Just 2 weeks ago, in the midst of a terrible tragedy on the Potomac, we saw again the spirit of American heroism at its finest—­the heroism of dedicated rescue workers saving crash victims from icy waters.  And we saw the heroism of one of our young government employees, Lenny Skutnik, who, when he saw a woman lose her grip on the helicopter line, dived into the water and dragged her to safety.

And then there are countless, quiet, everyday heroes of American who sacrifice long and hard so their children will know a better life than they’ve known; church and civic volunteers who help to feed, clothe, nurse, and teach the needy; millions who’ve made our nation and our nation’s destiny so very special—­unsung heroes who may not have realized their own dreams themselves but then who reinvest those dreams in their children.  Don’t let anyone tell you that America’s best days are behind her, that the American spirit has been vanquished.  We’ve seen it triumph too often in our lives to stop believing in it now.

A hundred and twenty years ago, the greatest of all our Presidents delivered his second State of the Union message in this Chamber.  “We cannot escape history,” Abraham Lincoln warned.  “We of this Congress and this administration will be remembered in spite of ourselves.”  The “trial through which we pass will light us down, in honor or dishonor, to the latest (last) generation.”

Well, that President and that Congress did not fail the American people.  Together they weathered the storm and preserved the Union.  Let it be said of us that we, too, did not fail; that we, too, worked together to bring America through difficult times.  Let us so conduct ourselves that two centuries from now, another Congress and another President, meeting in this Chamber as we are meeting, will speak of us with pride, saying that we met the test and preserved for them in their day the sacred flame of liberty—­this last, best hope of man on Earth.

God bless you, and thank you.

Note:  The President spoke at 9 p.m. in the House Chamber at the Capitol.  He was introduced by Thomas P. O’Neill, Jr., Speaker of the House of Representatives.  The address was broadcast live on nationwide radio and television.

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State of the Union Address
Ronald Reagan
January 25, 1983

Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, distinguished Members of the Congress, honored guests, and fellow citizens: 

This solemn occasion marks the 196th time that a President of the United States has reported on the State of the Union since George Washington first did so in 1790.  That’s a lot of reports, but there’s no shortage of new things to say about the State of the Union.  The very key to our success has been our ability, foremost among nations, to preserve our lasting values by making change work for us rather than against us.

I would like to talk with you this evening about what we can do together—­not as Republicans and Democrats, but as Americans—­to make tomorrow’s America happy and prosperous at home, strong and respected abroad, and at peace in the world.