Address at the Dedication of the Presidential Lounge at Union Station for the Use of Service Men and Women.

Mr. Chairman, distinguished guests:

When the Union Station was built many years ago, this room was supposed to be used by the President for the reception of Kings and Queens and Presidents and Prime Ministers of various foreign governments when they visited our Nation's Capital. I have been President for a little over 6 years, and I have used it once.

This room was supposed to be used exclusively by Very Important People or VIP's. As a result it was hardly used at all. But now we are planning to make really good use of this room. We are planning to turn it over for use, 7 days a week and 24 hours a day, by the people who are in fact "Very Important People"--just about the most important people of all--the men and women of every rank and in every branch of our armed services.

During the last war this room was turned over to the USO as a Travelers Aid Lounge, and it was used by some 6 million young men and women in our armed services. They came here to find welcome hospitality, and helpful advice on their way through Washington. That is what we want this room to be used for again. I am sure that the men and women who are going to run it and keep it open around the clock are going to do the same fine job of giving help and assistance to the boys and girls in our armed services just as they did here during World War II.

I have said this time and again that no one is more important than the young men and women of our armed services. I mean that. These young people are the basic defense of this Nation. They stand between our free country and the terrible dangers that threaten it from abroad.

They are the fundamental defense of human freedom all over the world. Free nations look to them for hope and encouragement. Our Communist foes know that the training, the equipment, the character and the discipline, and the morale of these young people constitute the greatest obstacle to their plans for world domination.

We are building up our Armed Forces because we want peace--peace in all the world. We must maintain large armed forces for a long time to come, if we are to protect our freedom and prevent world war three.

This means that all of us have to make sacrifices. We have to give up profits and wage increases--and do without things we would like to have. But the greatest sacrifices are made by our young men and women who have the job of manning defenses in the cause of world peace. All of us ought to do as much as we possibly can to back up our young people in the armed services.

We ought to see to it that they have proper recreation, decent housing for their families, and the kind of treatment they deserve in the towns and cities of this country. They have not been getting the right sort of treatment in some of our towns and cities. Now, let us give it to them.

The Armed Forces of the country depend entirely upon the morale which is given to them from back home. I know that because I was on the frontline when I was much younger than I am now and I know what it means to have the 'people at home interested in supporting the men and women in the service. The young people in the service today are just the same sort of people as those back in 1918. They appreciate more than we will ever know what we do to help them. They appreciate our interest in their welfare more than we realize.

But if we are to do the job we must have an organization to represent us and through which we can work. That organization is the USO--the United Services Organizations.

At my request, the USO was reorganized on January 31st of this year, bringing together the seven voluntary agencies which have had such long experience in meeting the needs of the Armed Forces.

The old team is back together again doing the work which made the letters USO synonymous with hospitality and help for our fighting forces in World War II. Its job today is just as important as it was then,

Today its clubs and lounges offer friendship and help to our service men and women here in America and in lonely outposts around the world. Its Camp Shows are once again bringing a message from home and relief from monotony for our boys and girls in far off places.

Throughout the country, in city after city, the unions are donating their labor, contractors are donating materials, voluntary organizations are donating their services to create USO clubs, lounges, and information centers.

This is a program all of us ought to share. We cannot let our sons and daughters leave home and go into the service feeling that we don't have enough interest and concern for them to make their lives a little easier through such programs as the USO furnishes.

This USO Travelers Aid Lounge here in the Nation's Capital is one example of the way we can stand behind our men and women in uniform. About 2 months ago Harry Vaughan came to me and said that this room wasn't being used, and that it could be used to very good effect by our young men and young women who were passing through our Capital City. Now, I dedicate this lounge today to the service of men and women of this great Republic--the United States of America--this Republic which stands for freedom and liberty for the individual.

I have here the keys to this room, and I am turning them over to two of our young people, one of whom is a member of the WAVES, WAVE Seaman Shirley Burns, and the other, a sergeant in the Army, Sergeant Irving D. Wait. We have here a group of specially invited guests representing all members of the armed services--the men and women from the Army, Navy, the Air Force, and the Marines. I want these young people to accept these keys on behalf of this great country. They represent the most important people in the Nation.

The keys symbolize the gratitude and hospitality of our Nation, as expressed through the USO.

May you return to your homes safe and sound, and be as proud of your service to your Nation as we are proud of you.

Thank you very much.