Bush: Honor military at Christmastime

WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 (UPI) -- U.S. President George W. Bush Saturday called on Americans to "remember the men and women of our armed forces" at Christmastime.

In his weekly radio address, Bush said the tradition of military service "is as old as our nation itself."

"This year, as you spend time with those you love, I hope you'll also take time to remember the men and women of our armed forces," he said. "Every one of them has volunteered to serve our nation. And with their incredible sacrifices, they preserve the peace and freedom that we celebrate during this season."

Bush recounted the story of U.S. troops on Christmas 1776, an episode in American history famously depicted in a painting showing George Washington and some soldiers crossing the Delaware River.

"After a series of crippling defeats by the British, George Washington's army was exhausted and disheartened," Bush said. "With their terms of service expiring in just a few weeks, many soldiers were planning on leaving the army. And it seemed that without a miracle, America's fight for freedom would be doomed."

Washington's forces crossed the river under cover of darkness in a maneuver Bush said most generals would not have risked.

"In a matter of hours, victory was theirs," Bush said. "Morale immediately improved. And the American people began to believe that our nation possessed the perseverance and courage to protect our liberty."

The president said the legacy of those American soldiers "lives on in the men and women of the United States military" serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, Japan and elsewhere around the world.