Remarks Upon Presenting the Distinguished Service Medal to Gen. Emmett O'Donnell

I just want to express a warm welcome to all of you at the White House. We are very glad to have some members of the Congress here. I wish they would come up forward--Senators Smathers, Dominick, Barry, Ken. Won't you gentlemen come up and join us? We are all friends.

Mr. Secretary.

[At this point Secretary of the Air Force Eugene M. Zuckert read the citation. The President then resumed speaking.]

I want to express, I am sure, the sentiments of us all in welcoming the General to the White House and also in presenting him on behalf of the United States with this decoration.

While it is given for his recent distinguished service in the Pacific to the United States, the reason for this ceremony is that we wish to honor one of the most distinguished careers in the history of the United States Air Force. General O'Donnell is widely and affectionately known in the Air Force and throughout all of the Armed Forces of our country--a distinguished record in World War II, at the beginning of the war in the Philippines, later in Java, later throughout the entire Pacific. He led the first B-29 raid on Tokyo. He led our first air groups into action in the Korean war and had an outstanding record during that struggle.

The Pacific has been his home, and the air over the Pacific has been, in a sense, his domain. We are very glad to welcome him here and we wish him every success in the future, and regardless of where he goes and what he may do, he will still be part of the United States Air Force. I am sure that he will carry with him the realization that the country is most indebted to him.

General, we are glad to have you here, and we thank you.