THE PRICE OF LIBERTY

[Music] [Applause] e [Music] Liberty is the most expensive commodity in the world today we have it only because we are willing and able to pay the price for preserving it against communist aggression one big symbol of our willingness is shape headquarters outside Paris France the Supreme headquarters of the Allied powers in Europe it was dedicated by General Dwight D Eisenhower on July the 30th 1951 in all history this is the first time that an Allied headquarters has been set up in peace to preserve the peace and not to wage war this headquarters has a motto it sums up the purpose of the 14 Nations that are committed to the fight for World Freedom translated it says vigilance is the price of Liberty we are paying a large share of that price part of our share of vigilance is being born by our women future wives and mothers who today are willing to share the cost of the free Freedom they and their children will enjoy tomorrow in every branch of the service they are carrying on some of our highest Traditions those Traditions started when Liberty was a brand new idea in 1777 Molly Pitcher fought for freedom at the Battle of Monmouth her name appears in the records of the Continental Army in the war between the states errands of Mercy brought other American women to the sides of other American fighting men they were there because they were needed for the jobs that women could do best it was almost 40 years later in 19001 that the first regular Women's Service was organized America's women were part of her strength they had the right to a place in service beside our fighting men they took that place in World War I in step with tradition they were very much in style with the spirited thinking of the times the tall young man is Franklin Roosevelt assistant Secretary of the Navy war was primarily a man's business but Liberty was everybody's business if it was a woman's world too it was also their world war in those days there were enough men to meet our military needs but there were jobs in service for women who wanted them women shared in the Victory and the Honors that followed to some of these women General persen presented his thanks in person perhaps he realized that he was taking a picture of the future it was a different kind of a world in 1940 when secretary Stimson drew the first draft number and we faced a different kind of War this was a National Emergency no Nation on Earth could draft enough men to win a total war American women were ready with the [Music] answer first to be sworn in were outstanding figures in the fields of higher education and business as heads of the newly organized Women's Services they would provide the highest quality of leadership for the thousands that were to follow and they did follow America women from 20 to 50 volunteers for service with the Army the Navy Marine Corps and Coast Guard pride and patriotism played a part in their decisions to enlist but for many of them there were deeper more personal reasons this mother enlisted with the Coast Guard to replace her son who died winning the Congressional Medal of Honor another mother enlisted at the same time and in the same service as her 19-year-old son brother women there were other reasons whatever they may have been the women were there it was a woman's world too in peace or War Behind these women were heroic traditions in front of them was a tremendous task wax waves spars women Marines nurses dietitians therapists this was an allout war that knew No Boundaries every one of them was needed for a job that would help to win the war no overnight miracle produced The Women's Services it took more than a well-tailored uniform to change an American girl into an American Service woman it took study perseverance courage and hard work it took a willingness to learn new discipline and new skills whatever it took these women had it World War II was a mechanized War but winning it still depended on spirited human endeavor pride and the courage of conviction were to characterize the activities of 300,000 American Service women during World War [Music] to there were jobs to be done these women had volunteered to do them at home or on duty assignments that carried them around the world they proved themselves worthy of the Traditions behind them and equal to whatever tasks were ahead of them wherever they landed they took the situation well in hand many of them like these nurses at anzio came in while the guns were still hot all over the world wherever they were needed or wherever regulations permitted them to be sent American women were to write new stirring chapters in the histories of each of the services we were short of fighting men in World War II we needed those men at the front for the jobs that only men could do for the first time in history we were running short of Manpower until our women by the thousands began to come into the picture it was a women's War I and as the need became acute more and more of them came in to learn the skills which enabled them to take over more and more jobs we needed women for the jobs that women can do as well as men and we needed them for the jobs that women can do best as we watched them at work sharing the cost of Victory one important idea became clear women in service were part of our military picture an essential part of our strength to fight for what we believe in for our women in service worldwide recognition was added to the personal satisfaction of a tough job well done this review by Winston Church show was only one of the many marks of recognition for their outstanding contributions to Allied Victory from our own people came others like this plaque presented to all the women of the Fifth Army for other individuals there were medals and citations for meritorious service above and beyond the Call of Duty at home and abroad the conduct of our service women was in keeping with our finest military Traditions one of the lessons of World War II was that women were indispensable to our military establishment in war or peace after World War II the Department of Defense under secretary foresto brought all the services under unified command when the Air Force was created women in the Air Force took their places alongside the women of the Army Navy and Marines many of them were veterans whose wartime service was commemorated in the special postage stamp that President Truman first presented American women had fought for freedom they would fight to retain it the Women's Services were up to date and here to stay today in 14 countries and territories American Service women are on guard at the sides of our fighting men carefully selected for character and intelligence they are there because we need them to fulfill our commitments to the cause of World Peace at home or overseas we cannot pay our share of the cost of Liberty with our Manpower alone today armed vigilance must back every truce in the war between freedom and slavery when one of those trues was signed at panan Jam Korea the promise of lasting peace was still a promise for the future military strength is still the only practical answer to the Menace of Communism our service women are part of our military strength volunteers with pride in their own Traditions they are sharing in the vigilance of the Free World that vigilance is the price of Liberty [Music] the