- description
- # Speech Content
## Overview
This entity is a textual content fragment labeled "Speech Content," extracted from lines 157 to 178 of a larger document. It consists of transcribed remarks delivered by President William Jefferson Clinton concerning U.S. Navy training operations on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. The speech was recorded on January 31, 2000, and forms part of an official communication released by the National Security Council.
## Context
The content is situated within [Vieques Remarks](arke:01KG2TSWADQKM6FJC6H5J03W80), a formal legal document that compiles the president’s video remarks addressing the political and social tensions surrounding military training on Vieques. This segment follows [President William Jefferson Clinton Video Remarks](arke:01KG2TTKA4SVC7X6E55T5VHJH9), which provides the title and date of the address, and precedes the [Introduction](arke:01KG2TTKDJSSN42XWXJHJ9NV69) segment. The text was extracted from a plain-text file ([pdf-01KG2T4RBKQNQRCMSR037EDY5M.txt](arke:01KG2TSDH74M9V91ZF5BXGKK3C)) generated from a scanned PDF, and is archived within the [Test Collection](arke:01KG2T49K0H5GDRB0G4YDTPG8H), a repository used for document processing and metadata testing.
## Contents
The excerpt begins with President Clinton expressing condolences for the death of David Sanes, a civilian who died in a Navy accident on Vieques in April 1999, and acknowledges the injuries of others. He recognizes the widespread concern in Puerto Rico about ongoing military training and the resulting public demand for its cessation. As Commander in Chief, Clinton emphasizes the necessity of high-quality training for U.S. service members, noting the critical role Vieques has played since 1941 in preparing the Atlantic Fleet for combat operations. He acknowledges the lack of comparable alternative training sites, framing the issue as both a national defense and local community concern. The passage sets the stage for a proposed resolution involving collaboration with Puerto Rican leaders, leading into an announcement about empowering the people of Vieques to determine the island’s future through a democratic process.
- description_generated_at
- 2026-01-28T17:38:34.980Z
- description_model
- Qwen/Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507
- description_title
- Speech Content
- end_line
- 178
- extracted_at
- 2026-01-28T17:36:09.197Z
- extracted_by
- structure-extraction-lambda
- start_line
- 157
- text
- My fellow citizens: last April, there was a tragic accident at the Navy range on Vieques. I
mourned the loss to the family of David Sanes (SAN-ness), and the suffering of the others
injured that day.
That accident focused attention on the longstanding concerns of the island about training
operations there. It led to a strong view in the Commonwealth that the Navy should end its
training on Vieques. I understand why many people feel that way.
At the same time, as Commander in Chief, I must do all I can to ensure that our servicemen and
women get the very best training possible. I know that Puerto Rico understands that as well as
anyone. Many Puerto Ricans have served with distinction in our armed forces. You have never
turned your back on your duty to share in the defense of our country.
Since 1941, every action that our Atlantic fleet has been involved in started with Vieques
training. The reason this is such a difficult issue is because right now, there are no alternative
sites that give training comparable to Vieques.
provide the combined training opportunities.
For the past nine months, we have been working closely with Governor Rosello and Resident
Commissioner Romero-Barcelio to find a solution that meets both our training needs and the needs
of the people of Puerto Rico. Today, I am announcing a course of action that will give the
people of Vieques themselves the right to determine the future of the island while – at the same
- title
- Speech Content