President Bush at the White House on May 6th celebrated military spouses.

Guests sit on the South Lawn of the White House Tuesday, May 6, 2008, as President George W. Bush delivers remarks in celebration of Military Spouse Day, recognizing the impact spouses have on service members and honoring their volunteer service in educational, social and community endeavors. White House photo by Chris Greenberg Full Story

Country recording artist Phil Vassar sings the national anthem Tuesday, May 6, 2008, during Military Spouse Day celebration on the South Lawn of the White House. White House photo by Chris Greenberg Full Story

Excerpt from the President’s speech:

So here’s why this event is happening. Twenty-four years ago, President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation recognizing Military Spouses Day. And my own judgment is, is that we need to recognize military spouses every day. (Applause.) But this is the time of year that we honor the wives and husbands who support our men and women in uniform. And today, it’s my honor to welcome you here to the White House. I can’t think of a better place in which to say thanks. Whether you’re signed up for military life at the recruiting station or at the altar rail, each person — (laughter) — each person is a volunteer. And when you married your soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, or Coast Guardsman, you became more than just part of a family — you became part of our nation’s military family.

It’s not an easy life being in the military, particularly when we’re at war, and I understand that. For many of you it means packing up your belongings and moving on short notice. I suspect a lot of you have been on the move much more than you thought you’d be on the move. (Laughter.) For others it means living in a foreign land, which can be exciting, but it also means you’re far away from your extended family, and that’s hard. And for many of you, it means missing a spouse as he or she serves on the front lines in this battle to secure our country and to spread freedom for the sake of peace.

Being left behind when a loved one goes to war has got to be one of the hardest jobs in the United States military. Talked to a lot of folks who have been in the theater, as well as spouses, and it is clear to me the harder job in many ways is to be the person at home taking care of the kids and having sleepless nights as you pray for safe return.

You’re carrying out the burdens — you’re serving our country. And it’s noble service. And it’s necessary service. And the United States [of] America owes you a huge debt of gratitude. And so, on behalf of our people, thank you for what you’re doing. (Applause.)

One of the things I have learned in seven and a half years as the President is, as you’ve served our country, you also serve each other. I’ve spent a lot of time visiting our military bases here in America and across the world. And it’s been a great experience. What I’ve found is that there’s always a close-knit community, people who are sharing a special bond, and people who take time to look out after people. It’s a — it’s been an amazing experience to see the fabric of our military communities firsthand, and today we’re going to honor six military spouses who have done a little extra to serve your communities and serve the nation.

Thank you Military Spouses for your service to our country.

Technorati Tags: Military Spouse Appreciation Day, May 9th 2008, Military Appreciation Month