Contact: White House, Office of the Press Secretary, 202-456-2580

 

CRAWFORD, Texas, May 4 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following text is of remarks by President Bush in commencement address at Greensburg High School as prepared for delivery:

 

I am honored to be at Greensburg High School, home of the Rangers.  As some of you know, I used to be the owner of a baseball team by the same name.  So from one Rangers fan to another, I give you this message: "Beat 'em up, beat 'em up, GHS."

 

I thank you for rescheduling this ceremony, so I could make it.  I know originally you were planning to hold commencement next weekend, the same weekend as my daughter's wedding.  I could have suggested changing the date of the wedding instead, but I think we all know how that idea would have turned out. 

 

It is fitting that we hold commencement on this day because it also marks the one-year anniversary of the tornado that forever changed your lives.  Those of you who lived through the storm remember your ears popping from the change in air pressure.  You remember huddling with your loved ones in basements.  And when it was safe to come out, you remember the shock of seeing your entire town in ruins.  

 

At this ceremony, we celebrate your year-long journey from tragedy to triumph.  We celebrate the resurgence of a town that stood tall when its buildings and homes were laid low.  We celebrate the power of faith, the love of family, and the bonds of friendship that guided you through the disaster.  And we celebrate the resilience of 18 seniors who grew closer together when the world around them blew apart.  When the Class of 2008 walks across this stage today, you will send a powerful message to our entire Nation: Greensburg, Kansas is back and its best days are ahead. 

 

To reach this day, the Class of 2008 has overcome challenges unlike those faced by any other graduating class.  You have spent a year in portable classrooms that look very different from the redbrick school you attended as freshmen.  Many of you have gone home to trailers that lack the comforts of the houses you lost.  And all of you have had to juggle a full load of schoolwork and activities while also working to help your community rebuild.  Through it all, you have shown determination and perseverance, and today, you have earned the right to call yourselves graduates of Greensburg High School.  I congratulate all of you on this tremendous accomplishment. 

 

To reach this day, the Class of 2008 depended on the support of loving families.  Your families are proud of what you have accomplished, and you are grateful for their unconditional love.  I ask all the parents to stand and receive the thanks of the Class of 2008. 

 

To reach this day, the Class of 2008 also relied on the guidance and wisdom of your teachers and administrators.  They have known many of you since your first day of kindergarten, and they were determined to help you graduate in the town where your education began.  Less than four months after the storm, they managed to reopen classes for the start of a new school year.  Under the leadership of your superintendent and principal, the faculty and staff of Greensburg High School have given this community stability and strength in a time of desperate need, and today, we give them our thanks. 

 

Over the past year, the members of your class have relied on fundamental values that have given you strength and comfort as you deal with hardship, heal your community, and rebuild your lives.  And you have learned some important lessons that will serve you well in whatever you do next.  

 

The Greensburg Class of 2008 has learned that America's communities are stronger than any storm.  The tornado tore apart the beams and boards that held your houses together.  But it could not break the bonds of family and faith that hold your town together.  We see the strength of these bonds in the way you held commencement last year on a golf course just weeks after the storm.  We see the strength of these bonds in congregations that have stuck together despite losing their churches.  And we see the strength of these bonds in the caravan of cars that follow your school sports teams wherever they go.  Because the storm destroyed your athletic facilities, you had a full schedule of away games this year.  But even though you were always on the road, you almost always had a home crowd.  

 

When your boys' basketball team made it to the sub-state finals, nearly every person in town turned out for the game.  The team even got a police escort – apparently it was bigger than mine.  Your fans rushed the court after you won on a buzzer beater to advance to the state tournament for the first time in thirty years.  And I've been told that the first person out of the stands was Principal Fulton.  The basketball team finished with an outstanding record of 19 and 6, and along with all your other school teams, it gave this town a reason to cheer.   

 

As the Class of 2008 ventures into the world, your hometown will always be a source of stability, comfort, and pride.  Greensburg was where many of your parents and grandparents grew up.  It was where you went to church with your neighbors on Sundays.  And it was where you wanted home to be after the storm.  Wherever you go, you will be able to rely on the ties of family, faith, and friends that were forged here.  And you will always carry Greensburg in your heart. 

 

The Greensburg Class of 2008 has learned that Americans will always rebuild stronger and better than before.  Often in life, you are dealt a hand that you do not expect.  The test of a community and a people is how you play that hand.  Over the past seven years, I have seen Americans in communities across our country overcome some tough hands.  I have seen the resolve of the American spirit in the wake of the terrorist attacks of Nine-Eleven, the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina, eight hurricanes in Florida, tornadoes in states like Missouri, Tennessee, and Alabama, and the wildfires of southern California and Oregon.  And I have seen this same resolve in the people of Greensburg, Kansas.  

 

When I visited Greensburg last year, I met Kaye Hardinger standing outside the wreckage of her home.  She joked that she would have invited me in for coffee but she hadn't had time to dust yet.  Today, Kaye lives in a trailer with her family in a nearby town.  But she continues to plan for the day when she and her family move back to Greensburg and rebuild.  And Kaye, when that day comes, I hope to take you up on that cup of coffee.

 

When I visited Greensburg last year, I also met a man named Kelly Estes.  Kelly is a John Deere dealer.  I remember walking with Kelly and his family just days after the storm hit.  He lost more than $18 million worth of equipment.  But Kelly was ready to look to the future.  After caring for his employees who lost their homes, he began making plans to bring his business back to Greensburg.  Earlier this year, he broke ground on a new dealership that will be a model of energy efficiency, create more than two dozen new jobs, and inject new vitality into Greensburg's economy. 

 

People like Kaye and Kelly are part of a more hopeful future for Greensburg.  The leaders of your town understand that out of the devastation of the storm comes an opportunity to rebuild with a free hand and a clean slate.  They envision a future where new jobs and opportunity flourish, where every public building meets the highest environmental standards, and where the beauty of rural America meets the great possibilities of new technology.  This community is dedicated to putting the "green" in Greensburg.  As you work to achieve this vision, the Federal government will honor its commitments, and stand by you. 

 

Ultimately, the future of Greensburg and the future of our Nation will belong to the young people here today.  The education that you have received at this school will prepare you for a lifetime of opportunity and achievement.  And the lessons that you have learned in this town will give you the strength to rise above any obstacle in your path.  You have seen life at its most difficult.  You have emerged stronger from it.  Now I call on you to take this spirit forward and help build an America that is as resilient as this community and as courageous as its people.

 

The Greensburg Class of 2008 has also learned what it means to serve a higher cause.  In the hours after the storm, your concern was not for what you had lost.  It was for the safety of the people you loved.  Senior Class President Jarrett Schaef remembers looking for people to help in the dark of night.  Jarrett, I appreciate the leadership you showed that night.  When someone suggested you leave town, you refused.  Here is what you said: "I hadn't found nearly enough of my friends, and I wasn't going to leave until I had." 

 

Jarrett was not alone that night.  Many of your family members rushed to Greensburg to offer love and support.  Other folks from nearby towns responded as well – compassionate citizens who came here to do their duty to help a neighbor in need. 

 

You will always remember these generous and caring souls.  And you will always remember the thousands of other volunteers who descended upon Greensburg in the months that followed.  These volunteers came from all across our Nation.  One of them was a student named Christopher Skrzypczak.  Last year, Christopher almost lost his life when a tornado tore through his high school in Enterprise, Alabama.  So when he saw the news reports about Greensburg, he wanted to help.  He raised money to help purchase hundreds of new books for your library.  And he drove with his family all the way from Enterprise to Greensburg to deliver them in person.  Volunteers like Christopher brought hope to this community, and they set an inspiring example for our entire Nation. 

 

Over the past year, students in Greensburg have also answered the call to serve others.  Despite all that you have lost, each of you has discovered that you have far more to give.  Over the summer, many of you worked with AmeriCorps to clear debris and help the needy.  On Greensburg's Make a Difference Day, you helped plant new trees and flowers in parks.  And when a tornado hit Jackson, Tennessee in February, elementary and middle school students worked with their teachers to raise more than $5,000 in aid for the victims.  In these acts of service, we are reminded that as much as Greensburg changes, the compassion of its citizens is a constant source of strength.   

 

One member of your class who represents that compassion is Aaron Widner.  This fall, Aaron decided to enlist in the Marine Corps.  Like many other courageous young men and women across America, he has stepped forward to defend our freedom during a time of war, and we honor him today.  Aaron, I wish you best of luck at boot camp, and I look forward to serving as your Commander-in-Chief. 

 

On this graduation day, I ask every member of your class to devote your lives to a cause larger than yourselves.  Over the past year, you have learned that you can never predict what tomorrow will bring.  But wherever the winds of life take you, you can be certain that serving others will always make your lives more fulfilling.

 

As we watch the Class of 2008 graduate today, the dark clouds from one year ago have parted and made way for a brighter future.  We will always hold in our hearts those who lost their lives.  But with faith in He who rides above the mighty storm, we go forth with confidence that Greensburg will rise again.  I thank you for having me today.  I congratulate the Class of 2008.  And I wish you all the best.  May God bless you, may God bless Greensburg, and may God bless America.