| 00:45:4851 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
Thank you, Ric Shinseki, for your extraordinary service to our country and your tireless commitment to our veterans; to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta;... |
| 00:46:3917 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
There are many honors and responsibilities that come with this job. But none are more humbling than serving as your Commander-in-Chief. And I’m... |
| 00:46:561 min. |
Obama, Barack - President
Here, where our heroes come to rest, we come to show our gratitude. A few moments ago, I laid a wreath to pay tribute to all who have given their lives... |
| 00:47:5726 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
To all our nation’s veterans, whether you fought in Salerno or Samarra, Khe Sanh or the Korengal, you are part of an unbroken chain of men and women... |
| 00:48:2337 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
When I spoke here on this day two years ago, I said there would be a day before long when this generation of servicemen and women would begin to step... |
| 00:49:0038 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
For many, that day has come. Over the past decade, more than 5 million Americans have worn the uniform of the United States Armed Forces. Of these,... |
| 00:49:3833 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
In Iraq, they have battled a brutal insurgency, trained new security forces and given the Iraqi people the opportunity to forge a better future. In... |
| 00:50:1133 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
Because of their incredible efforts, we can stand here today and say with confidence -– the tide of war is receding. In just a few weeks, the long... |
| 00:50:4431 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
For many military families, this holiday season will be a season of homecomings. And over the next five years, more than 1 million Americans in uniform... |
| 00:51:1534 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
This generation of service members -– this 9/11 Generation -– has borne the burden of our security during a hard decade of sacrifice. Our servicemen... |
| 00:51:4949 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
Only 27 years old on average, these young men and women have shattered the false myth of their generation’s apathy, for they came of age in an era... |
| 00:52:3829 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
That is something for America to be proud of. That is the spirit America needs now -- a stronger, newer spirit of service and of sacrifice. That spirit... |
| 00:53:0734 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
So on this Veterans Day, let us commit ourselves to keep making sure that our veterans receive the care and benefits that they have earned; the opportunity... |
| 00:53:4132 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
See, when our men and women sign up to become a soldier or a sailor, an airman, Marine, or Coast Guardsman, they don’t stop being a citizen. When... |
| 00:54:1342 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
Our government needs their patriotism and sense of duty. And that’s why I’ve ordered the hiring of more veterans by the federal government. (Applause.)... |
| 00:54:5540 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
Our communities have always drawn strength from our veterans’ leadership. Think of all who have come home and settled on in a quiet life of service... |
| 00:55:3538 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
There are also so many in this young generation who still feel that tug to serve, but just don’t quite know where to turn. So on this Veterans Day,... |
| 00:56:1332 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
If you’re a veteran looking for new ways to serve, check out Serve.gov. If you’re a civilian looking for new ways to support our veterans and our... |
| 00:56:4536 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
I say this because recently, I received a letter from a Vietnam veteran. She wasn’t writing to tell me about her own experience. She just wanted... |
| 00:57:2124 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
So Jeremy chooses to serve where he can best -– with his local Vietnam Veterans of America chapter in Beaver, Pennsylvania. He calls them “the... |
| 00:57:4530 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
“He worked tirelessly,” wrote his mother. “He never asked to take a break. He didn’t stop to talk about his beloved Steelers. He didn’t... |
| 00:58:1518 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
Well, Jeremy, I want you to know, yes, I am proud of you. I could not be prouder of you, and your country is proud of you. Thank you for serving our... |
| 00:58:3337 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
And Jeremy’s example -- one young man’s example -- is one that we must all now follow. Because after a decade of war, the nation we now need to... |
| 00:59:1039 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
We know it will be hard. We have to overcome new threats to our security and prosperity, and we’ve got to overcome the cynical voices warning that... |
| 00:59:4927 sec. |
Obama, Barack - President
You, our veterans, fight so our children won’t have to. We build and we invent and we learn so that we will know greater opportunity. America leads... |
| 01:00:167 min. |
Obama, Barack - President
So today, I thank you all for making that possible. God bless you. God bless our veterans and our troops, and God bless the United States of America.... |