LAKEWOOD — Less than 24 hours after the world learned Osama bin Laden was dead, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin took the stage at Colorado Christian University to headline a group of speakers who paid tribute to American troops and hailed the killing of the world’s most-wanted man.
“Their courage and their determination brought us justice,” Palin said of those who hunted the terrorist figurehead for nearly 10 years. “They know that freedom isn’t free. It’s a God-given right and worth fighting for.”
Palin never mentioned President Barack Obama by name — instead saying, “We thank President (George W.) Bush for having made the right calls to set up this victory.”
The death of the man Palin called “the public face of Islamic terrorism” struck a recurring chord throughout “Tribute to the Troops,” which had been in the works long before bin Laden’s death.
Proceeds from the event, attended by about 1,000 people, benefited the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, a nonprofit group that provides grief counseling and other support services to the families of fallen American troops.
Tickets were $25 apiece. Also, a silent auction raised another $24,000.
Bonnie Carroll, who founded TAPS in 1994 after her husband died while serving in the National Guard, praised the diligence of the troops and remarked on the importance of killing bin Laden.
“The supposedly uncatchable has been caught and killed,” Carroll said.
John Andrews, the host of the event and head of the Centennial Institute at Colorado Christian University, called bin Laden’s death “a great victory of American arms,” and retired Army Gen. William “Jerry” Boykin said the successful Navy SEAL attack on bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan was a huge boost to American morale.
Army Staff Sgt. Amy Justice, a 2010 Colorado Christian graduate currently deployed in Kuwait, addressed the crowd via Skype. She expressed thanks for the support of Americans back home.
“Thank you so much for all your support,” Justice said. “You may never know how far just one thought of us, how far that takes us.”
Striking a more political note, Palin said American troops need clear leadership. She cited the Obama administration’s policy in Libya as an example of “a lack of clarity.”
“We can’t fight every war,” she said. “We can’t undo every injustice in the world.
“We don’t go looking for dragons to slay.”
Palin also questioned whether Pakistan helped harbor bin Laden, noting he was living in “relative luxury” when he was killed.
The former Republican vice presidential candidate and potential 2012 presidential challenger closed with a message that American soldiers’ willingness to take up arms against terrorism proves the nation is as great as ever.
“We are not a nation in decline,” Palin said. “We will remain the world’s abiding beacon of freedom.”
The Associated Press and 9News contributed to this report.
Kyle Glazier: 303-954-1638 or kglazier@denverpost.com
