Remarks Upon Presenting the U.S. Savings Bond Minuteman Award to the Tactical Air Command's 12th Air Force

General Clark, General Bond, ladies and gentlemen, mostly gentlemen:

I wanted so much to come here this morning in order to visit a good neighbor.

I wanted to come and salute the 12th Air Force, to thank you, to congratulate you, and to express my appreciation to all the people who support this mission.

The 12th Air Force has won many honors in your young lifetime. I have come here now to present you another one. And this is one that you must not recognize lightly.

This is the Minuteman Flag.

You know, as our Nation is challenged-and it is on many fronts, many times each year--we have to call upon all of our people to make their contribution in different ways. Some of them supply courage, brain, brawn, daring, and adventure.

Some of us support the men at the front in many ways--in attitudes, in helping their morale, in giving them good weapons, in paying taxes in order to see that they have the best equipment.

But this Minuteman Flag is what we call the patriot's emblem, because it declares that more than 90 percent of those of you who make up this command--nine out of every ten--have bought savings bonds in 1967.

So you not only supply the brain, the brawn, the horsepower, the will, and the courage to protect this country--you are supplying your part of the money.

I don't know how you feel, but I think I know how I would feel, and how I do feel, when I sit back here in another arena, on another platform, and see you carry all the responsibilities you carry. I want to help some.

I think all Americans ought to want to help some.

One of the things I am proudest of is the men who do the most fighting do the most financing, too.

The Defense Department has one of the best records for buying defense bonds, I guess because some of you sometime in your life have been told that your daddies bought thrift stamps and baby bonds to carry us through other critical periods.

It gives us all a lot of pride to see those of you who wear a uniform do what you are doing.

Today for the first time we are awarding these Minuteman Flags to battlefield units. In Vietnam today, 115 units fly this flag. And they are not alone.

In back of those men out there we have here at home tens of millions of bond buyers in the Defense Establishment, in the Federal Government, throughout all of our big production plants in this country.

These patriotic Americans today hold savings bonds and Freedom Shares that are valued at $52 billion. That is almost twothirds of what our defense budget will be this year.

Because you have done that, we are stronger in our freedom and we are stronger in our finances.

I think one thing you men ought to know is that America's prosperity depends on the soundness of the American dollar. Every bond you buy strengthens the dollar you get in your paycheck.

The time is going to come when you are going to use these bonds, when you are going to need them. And your investment in freedom is going to pay off.

This is a very pleasant assignment for me. I am glad that General Clark and General Bond are here to salute the 12th Air Force.

I am glad that Congressman Pickle could come here and join us.

But most of all, I am proud of you men who, out of the pitiful earnings that you get, and the modicum pay that is in your envelope, still think enough of your country not only to give your life for it but to invest some of your dollars in it.

That is what is going to preserve freedom. That is what is going to save this land.

Other people want what we have, and you are going to protect it. We are proud of you. Thank you.