COUNTERING MILITARY RECRUITMENT
Articles: Military Recruiting: General
Bush gives pep talk to disaster-hit Scout jamboree
Adam Entous, Reuters
Aug 1, 2005
FORT A.P. HILL, Va., July 31 (Reuters) - President George W.Bush delivered a pep talk on Sunday to thousands of Boy
Scouts, urging them not to waver after four tragic deaths
and a rash of heat-related illnesses cast a pall over their
camping "Jamboree."
"The men you lost were models of good citizenship ... And
you Scouts honor them by living up to the ideals of the
scouting they served," Bush told an estimated crowd of
50,000 Boy Scouts, Scout leaders and visitors.
The president twice postponed his visit to the Scout
gathering, which at times had the air of a U.S. Army
recruitment drive.
Men in black "Army" T-shirts coached young boys to chant
"OO-rah" like soldiers. A giant "ARMY" hot-air balloon
bobbed overhead.
Bush said the Boy Scouts "understand that freedom must be
defended," and touted what he called the "armies of
liberation." The Army has fallen behind its recruiting goals
amid the Iraq war.
"When you follow your conscience and the ideals you've sworn
as a Scout, there is no limit to what you can achieve for
our country," Bush told the crowd, which chanted "USA, USA."
The National Boy Scout Jamboree turned tragic last Monday
when four adult Scout leaders were killed while pitching a
huge dining tent on the grounds of the U.S. Army's Fort A.P.
Hill, south of Washington.
One of the giant poles intended as a support for the tent
came into contact with an overhead power line. The victims
were all from Alaska.
Three days later in California, disaster struck Scouts
hiking in Sequoia National Park. Lightening killed their
adult troop leader and a teen-age Scout -- making it six
Scout fatalities in less than a week.
"Laura and I have joined Americans across our country in
extending our sympathy and prayers to the families of the
Scout leaders who lost their lives so tragically," Bush
said. "These men will always be remembered for their
leadership and kindness."
Bush had originally planned to visit Fort A.P. Hill on
Wednesday. Scouts waited for hours in the blazing sun for
him to arrive, some collapsing from the high temperatures
and humidity. More than 300 had to be treated for
heat-related illnesses.
But at the last minute, severe storms prompted the White
House to postpone Wednesday's visit. Bush's speech was
postponed again on Thursday.
More than 32,000 Boy Scouts and leaders from across the
United States are attending the 10-day Jamboree.
One of the nation's largest youth programs, Boy Scouts learn
outdoor sports and leadership skills. The jamboree, held
every four years, features such activities as archery,
canoeing and rappelling.
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