releases: https://web.archive.org/web/20141111183900/http://schock.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397673
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://web.archive.org/web/20141111183900/http://schock.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=397673 | Rep. Schock delivers keynote speech on 25th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall | 2014-11-10 | 2014 | 2014-11 | Republican | House | IL | Aaron Schock | S001179 | web.archive.org | legacy | Eureka, Illinois – Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL) celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall at Eureka College on Friday, delivering a keynote address to a group of ceremony attendees at former President Ronald Reagan’s alma mater. Joining Schock in honoring the historic event was the Consul General of Ukraine, Andriy Pravdnyk, and U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Matthew Caulfield, a former military assistant to President Reagan. Pictured left to right: John Morris, Ronald Reagan Society Director; Andriy Pravenyk, Consel General of the Ukraininan Consulate in Chicago; Ella Stewart, Eureka College Senior Reagan Fellow; Maj. Gen. Matthew Caulfield, USMC (Ret.); Rep. Aaron Schock; J. David Arnold, President, Eureka College “As we mark the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, it’s important to remember that a quarter century ago it didn’t seem inevitable that communism would end up – as President Reagan predicted – on the ash heap of history,” Schock said. “The secret to Reagan’s accomplishment is not that he was a Great Communicator, though he certainly was. The secret to winning the Cold War was that the ideas he communicated – the principles and beliefs – were true. They were informed by history. They were rooted in experience. And they corresponded to reality.” During his remarks, Schock also addressed the current need for effective leadership to counter the growing threat of Islamist terrorists. “The threat of Islamic terrorism we now face across the world is not unlike the Soviet threat. And the way to defeat it will require the same kind of leadership . . . the dangers before us are immense, and the threat is growing. The cost of American life has been great, but the cost will be greater if we do not prevail.” Calling for an end to “our national identity crisis,” Schock pointed to the report of the 9/11 Commission as a framework to address the threat of Islamic terrorism. “Reading the commission report is a daunting challenge, not just because it reveals how ill-prepared we were for the attacks. But because it exposes how far off track current policy really is.” “The enemies of freedom are never content to stay within their own borders. They are expansionist. They are parasitic. Unable to thrive under their own bankrupt ideologies, they must invade and suppress. They must steal what they cannot earn, and destroy with force whom they cannot persuade through the power of their ideas,” Schock said. The ceremony at Eureka College included a flag procession of the more than 20 countries that were liberated by democracy and the demise of Cold War-era Communism and a visit to the Ronald Reagan Peace Garden, where a section of the Berlin Wall is on permanent display. This is the sixth year Eureka College has held the ceremony. To view additional images from the event, click thumbnails below: ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |