2001 Speeches
Memorial Service at the Singapore National Stadium for the Victims
Franklin L. Lavin - U.S. Ambassador to Singapore
September 23, 2001
Thank you Prime Minister for your gracious remarks. It is good to know that as we rise to the challenge in front of us, we have friends who stand with us. And thank all of you for giving up some of your weekend to be here.
Today is a day for mourning and remembrance. All of us were stunned by the tragedies of September 11th. We grieve for the victims and their families, and we remember the heroes of that day.
The victims are with us in our thoughts and prayers. People from all walks of life, from every corner of the world, and from all races and religions have been taken from us. And we will see this loss in the shattered families, neighborhoods, and schools left behind.
We need to remember when we hug our kids tonight, that there are thousands of kids who will never again know their parent’s warmth or affection.
And as we play sports with our children, there are other children sidelined, their lives devastated.
And when our kids rush to their moms and dads at the end of the school day, there will be other kids with no one to hug them, or help them, or wipe away a tear.
This is a loss not just for America, but for the world. There were citizens of some 80 countries among the dead -- a United Nations of cooperation and human interaction.
The victims were part of that vast undertaking of commerce and finance, creating the greatest growth in prosperity and freedom the world has ever seen.
The victims were the firefighters, police, and rescue workers, those whose profession was to help others, even at the risk of their own lives.
The victims were tourists and office workers, waitresses and pilots, people simply trying to make a better life for themselves and their families.
And in Washington the victims were the quiet professionals of a peacetime military. This might be the cruelest irony of that day, as America has used force only three times since the end of the Cold War:
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We helped save the Kuwaitis from Saddam Hussein.
We helped save Bosnia from Milosovich.
And we helped save Kosovo from Serbia.
In each instance, American servicemen put their lives at risk to save Muslims. So let no one spread the falsehood that America is against the Islamic faith or against the Arab people.
These terrorist attacks have been roundly condemned by all nations. Singapore is resolute, with its government and citizens committed to eliminating terrorism. Your cards and letters of sympathy have touched us and while we will always remember the tragedies of last week, we will also remember your friendship and support.
Beyond the expressions of sympathy, the final proper way to honor those who have fallen is to make sure that these crimes are not repeated. The poet John McCrae reminds us of this point when he speaks of the dead in his poem "Flanders Field." This is the voice of the deceased:
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The torch be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with those who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders field.
We will hold the torch. Those who perished last week will sleep in peace. We will grant dignity to their deaths and comfort to their families. We will protect our loved ones and our way of life by ensuring this terrible deed cannot be repeated. We stand tall. We stand with Singapore. And we will not fail. Thank you.