The Northern Territory news Fri 18 Nov 2011
NT news
The Northern Territory news; NewspaperNT
2011-11-18
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English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin; Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
Darwin
Copyright. Made available by the publisher under licence.
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/236154
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/643046
4 NT NEWS. Friday, November 18, 2011 www.ntnews.com.au www.ntnews.com.au NT NEWS. Friday, November 18, 2011. 53 P U B : S U N D A Y D A T E : 1 8 -N O V -2 0 1 1 P A G E : 4 C O L O R : C (4 ) M (4 ) Y (4 ) K (4 ) Thanks for your incredible sacrifices US PresidentBarack Obama gave this speech to about 2000 troops and guests at the Darwin RAAF base yesterday US President Barack Obama was given a rock star welcome at the Darwin RAAF base yesterday Pictures: BRAD FLEET, ALEX COPPEL HELLO everybody. How are you doing? I know you all have a great Australian cheer. I want to hear it. So, let me say first, Aussie, Aussie Aussie (Response from the crowd: Oi! Oi! Oi!) Laughs I enjoyed that. It is great to be here at RAAF Darwin, I mean Darwin. Im learning to speak Stralian. The Prime Minister said that she wanted to show me Australia at its best. And she is right. You are all true blue. So thank you (Julia Gillard) for bringing us together today, for being such a great friend and champion of our alliance. And for this visit to Australia, which I will remember forever. It is good to be here in the Top End and I thank the people of Darwin for the incredible warm welcome, and Im proud to be the first US president ever to visit the Northern Territory. I want to begin by respectfully acknowledging the traditional owners of this land and their elders, past and present. You are one of the worlds oldest continuous cultures. And I want you to know that your strength, your dignity, is an inspiration to me and people all around the world. I will not give a big speech. Its a little hot. I already gave a big speech. But I really want to spend a little time shaking hands. Im not sure whether Ill be able to reach all the way back there (pointing to the back of the hangar). As the Prime Minister said, we are celebrating the 60th anniversary of our great alliance and we couldnt think of a better group to do it with than you. All of you are the backbone of our alliance. Its an honour to be here with Australias legendary Diggers. You are some of the toughest warriors in the world and so are another group of folks here today, our extraordinary US Marines. Aussies and Americans like you, they stood together since World War I, the war in which so much of your national character was born the incredible Anzac spirit. But in a sense it was here in Darwin where our alliance was born during Australias Pearl Harbour. Against overwhelming odds, our forces fought back with honour and with courage. The Prime Minister and I just paid our respects at the memorial to one of our ships lost that day, the USS Peary. And we looked out at those beautiful blue waters where so many Australian and Americans rest where they fell together. The days after Darwin were tough. Some thought Australia might fall. But we dusted ourselves off, we picked ourselves up, we rebuilt and, thanks to the extraordin ary generation of troops, we went on to victory in the Coral Sea and Midway, and at Milne Bay. And when that war was won and as another raged in Korea, our countries forged a new alliance. We pledged our collective defence for the preservation of peace, and security. And thats a promise we kept ever since. As I said in Parliament ear lier today, our alliance is rooted in bonds between our people and the democratic values that we share and our commitment to stand with each other, to stand through thick and through thin, no matter what. And that includes Afghanistan. So many have served there, including proud members of the 1st Brigade. Like generations before you, you lived and served alongside your American colleagues day in and day out. Today I want to say, thank you. Thank you for a job well done. Thank you for your incredible sacrifices. Thank you for your families sacrifices. And welcome home. Others among you served in Iraq and for dangerous missions around the globe. Among us are families whose loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice in todays wars. This morning, the Prime Minister and I paid our respects at the Australian War Memorial. And in that magnificent space I saw the Roll of Honour with the names of your fallen heroes, including those from Afghanistan. And to the families I say no words are sufficient for the depth of your sacrifice. But we will honour your loved ones by completing their mission, by making sure Afghanistan is never used to attack our people. And Im confident that we are going to succeed. Now here in Darwin and northern Australia we write the next proud chapter in our alliance. As the Prime Minister and I announced yesterday, some of our marines will be rotating through these parts to train and exercise with you, and to work as partners across the region for the security we all want. Today, on behalf of the American people, I want to thank the people, this community, for welcoming our men and women in uniform. We are grateful for your friendship and we are grateful for your hospitality. So we are deepening our alliance and this is the perfect place to do it. I know the training conditions around here are tough, at least thats what Ive heard big open spaces, harsh weather, Aussies, snakes, crocs. In fact, I was just presented with the most unique gift I have ever received as President a crocodile insurance. My wife Michelle will be relieved. I have to admit that when we formed health care in America crocodile insur ance was one thing we left out. But there is another reason we are deepening our alliance here. This region has some of the busiest sealands in the world, which are critical to all our economies. And in times of crisis, from the Bali bombings to East Timor, to relief after a tsunami, Darwin has been a hub, moving out aid, caring for victims, making sure that we do right by the people of this region. And thats what were going to keep doing together. Going forward, our purpose is the same as it was 60 years ago the preservation of peace and security. And in a larger sense you are answering the question once posed by the great Banjo Paterson. Of Australia, he wrote, Has she the strength for the burden laid up on her? Has she the power to guard and protect her own? Well, generations of Australians and you, its men and women in uniform, have given your answer. And America has been honoured to stand with you as allies, enduring commitment to human freedom on this 60th anniversary. We are saying together, proudly, Yes, we have the strength for the burden laid upon us and we have the power to protect and guard our own here in the Asia-Pacific, and all around the world. So thank you all for your extraordinary service and thank you for representing the very best of our two countries. God bless Australia, God bless America and God bless the great alliance between our two peoples. OBAMA IN DARWIN l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l ntnews.com.au