President Bush says General Pace was a skilled and trusted advisor in a time of war.
"He helped transform our military into a more efficient and effective force in America's defense," said Mr. Bush.
Pacewas the first Marine to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffof the military, capping a career that began as a 22-year-old platoonleader in the Vietnam War.
"On his final day in uniform, GeneralPace took a quiet journey to the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial," headded. "He searched the names engraved in the sleek granite and thenfound a spot where he placed the four stars that had adorned hisuniform. Along with those stars, he attached notes addressed to the menwho died under his first command some four decades ago. The notes said:'These are yours, not mine. With love and respect, your platoon leader,Pete Pace.'"
As the nation's highest-ranking military officer,Pace occasionally disagreed publicly with senior Bush administrationofficials over interrogation techniques and Iran's involvement in thewar in Iraq. He was not re-nominated to his post in 2007, becauseDefense Secretary Robert Gates said he expected a contentiousconfirmation hearing with congressional Democrats.
PresidentBush also awarded the Medal of Freedom to Dr. Anthony Fauci who is thedirector of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseasesat the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Fauci is one of theworld's leading AIDS researchers and has been instrumental indeveloping strategies for the treatment of the disease and thedevelopment of a vaccine to prevent HIV infection.
At the WhiteHouse ceremony, Mr. Bush also presented the Medal of Freedom toneurosurgeon Benjamin Carson, former Health and Human ServicesSecretary Donna Shalala, and federal judge Laurence Silberman. Thepresident recognized Holocaust survivor and former CaliforniaCongressman Tom Lantos with a posthumous Medal of Freedom accepted byhis wife, Annette.