Now, knowing how such an attack can threaten our security, I marvel at the thought of what the British people must have gone through during the long, bloody Battle of Britain. By sheer determination, ingenuity, and unprecedented courage, the Spitfire (and Hurricane) RAF pilots stopped Hitler in his tracks, preserving the freedom every generation since has enjoyed so complacently.
I shall drive my Spitfire with pride, in honor of the proud people of England, and everyone else who has given so much to provide for me the privilege to drive her; and I will tell the story of her namesake to anyone who will listen, and perhaps we will all learn to take less of what we've been given for granted.
12 September 2001
