Photo: Samantha Appleton/White House -- President Obama speaks on Veterans Day at Yongsan Army Garrison in Seoul, South Korea
On this Veterans Day, President Barack Obama rallied more than a thousand of our troops, U.S. civilians, their families, and several hundred South Korean veterans at the U.S. military headquarters in South Korea — Yongsan Army Garrison in Seoul.
President Barack Obama:
“Now, on this day, we honor every man and woman who has ever worn the uniform of the United States of America. We salute fallen heroes, and keep in our prayers those who are still in harm’s way -– like the men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Hoaa!)
We recall acts of uncommon bravery and selflessness. But we also remember that honoring those who’ve served is about more than the words we say on Veterans Day or Memorial Day. It’s about how we treat our veterans every single day of the year. It’s about making sure they have the care they need and the benefits that they’ve earned when they come home. It’s about serving all of you as well as you’ve served the United States of America.
This has been one of my highest priorities since taking office. It’s why I asked for one of the largest increases in the VA budget in the past 30 years. It’s why we’ve dramatically increased funding for veterans’ health care. It’s why we’re improving care for wounded warriors, especially those with Post-Traumatic Stress and Traumatic Brain Injury. It’s why we’re working to eliminate the backlog at the VA and reforming the entire process with electronic claims and medical records. It’s why there are fewer homeless veterans on the streets than there were two years ago. (Hoaa!)
That’s why there are nearly 400,000 veterans and their families who are going to college because of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. (Hoaa!) (Applause.)
So I want all of you to know when you come home your country is going to be there for you. That is the commitment I make to you as Commander-in-Chief. That is the sacred trust between the United States of America and all who defend its ideals.
It’s a trust that’s been forged in places far from our shores: from the beaches of Europe to the jungles of Vietnam, from the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to the peninsula where we stand today.”
The complete text of President Obama’s remarks are here on the Whitehouse.gov website.
