 decided to be the best that you can be and that is the ultimate aim of any athletic competition and of life itself for that matter and I applaud you for that but also because you have opened a door a door of better understanding a door to limitless possibilities a door to dreams which before these last few years were thought impossible and because of this you have indeed brought a new dimension to the word hero you are all heroes and not just to other physically challenged individuals but to all all of us who have ever had a mountain to climb or a hurdle to leap over you truly have taken the cliche yes I can and you have made it come alive and because of that I am personally so proud to be with you today I'm also pleased that because of all your efforts and your hard work it was thought important enough that physically challenged athletes be included in the summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles you have now achieved the ultimate recognition of an athlete you have made your own horizons and you now own your own future so with that in mind I wish you all well good luck in the games and have a wonderful wonderful time you deserve it God bless you all Kathy Lee Crosby our thank you very much mr. Williams is accorded full respect as a fellow human being societies must take action to enable those who are disabled to realize their interview essence they are a great credit ladies and gentlemen the president of the United States ladies and gentlemen at this time we welcome the competing nations to the international games for the disabled being held here on Nassau County Long Island I ask you to rise direct your attention to the blue night's drum and bugle core in the center of the field and as you rise your attention is directed to the northeast gate for the arrival of the nations please rise the first nation to arrive was the host nation in 1980 the Netherlands their flag bearer is bird bottoming bird is 25 years of age competes in the track and field events the reason he was chosen to be their flag bearers that he competed during the 1980 Olympics the national flag of the Netherlands with its horizontal stripes of red white and blue dates from the 1916 hundreds the Dutch tricolor became a symbol of liberty and inspired other revolutionary flags around the world today Dutch citizens are permitted to fly an orange pendant above the tricolor on occasions of national importance bird bottoming and the delegation from the Netherlands and now entering the field of play the country of Argentina from South America the flag bearer for Argentina is Hugo Villaba you'll notice that the flag above and below the white central stripe of Argentina's national flag are two stripes in a shade of blue known as Celeste this color together with white became a national symbol early in the 19th century the May Sun commemorates the appearance of the Sun through the clouds and independence for Argentina Australia the flag bearer for Australia is Gora Gerhardt Gora is 30 competes in track and field events the reason he was chosen to carry the flag of his native land he competed in the 1980 games was the gold medal winner in the long jump at Holland the basis of the design of this flag is the British Blue Enzin with the addition of the five stars of the Southern Cross the constellation in the fly and a larger star known as the Commonwealth star below the canton the seven points of the star represent Australia's six states and one territory Australia from Europe we welcome Austria a tricolor with equal horizontal stripes of red white and red is the national flag of Austria the state flag is the state arms a black eagle wearing broken chains in the center according to the tradition the red and white colors originated in the bloodstained tunic of Leopold Duke of Bebeburg who fought in the Battle of Plutomus in 1191 the only part of his tunic unstained by blood was the waste where his sword belt had been ladies and gentlemen Austria and now the delegation from Belgium the flag bearer is van Doren Noel van is 44 years of age he competes with their tennis team the reason he was chosen is that he is the eldest athlete on their delegation and a great human competitor their flag a vertical tricolor of black gold and red almost square in shape describing the flag of their nation these were the colors of a horizontally striped flag which appeared when the province of Rabat rose up against Austrian rule in 1787 the vertical design was adopted in 1830 when Belgium gained its independence from the Netherlands Belgium Mr. President ladies and gentlemen this is going to be a very long procession we ask that you take your seats and enjoy the rest of the procession as the nations arrive and now Brazil the flag bearer Mario Sergei fontes the spirit of Denmark it may be the oldest national flag to be used continuously since it originated Egypt the flag of Africa's nation of Egypt is a tricolor of equal horizontal stripes of red white and black with the arms of the Federation in the center of the white stripe the arms consist of a gold hot representing the tribe to which Mohammed the founder of Islam belong and below it a scroll bearing the words Federation of Arab Republics in Arabic script the flag flown in Egypt has the name of the country beneath the scroll and was adopted as the official flag in 1972 the Farrell Islands the flag bearer Christopher Rasmussen Christopher is 20 and will be competing in these swimming events the Farrell Islands officially adopted the flag in 1948 the national and identifies it as one of the Scandinavian group a red cross fimbriated in white on a dark blue field with the vertical limb of the cross set towards the hoist the design dates from 1915 it became the official national flag when Iceland gained independence from Denmark in 1944 and now arriving the athletes of India the flag bearer of Pine District Disabled Sports and Rehabilitation Association carrying the flag of India the flag is a horizontal tricolor of orange white and green the orange represents the Hindu majority green the Muslim minority and white a desire for peace between them in the center of the white stripe in dark blue the ancient Buddhist shark a symbol and now Indonesia the flag bearer Katam Santoso Katam is 31 and is a national metal holder Indonesia's national flag is a simple by color of two equal horizontal stripes red and white that is a bridee linka bridee linka is carrying the flag the youngest member of the blind team a bronze medal winner and discus in the European games of 1980 the Irish flag was first inspired by the tricolor of the French Revolution it became the official national flag of Ireland in 1922 the colors of a symbolic purpose green represents the fertile countryside of Ireland and its Catholic people orange the Protestants of Ulster and white the desire for peace and now Israel the flag bearer Zeve Karsh and was made in America in 1891 and was officially adopted by the new state of Israel in 1948