Sunday, October 13, 2019

Presidential Message on the 244th Birthday of the United States Navy

Office of the Press Secretary
Presidential Message on the 244th Birthday of the United States Navy
 
On the 244th birthday of the United States Navy, I send greetings to the sailors currently serving and those who have served our Nation with honor, courage, and commitment in times of war and peace, at home and around the world.

The Continental Congress created America’s first national navy in October 1775, just months after the onset of the Revolutionary War.  John Adams led a visionary group of delegates who championed the idea of a national navy before the Continental Congress.  Our young Nation needed maritime protection and a means of taking the fight to our enemy on the seas.  Congress authorized the acquisition of two vessels, which would be armed against the world’s greatest naval power of that era.  From this two-vessel fleet, our Navy has grown into the largest and most formidable naval force the world has ever known. 

This month, America will commemorate the 75th anniversary of an epic moment in United States Naval history: the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the largest naval battle of the modern era.  Among the heroic stories from that epic fight is the tale of Task Unit 77.4.3, call sign "Taffy 3," in which three destroyers and four destroyer escorts took on a much larger enemy force.  Outgunned and outmanned, American destroyers charged into a line of massive Japanese battleships in order to protect the rest of the force attempting to liberate the Philippine Islands.  The ferocity with which the American sailors fought gave the Japanese pause and secured the Philippines and diminished the threat posed to our troops by the Imperial Japanese Navy.  Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Copeland, the commanding officer of one of the American ships, USS SAMUEL B. ROBERTS (DE-413), later said he could think of no higher honor than the privilege of commanding such a crew.  Drawing on the legacy of their World War II shipmates, today’s sailors embody that fighting spirit, excellence, integrity, and accountability.

As Commander in Chief, I join a grateful Nation in thanking America’s sailors and all of our country’s service members for their willingness to defend our precious liberties and unparalleled prosperity.  May God bless you, and may He always bless the United States of America.

Statement from the Press Secretary

Office of the Press Secretary
Statement from the Press Secretary
Today, President Donald J. Trump released $50 million in stabilization assistance for Syria to protect persecuted ethnic and religious minorities, and advance human rights.  This funding will provide emergency financial assistance to Syrian human rights defenders, civil society organizations, and reconciliation efforts directly supporting ethnic and religious minority victims of the conflict.  It will also go toward increased accountability, removal of explosive remnants of war, community security for stabilization assistance, documenting human rights abuses and international humanitarian law violations, and support for survivors of gender-based violence and torture.  We hope regional and international partners will continue their contributions as well.  Ensuring the freedom and safety of ethnic and religious minorities remains a top priority for this Administration.