U.S. President George W. Bush delivers remarks at an Independence Day celebration and naturalization ceremony at Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, in Charlottesville, Virginia on July 4, 2008. Bush participated in a ceremony where 72 foreign nationals were sworn-in as American citizens. (UPI Photo/Kevin Dietsch)

In his weekly radio address, the president said U.S. troops are continuing a "proud tradition of defending liberty."

"In the United States, we believe in the rights and dignity of every person," Bush said. "We believe in equal justice, limited government and the rule of law. And we believe in personal responsibility and tolerance towards others."

The president said the American "creed of freedom and equality has lifted the lives of millions of Americans, whether citizens by birth or citizens by choice."

"This creed of freedom has required brave defenders, and every generation of Americans has produced them," he said. "From the soldiers who fought for independence at Bunker Hill and Yorktown, to the Americans who broke the chains of slavery, liberated Europe and Asia from tyranny, and brought down an evil empire, the people of this great land have always risen to freedom's defense."

Bush said Americans owe a debt of gratitude to men and women in uniform today, "in places like Afghanistan and Iraq."

"These brave Americans make it possible for America to endure as a free society," he said.