Not quite five months after his inauguration as president, Richard Nixon delivered a speech to the Air Force Academy Commencement Exercises in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Richard Nixon foundation bills it as “the speech that broke with the establishment”.
On its YouTube site, the foundation says: On June 4, 1969, President Nixon addressed the Air Force Academy Commencement Exercises in Colorado Springs during a critical moment in the United States’ history. When RN inherited the Oval Office, the country was bitterly divided over the Vietnam War and according to many sources, morale in the United States military forces was at an all-time low. In his address, the President saluted the Air Force cadets for their years of study and training, and celebrated them for their pursuit of the military profession at a time when military programs were often ridiculed, nationalism frowned upon, and patriotism misunderstood.”
Complete video, audio and transcript of the speech is provided on this page.