756

Stale Papers and Addresses

AWARD OF ARMY-NAVY "E"—ABERDEEN PROVING GROUNDS

September 28, 1942

Aberdeen

The people of our entire State join with the many employees and officials of
the Aberdeen Ordance Plant in satisfaction over today's award of the Army-
Navy "E" for outstanding achievement in the production of vital war materials.

That this is the first time such an award has been given to an Army-oper-
ated plant in the entire Country only serves to make our gratification more
complete. On behalf of every resident of Maryland, therefore, I take great
pleasure in extending heartiest congratulations to the workers and to the Army
officials, who together have accomplished such splendid results in production of
needed war equipment, to a degree far beyond expectations.

Today's award emphasizes a new phase of the Army's effort towards Vic-
tory over the Axis. The many distinguished exploits of Army fighters on many
fronts, and particularly in the decisive field of air warfare, have served to dwarf
recognition of the many other vital, but less publicized, features of the Army's
"all-out" participation in this war for the preservation of our freedoms.

The employees and officials here at Aberdeen can take deep and lasting
satisfaction, not alone from the recognition that is being given them here today,
but even more from the feeling that is in their own hearts, that they are doing
to the utmost the task that has been assigned them. They have truly gone "all-
out" for production, and in so doing have set a worthwhile example for every
worker in every plant in America.

Certainly the incentives are many for every worker, for every resident, of
this great Country to go "all-out" in production, or in any other field of activity
in connection with the war effort. The world-wide struggle in which we are
engaged is not an impersonal thing into which we have entered solely because
of principle. It is only an accident of fate that American cities are not being
burned, that American men and women and children are not being shot or
starved or sent off into exile.

Even now, such things are happening to our Allies, particularly in Russia
and in the southwest Pacific. And especially to Russia must go our thanks, our.
utmost efforts to help, for by the heroic defense of their homeland, and in these
latter days by their valiant stand at Stalingard, they have stalemated to a large
extent the military power of our foremost Axis enemy, and have given America
and the United Nations the vitally-needed time in which to strengthen defenses
and to prepare for the mighty offensive that alone can upset the might of the
barbarians that oppose us.

Because the people of the United States of America have never known any-
thing but freedom is no assurance that slavery cannot come to us. Our fore-
fathers fought and died to achieve freedom because they had known themselves