander-in-chief who will keep our military strong and America safe.
Barack Obama knows the commitment of our troops and their families and the
debt our nation owes them-patriotic Americans, like the grandparents who
helped to raise him. His grandfather enlisted after Pearl Harbor and marched
in Patton's army. His grandmother worked on a bomber assembly line. After the
war, his grandfather went to college on the GI bill and bought their first
home with a federal loan.
Barack Obama knows that today's generation of servicemen and women deserve
the same leadership, respect and support of his grandparents' generation. In
Barack Obama, our troops will have a commander-in-chief who has the judgment
to use them wisely, sending them into harm's way as a last resort, not a first
resort; who listens to intelligence, doesn't exaggerate it; who will bring our
troops home from Iraq responsibly, not keep them there indefinitely; who knows
that torture is not only morally repugnant, it's militarily ineffective. It
doesn't work. It puts our troops at risk. It endangers our national security.
In Barack Obama, our military families will have a leader who will ease
their burdens, ensure predictable deployments, offer more support to spouses
back home and ensure military paychecks keep pace with the private sector. Our
veterans will have a president who finally makes veterans' benefits and health
a priority, caring for their body, mind and spirit.
Early in the Iraq war, I visited Walter Reed Army Medical Center. I was
riding the elevator with two wounded soldiers. Both had lost a leg. I watched
in silence as they stood there. No despair, just determination. No pity, just
pride. Those two soldiers-like so many others-have made sacrifices few
Americans can imagine.
They did their duty. Now, it's time to do ours-to keep faith with our
troops, to repay the debt.
With President Barack Obama, we'll have a commander-in-chief who always
will.
SOURCE 2008 Democratic National Convention Committee
