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| REMARKS
BY FRANCIS GARY POWERS, JR. |
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| Marienfelde Refugee Center Museum |
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| April 14, 2005 |
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| Lorton, Virginia |
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REMARKS FRANCIS GARY POWERS, JR.
U.S. Junior Chamber of Commerce Award Ceremony
2002 Ten Outstanding Young Americans
June 29, 2002
Thank you for such a great introduction. It's an incredible experience to be here today. As I go through life, good things happen and bad things happen. This is one of the best things that's ever happened. After I got the news, I said to my wife, "I'll have to make a speech. What should I say?" And she said (with the wisdom of wives), "Say 'Thank You.'" So that's what I'd like to do.
I have many people to thank for this honor. First of all, I would like to recognize the leadership and efforts of the National President of the U.S. Junior Chamber, John Nygren and our corporate sponsors, Anheauser Busch and Coco Cola. I particularly thank Ted Waitt, honorable chairman of this year's TOYA awards, and Cathy Calbren, meetings manager for the U.S. Junior Chamber, and her staff, who put together this incredible event. And a very large part of this award goes to the Virginia Jaycees and the Vienna and Fairfax County Jaycees for their years of support and help.
I don't want to sound like Oscar night (I'm not going to thank my lawyer), but I better not leave without thanking my mother, my sister, and my wonderful wife, who is not here this evening because she is expecting our first child, this (next) week! You can imagine my state of mind. Wow!
I'm sure all of us here salute the Junior Chamber for their commitment to America and their inspiration that gives us the strength to follow our dreams.
I've been pursuing my dream for 24 years.
I was 12 years old when my father died. I had no idea my father was different from anyone else's. As I became aware of my father's significant role in history, I wanted to know more about the controversy surrounding his famous flight. I needed to learn what happened in those years before I was born.
However, my hunger to know my father soon took on a much greater life and purpose, and I began a journey of my own, back to the days of the Cold War so I could understand its importance.
I learned it was not a war in which battles and bloodshed played a major role. It was a clandestine war, fought in secrecy and silence. Perhaps it is because of this that the Cold War is virtually unknown to the current generation-mainly through the novels of John Le Carre and Graham Greene and certain films.
James Billington, Librarian of Congress, called the Cold War "the central conflict of the second half of the 20th Century, the longest and most unconventional war of the entire modern era."
The Cold War ranged worldwide for 45 years; it cost thousands of lives, trillions of dollars, and changed the course of history. When it began, a billion people lived under Communism; when the Soviet Union was dissolved, America became the only superpower in the world. The Cold War wasn't about acquiring land or subjugating people. Our cause was to nurture new democracies.
Now we are engaged in a new battle for democracy, and we are again enmeshed in clandestine activities. I believe this is a significant time to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice, who understood that the true meaning of life is to make a difference.
President John F. Kennedy said, "A nation reveals itself not only by the individuals it produces, but also by those it honors-those it remembers."
It is impossible to imagine that there would be a day when we no longer remember September 11th , but it is equally hard to realize that a war that lasted 45 years could be forgotten. We must never take anything for granted.
President George Herbert Walker Bush said, "The events we recall today have the safe distance of history. But there will come a time when the eyewitnesses are gone. And that is why we are bound by conscience to remember what happened and to whom it happened."
I am working for a Museum that will honor all the men and women who worked for democracy and freedom during the Cold War. The Museum is not about reviving old hatereds, but rather about promoting lessons learned. It's about teaching democracy and world peace. The Museum will strive for an international and objective understanding of the Cold War.
The Jaycee Creed says, "We believe the brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of nations." The Museum embraces that belief.
It is a deep honor for me to be here and take part in this ceremony. I am extremely proud and excited be included in this group. I know my fellow honorees must be as grateful as I am to the Junior Chamber for being selected, and that the Jaycee Creed will continue to inspire many others who are working to make our country great.
Thank you.
Francis Gary Powers, Jr.
Founder
The Cold War Museum
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