FROM: THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Obama Vows Vets Will Get Care They Earned
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 24, 2014 – The United States will ensure that veterans will get the care they earned while in service to the nation, President Barack Obama said during his weekly address today.
The president also asked Americans to remember the service and sacrifice of their fellow citizens.
The nation’s history “shines with patriots who answered the call to serve, Obama said. “They put their lives on the line to defend the country they loved. And in the end, many gave that ‘last full measure of devotion’ so that our nation would endure.”
Every time an American casts a vote or speaks without fear, they should remember those who died to ensure those rights, the president said.
“Every chance we get to make a better life for ourselves and our families is possible because generations of patriots fought to keep America a land of opportunity, where anyone -- of any race, any religion, from any background -- can make it if they try,” he said.
The United States began with a desire for freedom, and American service members have protected that freedom since the Revolutionary War, Obama said.
“I hope all Americans will take a moment this weekend to think of those who have died in service to our nation,” the president said.
“Say a prayer in their memories and for their families,” he continued. “Lay a flower where they’ve come to rest. Reach out to service members, military families or veterans in your community, or families who have lost loved ones, and let them know that their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.”
But beyond Memorial Day, America must honor and uphold the sacred trust it has with veterans, the president said.
“In recent weeks, we’ve seen again how much more our nation has to do to make sure all our veterans get the care they deserve,” he said. “As commander in chief, I believe that taking care of our veterans and their families is a sacred obligation. It’s been one of the causes of my presidency.”
With the war in Iraq behind America and actions in Afghanistan winding down, “we have to work even harder as a nation to make sure all our veterans get the benefits and opportunities they’ve earned,” Obama said. “They’ve done their duty, and they ask nothing more than that this country does ours -- now and for decades to come.”
