To honor our national promise to our veterans, we must continue to improve services for our men and women in uniform today and provide long overdue benefits for the veterans and military retirees who have already served.

Veterans Day is a time to celebrate the men and women who have worn this nation's uniform and to honor their service.

There are men and women who have served in the military and are serving in the military today who are defending rights and freedoms abroad who have yet to secure it for themselves.

More than 48 million men and women have served America well and faithfully in military uniform.

As we honor and thank the brave men and women of our military who fight today to guarantee our freedom, we realize there is no greater force in the world than the energy of free people, and we must remember that spreading that energy is the best way to help our country remain free and secure.

The men and women of today's VA are dedicated to caring for today's veterans and stand ready to provide for our servicemembers who now defend our freedoms and our way of life.