Vice President Joe Biden Tuesday paid tribute to millions of Americans who have served in the military, using a Veterans Day address to praise those who “are not only the heart and soul,” but “the very spine of this nation.”
“Fewer than 1 percent of America’s population serves in uniform, but over 99 percent of Americans owe that 1 percent so much more than we could ever repay,” the vice president said from Arlington National Cemetery. “We have an obligation to care for and equip those who we send to war and care for them and their families when they come home. … It’s the only sacred obligation a government has.”
Biden gave the annual Veterans Day speech in lieu of President Obama, now in China for a weeklong trip to Asia and Australia.
This Veterans Day holiday comes after revelations of widespread neglect of medical service for military members at VA hospitals.
The vice president opened his remarks by telling recently appointed Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald that “people are beginning to see significant changes” at the beleaguered agency.
Critics on Capitol Hill, however, would like to see reforms implemented much faster.
For his part, Biden said the Obama administration was committed to veterans.
“American warriors never bend, never break and never ever, ever yield,” the vice president said. “That’s why … it’s never been a good bet to bet against the United States of America, because we have you.”
