Clinton Praises ‘Freedom’s Warriors’ at Rite

In ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery and nearby Ft. Myer marking the anniversary of the Allied victory in Europe in World War II, President Clinton on Monday praised every veteran of the conflict as “a hero who carried the banner of justice into the battle for freedom.”

As flags flying under an azure sky at Ft. Myer snapped to attention, Clinton offered reverent words for those he called “freedom’s warriors” and whose blood and lives forced Nazi Germany’s military leaders to surrender in the early morning hours of May 7 in a small schoolhouse in France.

The European armistice took effect May 8, 1945, triggering street celebrations on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

“We come today 50 years later to recall their triumph, to remember their sacrifice and to rededicate ourselves to the ideals for which they fought and for which so many of them died,” Clinton said after being introduced by retired Air Force Col. Frederick B. McIntosh, who flew 104 missions during the war, including dive-bomb raids on D-day.

“Because of all you did, we live in a moment of hope, in a nation at peace,” the President said.

Clinton, as commander in chief of U.S. armed forces, began the day of memorials with a stop at the Tomb of the Unknowns in the national military cemetery here.

To the rumble of a military drum roll and bursts of a 21-gun salute, Clinton walked stiffly as he placed a large wreath against the white marble tomb. A bugler played taps, and Clinton, who did not serve in the military, saluted by placing his right hand over his heart.

Before speaking at Ft. Myer, the President, who has had rocky relations with the military in the past, was greeted with a standing ovation by a respectful group of veterans, military officials and active-duty representatives from every branch of the armed services.

He listed the achievements and contributions of many seated in the reviewing stands at Sommerall Field on the Army base outside Washington:

* Robert Katayama, a private with the Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team that broke through the Gothic line in Italy after five months of ferocious assault.

* Anna Connelly Wilson, a nurse who tended U.S. soldiers transporting munitions to the Soviets across the Iranian desert.

* Abben MaGuire, a Navy demolition expert who landed on Omaha Beach.

* George Ellers, a seaman on Coast Guard boats that protected the movement of supplies across the Atlantic.

* Joseph Kahoe, a lieutenant with the all-African American 761st Tank Battalion during the Battle of the Bulge.

* And Father Francis Sampson, an Army chaplain who parachuted into Normandy and the Netherlands.

“In their bravery and that of all their brothers and sisters in arms, America found the will to defeat the forces of fascism,” Clinton said in his 16-minute speech. “And today, we, the sons and daughters of their sacrifice, say, ‘Thank you, and well done.’ ”

In his remarks, Clinton also acknowledged Americans who did not serve in combat for their “all-consuming effort” toward the Allied victory.

“Millions were heroes here on the home front,” he said. “They built the planes, the ships, the tanks, the trucks that carried the Allied armies into battle. They bought victory bonds to pay for the war. They collected scrap metal for weapons, worn-out rubber for tires, leftover fat for explosives, and they planted 20 million victory gardens to help feed the nation.”

Clinton paid special tribute to the people of Britain and the former Soviet Union.

He said Americans were not eager to enter the war but “were stirred by the extraordinary courage of the British, all alone and carrying liberty’s flickering torch into Europe’s darkening night. Pushed by their passion for freedom, prodded by the wise leadership of President (Franklin D.) Roosevelt, and provoked, finally, by the infamy at Pearl Harbor, Americans went to war.”

Clinton--who after his speech flew to Moscow to participate in Russia’s commemoration of V-E Day and meet with Russian President Boris N. Yeltsin--also noted the terrible toll the war took on the Soviet people. When news of the war’s end reached Moscow, he said, millions rushed into the streets in a celebratory frenzy, searchlights slashed the nighttime darkness and a 1,000-gun salute shook the countryside.

“But their joy was dulled by the pain of their nation’s unique sacrifice, for one out of every eight Soviet citizens was killed in World War II: 27 million people,” Clinton said, his voice lowering for emphasis. “At almost every table in every (Russian) home there was an empty place.”

* RELATED STORIES, PHOTOS: A8-10, B1