2008 Obama Flashback: ‘The True Test of Our Patriotism’ Is How We Treat Our Vets

Barack Obama Allegiance to ░░░░░░░░ ideals has always been ░░░░░░░░ the core of American ░░░░░░░░ it s what unites ░░░░░░░░ country of so many ░░░░░░░░ opinions and beliefs It ░░░░░░░░ why some of us ░░░░░░░░ disagree on our decision ░░░░░░░░ start this war in ░░░░░░░░ but all of us ░░░░░░░░ united in our support ░░░░░░░░ the brave men and ░░░░░░░░ who wage it That ░░░░░░░░ how it should be ░░░░░░░░ it s not how ░░░░░░░░ s always been One ░░░░░░░░ the saddest episodes in ░░░░░░░░ history was the degree ░░░░░░░░ which returning vets from ░░░░░░░░ were shunned demonized and ░░░░░░░░ by some because they ░░░░░░░░ in an unpopular war ░░░░░░░░ many of those who ░░░░░░░░ the war in Vietnam ░░░░░░░░ to blame not only ░░░░░░░░ leaders who ordered the ░░░░░░░░ but the young men ░░░░░░░░ simply answered their country ░░░░░░░░ call Four decades later ░░░░░░░░ sting of that injustice ░░░░░░░░ a wound that has ░░░░░░░░ fully healed and one ░░░░░░░░ should never be repeated ░░░░░░░░ young men and women ░░░░░░░░ choose to serve are ░░░░░░░░ the very rights and ░░░░░░░░ that allow Americans to ░░░░░░░░ out against government actions ░░░░░░░░ oppose They deserve our ░░░░░░░░ respect and enduring gratitude ░░░░░░░░ the same time we ░░░░░░░░ never forget that honoring ░░░░░░░░ service and upholding these ░░░░░░░░ requires more than saluting ░░░░░░░░ veterans as they March ░░░░░░░░ on Veterans Day or ░░░░░░░░ Day It requires marching ░░░░░░░░ them for the care ░░░░░░░░ benefits they have earned ░░░░░░░░ requires standing shoulder to ░░░░░░░░ with our veterans and ░░░░░░░░ families after the guns ░░░░░░░░ silent and the cameras ░░░░░░░░ turned off At a ░░░░░░░░ when we re facing ░░░░░░░░ largest homecoming since the ░░░░░░░░ World War the true ░░░░░░░░ of our patriotism is ░░░░░░░░ we will serve our ░░░░░░░░ heroes as well as ░░░░░░░░ ve served us We ░░░░░░░░ that over the last ░░░░░░░░ years we ve already ░░░░░░░░ short of meeting this ░░░░░░░░ We all learned about ░░░░░░░░ deplorable conditions that were ░░░░░░░░ at places like Fort ░░░░░░░░ and Walter Reed We ░░░░░░░░ all walked by a ░░░░░░░░ whose home is now ░░░░░░░░ cardboard box on a ░░░░░░░░ corner in the richest ░░░░░░░░ on Earth We ve ░░░░░░░░ heard about what it ░░░░░░░░ like to navigate the ░░░░░░░░ bureaucracy of the VA ░░░░░░░░ impossibly long lines or ░░░░░░░░ repeated calls for help ░░░░░░░░ get you nothing more ░░░░░░░░ an answering machine Just ░░░░░░░░ few weeks ago an ░░░░░░░░ year old World War ░░░░░░░░ veteran from South Carolina ░░░░░░░░ his family No matter ░░░░░░░░ I apply for at ░░░░░░░░ VA they turn me ░░░░░░░░ The next day he ░░░░░░░░ outside of an Outpatient ░░░░░░░░ in Greenville and took ░░░░░░░░ own life How can ░░░░░░░░ let this happen How ░░░░░░░░ that acceptable in the ░░░░░░░░ States of America The ░░░░░░░░ is it s not ░░░░░░░░ s an outrage And ░░░░░░░░ s a betrayal a ░░░░░░░░ of the ideals that ░░░░░░░░ ask our troops to ░░░░░░░░ their lives for But ░░░░░░░░ doesn t have to ░░░░░░░░ this way Not in ░░░░░░░░ country Not if we ░░░░░░░░ that this time will ░░░░░░░░ different There are many ░░░░░░░░ of this war that ░░░░░░░░ gone inalterably wrong but ░░░░░░░░ for our veterans is ░░░░░░░░ thing we can still ░░░░░░░░ right When I arrived ░░░░░░░░ the Senate I sought ░░░░░░░░ a seat on the ░░░░░░░░ Affairs Committee so I ░░░░░░░░ fight to give our ░░░░░░░░ the care they need ░░░░░░░░ the benefits they deserve ░░░░░░░░ fought to make sure ░░░░░░░░ the claims of disabled ░░░░░░░░ in Illinois and other ░░░░░░░░ were being heard fairly ░░░░░░░░ we forced the VA ░░░░░░░░ conduct an unprecedented outreach ░░░░░░░░ to disabled veterans who ░░░░░░░░ lower than average benefits ░░░░░░░░ passed laws to get ░░░░░░░░ veterans off the streets ░░░░░░░░ prevent at risk veterans ░░░░░░░░ getting there in the ░░░░░░░░ place I led a ░░░░░░░░ effort to improve outpatient ░░░░░░░░ at places like Walter ░░░░░░░░ and slash red tape ░░░░░░░░ reform the disability process ░░░░░░░░ recovering troops should go ░░░░░░░░ the front of the ░░░░░░░░ and they shouldn t ░░░░░░░░ to fight to get ░░░░░░░░ I passed laws to ░░░░░░░░ family members health care ░░░░░░░░ they care for injured ░░░░░░░░ and to provide family ░░░░░░░░ with a year of ░░░░░░░░ protection so they never ░░░░░░░░ to face a choice ░░░░░░░░ caring for a loved ░░░░░░░░ and keeping a job ░░░░░░░░ there is so much ░░░░░░░░ work that we need ░░░░░░░░ do in this country ░░░░░░░░ starts with being honest ░░░░░░░░ the sacrifices that our ░░░░░░░░ men and women are ░░░░░░░░ For years this Administration ░░░░░░░░ refused to count all ░░░░░░░░ our casualties in uniform ░░░░░░░░ Iraq alone tens of ░░░░░░░░ of troops who were ░░░░░░░░ or fell ill have ░░░░░░░░ been counted in our ░░░░░░░░ numbers going against the ░░░░░░░░ s own standards from ░░░░░░░░ wars It s time ░░░░░░░░ stop hiding the full ░░░░░░░░ of this war It ░░░░░░░░ time to honor the ░░░░░░░░ measure of sacrifice of ░░░░░░░░ troops and to prepare ░░░░░░░░ the cost of their ░░░░░░░░ That s why I ░░░░░░░░ pledged to build a ░░░░░░░░ century VA as President ░░░░░░░░ means no more red ░░░░░░░░ it s time to ░░░░░░░░ every service member electronic ░░░░░░░░ of medical and service ░░░░░░░░ upon discharge It means ░░░░░░░░ more shortfalls we ll ░░░░░░░░ fund VA health care ░░░░░░░░ add more Vet Centers ░░░░░░░░ in rural areas It ░░░░░░░░ no more delays we ░░░░░░░░ pass on time budgets ░░░░░░░░ means no more means ░░░░░░░░ it s time to ░░░░░░░░ every veteran into the ░░░░░░░░ system And it means ░░░░░░░░ ll have a simple ░░░░░░░░ for veterans sleeping on ░░░░░░░░ streets zero tolerance As ░░░░░░░░ I ll build on ░░░░░░░░ work I started in ░░░░░░░░ Senate and expand housing ░░░░░░░░ and launch a new ░░░░░░░░ services housing program to ░░░░░░░░ at risk veterans and ░░░░░░░░ families from sliding into ░░░░░░░░ I ll also build ░░░░░░░░ the work I did ░░░░░░░░ the Senate to confront ░░░░░░░░ of the signature injuries ░░░░░░░░ the wars in Iraq ░░░░░░░░ Afghanistan PTSD We have ░░░░░░░░ understand that for far ░░░░░░░░ many troops and their ░░░░░░░░ the war doesn t ░░░░░░░░ when they come home ░░░░░░░░ the other day our ░░░░░░░░ government s top psychiatric ░░░░░░░░ said that because of ░░░░░░░░ mental health care the ░░░░░░░░ of suicides among veterans ░░░░░░░░ Iraq and Afghanistan may ░░░░░░░░ exceed the number of ░░░░░░░░ deaths Think about that ░░░░░░░░ about how only half ░░░░░░░░ the returning soldiers with ░░░░░░░░ receive the treatment they ░░░░░░░░ Think of how many ░░░░░░░░ turn away of how ░░░░░░░░ we let fall through ░░░░░░░░ cracks We have to ░░░░░░░░ better than this In ░░░░░░░░ Senate I ve helped ░░░░░░░░ a bipartisan effort to ░░░░░░░░ the unfair practice of ░░░░░░░░ out troops who suffer ░░░░░░░░ them And when I ░░░░░░░░ President we ll enhance ░░░░░░░░ health screening and treatment ░░░░░░░░ all levels from enlistment ░░░░░░░░ deployment to reentry into ░░░░░░░░ life We also need ░░░░░░░░ mental health professionals more ░░░░░░░░ to recognize signs and ░░░░░░░░ reject the stigma of ░░░░░░░░ care And we need ░░░░░░░░ dramatically improve screening and ░░░░░░░░ for the other signature ░░░░░░░░ of the war Traumatic ░░░░░░░░ Injury That s why ░░░░░░░░ passed measures in the ░░░░░░░░ to increase screening for ░░░░░░░░ injuries and that s ░░░░░░░░ I ll establish clearer ░░░░░░░░ of care as President ░░░░░░░░ have called on our ░░░░░░░░ and their families for ░░░░░░░░ much during these last ░░░░░░░░ but we haven t ░░░░░░░░ issued that call responsibly ░░░░░░░░ we need to restore ░░░░░░░░ month Army deployments but ░░░░░░░░ also need to restore ░░░░░░░░ training and time at ░░░░░░░░ between those deployments My ░░░░░░░░ Michelle met with Army ░░░░░░░░ the other day in ░░░░░░░░ Carolina who told her ░░░░░░░░ the toll it takes ░░░░░░░░ watch your loved one ░░░░░░░░ tour after tour of ░░░░░░░░ with little to no ░░░░░░░░ off in between And ░░░░░░░░ told her something we ░░░░░░░░ need to remember We ░░░░░░░░ t just deploy our ░░░░░░░░ overseas we deploy families ░░░░░░░░ s why we also ░░░░░░░░ to provide more counseling ░░░░░░░░ resources to help families ░░░░░░░░ with multiple tours And ░░░░░░░░ our loved ones do ░░░░░░░░ home it is time ░░░░░░░░ the United States of ░░░░░░░░ to offer this generation ░░░░░░░░ returning heroes the same ░░░░░░░░ we offered that earlier ░░░░░░░░ Generation by giving every ░░░░░░░░ the same opportunity that ░░░░░░░░ grandfather had under the ░░░░░░░░ Bill There is no ░░░░░░░░ we shouldn t pass ░░░░░░░░ 21st Century GI Bill ░░░░░░░░ is being debated in ░░░░░░░░ right now It was ░░░░░░░░ by my friend Senator ░░░░░░░░ Webb a Marine who ░░░░░░░░ as Navy Secretary under ░░░░░░░░ Ronald Reagan His plan ░░░░░░░░ widespread support from Republicans ░░░░░░░░ Democrats It would provide ░░░░░░░░ returning veteran with a ░░░░░░░░ chance to afford a ░░░░░░░░ education and it would ░░░░░░░░ harm retention I have ░░░░░░░░ respect for John McCain ░░░░░░░░ service to this country ░░░░░░░░ I know he loves ░░░░░░░░ dearly and honors those ░░░░░░░░ serve But he is ░░░░░░░░ of the few Senators ░░░░░░░░ either party who oppose ░░░░░░░░ bill because he thinks ░░░░░░░░ s too generous I ░░░░░░░░ t disagree more At ░░░░░░░░ time when the skyrocketing ░░░░░░░░ of tuition is pricing ░░░░░░░░ of Americans out of ░░░░░░░░ college education we should ░░░░░░░░ doing everything we can ░░░░░░░░ give the men and ░░░░░░░░ who have risked their ░░░░░░░░ for this country the ░░░░░░░░ to pursue the American ░░░░░░░░