Remarks Upon Accepting a Piece of the Rock of Corregidor as a Gift From the People of the Philippines.
Mr. Ambassador, Colonel, Major:
It gives me great pleasure to accept this token from the Philippine people for the people of the United States of America.
It is the symbol of our friendship and partnership in war and in peace, and it will be a continuing symbol of our friendship from now on.
I shall send it to the Smithsonian Institution here in Washington, where almost all the American people can have a look at it. Sometime or other everybody in the United States goes to the Smithsonian Institution, and I want this token of friendship from the Philippine people to be in a position where every American can see it when they come to Washington.
I am very thankful for this presentation, and I appreciate it most highly, Mr. Ambassador, Colonel, and Major. It is very kind of you.
Note: The President spoke at at 12:10 p.m. in his office at the White House. His opening words referred to Joaquin M. Elizalde, Philippine Ambassador to the United States, and to Col. Harry Peck and Maj. Manuel Acosta who took part in the action of Corregidor and Bataan during World War II.
The presentation took place during Philippine Achievement Week, which marked the progress of the Philippine Republic during its 5 years of independence.
Harry S Truman, Remarks Upon Accepting a Piece of the Rock of Corregidor as a Gift From the People of the Philippines. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/230338
