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| Pix credit here |
We're the only nation in the world, build on an idea. Every other nation is based on things like geography, ethnicity, religion. We're the only nation, the only in the world build on an idea, that ideas were all created equal. Deserve to create it equal throughout our lives. We haven't lived up to it every time. We've never walked away from it. Even when it's hard, especially when it's hard. And today, standing together to honor those Americans of dared all, risk all and given all to our nation, must say clearly, we never will give up. (Biden Live Transcript of Remarks here)
Mr. Biden delivered remarks on the commemoration of Veteran's Day. This Blog will commemorate this Day and what it represents by re-posting the text of those remarks. They follow below and may be accessed from CNN's website HERE and HERE; final cleaned up version HERE The quoted remarks from that address appear to have been important enough to President Biden that he repeated them almost verbatim in both the Veteran's Day Address and also in the Remarks by President Biden at the 156th National Memorial Day Observance ("America is the only country in the world founded on an idea — an idea that all people are created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout their lives. We’ve never fully lived up to that, but we’ve never, ever, ever walked away from it. Every generation, our fallen heroes have brought us closer.") .
The transcript along with the cleaned up version posted several days after the event to the White House website also follow below
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| Pix credit New York Times here |
Aired November 11, 2024 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[11:52:45]
BROWN: President Biden speaking at Arlington National Cemetery. Let's listen.
(APPLAUSE)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank you, thank you, thank you.
(APPLAUSE)
BIDEN: It's a great honor to be standing here again.
Over
160 years ago, during what would become his final days in office,
President Abraham Lincoln addressed this nation, and he said, let us
strive on to finish the work we're in, to bind up the nation's wounds,
to care for him who shall have borne the battle.
My fellow
Americans, first lady, Vice President Harris, and second gentleman,
Secretary Blinken, Austin, McDonough, Mayorkas, Chairman Brown, most
importantly, our veterans, service members and their families, I have
said it many times before. I got in trouble for saying it when I was a
young senator.
I said we have many obligations, but only one
truly sacred obligation, sacred. Prepare those we send into harm's way
and to care for them and their families when they return home and when
they don't. It's an obligation, not based on party or politics, but on a
promise that unites us all.
And, today, as we strive on to
finish the work of our moment, to bind the nation's wounds once again,
we commit and recommit to this sacred vow.
This is the last
time I will stand here at Arlington as commander in chief. It's been the
greatest honor of my life to lead you, to serve you, to care for you,
to defend you, just as you defended us generation after generation after
generation. You are the greatest fighting force, and this is not
hyperbole, the finest fighting force in the history of the world.
[11:55:01]
I
will never forget standing at Valley Forge, where our nation's first
soldiers lay down their lives to deliver where everyone is entitled to
inalienable rights, life, liberty, pursuit of happiness. And I will
never forget walking the hills of Gettysburg, where thousands more shed
their blood to make those words real.
And I will never forget
the Belleau Woods, visiting there to pay tribute to the heroes who
stepped on that beach, or standing in the cliffs of Normandy 80 years
after D-Day to honor the service members and veterans who literally
saved the world with absolute heroism.
Just standing there, you
wonder, how in God's name did they have the courage to do what they
did? I will never forget visiting bases in Korea where America's sons
and daughters answered the call to defend a people they had never met or
paying my respects in Hanoi, where so many of our troops defended
democracy, including my friend, and once worked for me, John -- Senator
John McCain.
And I will never forget my trips to Afghanistan
and Iraq, where tour after tour, young men and women served and
sacrificed to keep our nation safe. Four presidents faced a decision
after we had gotten bin Laden whether to end our longest war in history
in Afghanistan.
I was determined not to leave it to the fifth.
Every day, I still carry a card with me, my schedule every single day
for the last 10 years. On the back of my schedule, it says U.S. daily
troops in Afghanistan, U.S. troops died in Afghanistan as of today,
2,465, troops wounded in Afghanistan, 20,769, U.S. troops, Iraq, died in
Iraq, 4,620, wounded in Iraq, 32,766.
Ladies and gentlemen,
this is my duty as president, but also as a parent. Like many of you,
our son Beau Biden deployed in Iraq for a year with the Delaware
National Guard. I still remember the day he asked me to pin his bars on
him. He stood ramrod-straight, how proud Jill and I and our entire
family felt.
Like so many of you, we also remember how hard it
was when he was deployed, empty seats at the dinner table, missed
holidays and birthdays, prayers of hope and worry repeated every morning
and every night.
Just as we ask everything of our veterans, we
ask everything of their families. English poet John Milton wrote -- and
I quote -- "They also serve who only stand and wait," as so many of you
have.
So, for all the military families, to all those with a
loved one still missing or unaccounted for, to all Americans grieving
the loss of a loved one who wore the uniform, Jill and I want you to
know we see you, we thank you, and we will never stop working to meet
our sacred obligation to you and your families.
Jill and I,
Doug and Kamala, our entire administration are proud of our work for the
past four years. Together, we passed more than 30 bipartisan laws to
support our veterans and their families, caregivers and survivors.
We
brought veterans' homelessness down to a record low, delivered more
benefits to more veterans than any ever before in VA history. We have
invested great resources to reduce the scourge of veterans' suicide. We
took action to protect veterans from scams, because no veteran should be
defrauded by those defended -- they defended.
All these actions are vital, and I'm particularly proud of finally passing the PACT Act.
(APPLAUSE)
This is
the most significant law in our history -- our nation's history. About
millions of veterans who were exposed to toxins, agent orange and burn
pits during their military service. Pits the size of football fields
that incinerated the wastes of war; tires, chemicals, batteries, jet
fuel and so much more.
BIDEN: This is the most significant law in our history, our nation's history, to help millions of veterans who are exposed to toxins like Agent Orange and burn pits the size of football fields that incinerated the wastes of war; tires, chemicals, batteries, jet fuel and so much more. Pits that left too many veterans with headaches, nominist dizziness, asthma and cancer. PACT Act has already helped over 1 million veterans and their families to get the benefits they deserve. They deserve those benefits.
JOE
BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: PACT Act has already
helped over 1 million veterans and their families to get the benefits
they deserve. They deserve those benefits.
Today, I'm proud to
announce that the VA will expand the number of cancers covered under the
PACT Act. And to all veterans who served at K2 air base in new or
Uzbekistan, constantly surrounded by toxins. One honor you, we want to
have your back, just like we did in Asian art, just like working the
rule to make sure you don't have to prove your illness as a consequence
of your service, which is often too hard to do.
God willing,
we'll make sure that any rare condition you've developed is covered.
We're committed to getting this rule in place by the end of my term.
Folks, this matters. Too many nations veterans have served only to
return home to suffer from permanent effects of poisonous chemicals. Too
many have died like our son Beau and start like Sergeant First Class
Heath Robinson from the Pact Act was named.
Couple years ago,
after I signed the PACT Act, I handed a pen to his daughter, really. She
and her mom are with us today. I don't know where you are, but God love
you. There they are. Stand up ladies.
Give him a word. I mean
this I'll never forget. After I handed the signing pen that beautiful
young lady who lost her whole world. She held the pen in her hand, and
she looked at me, she said, thank you. Thank you for my daddy. God love
you, honey. But I don't think she was just thanking me. She was thanking
all of you here, all of us, everyone who fought hard and came together
to keep our promise to our veterans, to keep the faith.
My
fellow Americans, we stand here today. We think about all that our
veterans have given to our nation, serving and sacrificing in uniform,
yesterday serve and sacrifice here at home, as educators, firefighters,
law enforcement officer, construction workers, entrepreneurs, business
leaders, doctors, nurses, elected leaders, and so much more.
Just
as routinely, they routinely put aside differences, work together. This
is the moment. This is the moment to come together as a nation. Keep
faith in each other. The world is dependent on each of you and all of
us, all of you. Keep honoring the women and the men and the families who
have borne the battle to keep protecting everything they fought for.
Keep striving to heal our nation's wounds. Keep perfecting our union.
We're
the only nation in the world, build on an idea. Every other nation is
based on things like geography, ethnicity, religion. We're the only
nation, the only in the world build on an idea, that ideas were all
created equal. Deserve to create it equal throughout our lives.
We
haven't lived up to it every time. We've never walked away from it.
Even when it's hard, especially when it's hard. And today, standing
together to honor those Americans of dared all, risk all and given all
to our nation, must say clearly, we never will give up.
God bless our veterans and their families. May God protect our troops today and always. God love you. Thank you so much.
DANA
BASH, CNN HOST, INSIDE POLITICS: President Biden speaking at Arlington
National Cemetery, giving his final remarks on Veterans Day, as he pays
tribute to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. But more importantly,
on Veterans Day, those who serve in any capacity, whether or not they
gave the ultimate sacrifice, and he's there with Kamala Harris, the Vice
President, the first time we've sent them together since she lost last
week to Donald Trump in the election.
* * *
Remarks by President Biden at the National Veterans Day Observance at the Memorial Amphitheater | Arlington, VA
Arlington National Cemetery
11:52 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you, thank you, thank you. It’s a great honor to be standing here again.
Over 160 years ago, during what would become his final days in office, President Abraham Lincoln addressed this nation, and he said, “Let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle.”
My fellow Americans, the first lady, Vice President Harris, and the second gentleman; Secretary Blinken, Austin, McDonough, Mayorkas; Chairman Brown; and, most importantly, our veterans, service members, and their families, I’ve said many times before — I got in trouble for saying it when I was a young senator — I said we have many obligations, but only one truly sacred obligation — sacred: to prepare those we send into harm’s way and to care for them and their families when they return home and when they don’t. It’s an obligation not based on party or politics but on a promise that unites us all.
Today, as we strive on to finish the work of our moment to bind the nation’s wounds once again, we commit and recommit to this sacred vow.
This is the last time I will stand here at Arlington as commander-in-chief. It’s been the greatest honor of my life to lead you, to serve you, to care for you, to defend you just as you have defended us generation after generation after generation. You are the greatest fighting force — and this is not hyperbole — the finest fighting force in the history of the world.
I will never forget standing at Valley Forge, where our nation’s first soldiers laid down their lives to deliver a nation where everyone is entitled to inalienable rights: life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness.
And I’ll never forget walking the hills of Gettysburg, where thousands more shed their blood to make those words real.
I’ll never forget at Belleau Woods– visiting there to pay tribute to the heroes who stepped on that beach or standing on the cliffs of Normandy 80 years after D-Day to honor the service members and veterans who literally saved the world with absolute heroism. Just standing there, you wonder how in God’s name did they have the courage to do what they did.
I’ll never forget visiting bases in Korea where America’s sons and daughters answers a call to defend a people they had never met or paying my respects in Hanoi where so many of our troops defended democracy, including my friend — and once worked for me — John — the senator John McCain.
I’ll never forget my trips to Afghanistan and Iraq, where tour after tour young men and women served and sacrificed to keep our nation safe.
Four presidents faced a decision after we’d gotten bin Laden whether to end our longest war in history in Afghanistan. I was determined not to leave it to the fifth.
Every day, I still carry a card with me — my schedule — every single day for the last 10 years. On the back of my schedule, it says, “U.S. daily troops in Afghanistan — U.S. troops died in Afghanistan as of today: 2,465. Troops wounded in Afghanistan: 20,769. U.S. troops, Iraq — died in Iraq: 4,620. Wounded in Iraq: 32,766.”
Ladies and gentlemen, this is my duty as president but also as a parent. Like many of you, our son, Beau Biden, deployed to Iraq for a year with the Delaware National Guard.
I still remember the day he asked me to pin his bars on him — he stood ramrod straight — and how proud Jill and I and our entire family felt.
But like so many of you, we also remember how hard it was when he was deployed: empty seats at the dinner table, missed holidays and birthdays, prayers of hope and worry repeated every morning and every night.
Just as we ask everything of our veterans, we ask everything of their families.
The English poet John Milton wrote, and I quote, “They also serve who only stand and wait,” as so many of you have.
So, for all the military families, to all those with a loved one still missing or unaccounted for, to all Americans grieving the loss of a loved one who wore the uniform, Jill and I want you to know we see you, we thank you, and we will never stop working to meet our sacred obligation to you and your families.
Jill and I, Doug and Kamala, our entire administration are proud of our work over the past four years.
Together, we’ve passed more than 30 bipartisan laws to support our veterans and their families, caregivers, and survivors.
We’ve brought veteran homelessness down to a record low.
We’ve delivered more benefits to more veterans than any — ever before in VA history.
We’ve invested re- — record resources to reduce the scourge of veteran vi- — su- — suicide.
And we took action to protect veterans from scams, because no veteran should be defrauded by those defended — they defended.
All these actions are vital, but I am particularly proud of finally passing the PACT Act. (Applause.) This is the most significant law in our history — our nation’s history to help millions of veterans who were exposed to toxins like Agent Orange and burn pits during their military service. Pits the size of football fields that incinerated the wastes of war: tires, chemicals, batteries, jet fuel, and so much more. Pits that left too many veterans with headaches, numbness, dizziness, as- — asthma, and cancer.
The PACT Act has already helped over 1 million veterans and their families get the benefits they deserve. They deserve those benefits. (Applause.)
Today, I’m proud to announce that the VA will expand the number of cancers covered under the PACT Act and to all the veterans — (applause) — who served at K-2 Air Base in Ur- — Uzbekistan constantly surrounded by toxins.
We want to honor you. We want to have your back just like we did in Agent Orange, just like we’re working on a rule to make sure you don’t have to prove your illness as a consequence of your service, which is often too hard to do. (Applause.)
God willing, we will make sure that any rare condition you’ve developed is covered. And we’re committed to getting this rule in place by the end of my term.
Folks, this matters. Too many of our nation’s veterans have served only to return home to suffer from permanent effects of poisonous chemicals. Too many have died.
Like our son, Beau, and Ser- — like Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson for whom the PACT Act was named.
A couple years ago, after I signed the PACT Act, I handed the pen to his daughter Brailey [Brielle].
She and her mom are with us today. I don’t know where you are, but God love you. There they are. Stand up, ladies. (Applause.)
I give you my word I mean this: I’ll never forget, after I handed the signing pen — that beautiful young lady who had lost her whole world — she held the pen in her hand and she looks at me and she said, “Thank you. Thank you for my daddy.”
God love you, honey. (Applause.) God love you.
But I don’t think she was just thanking me. She was thanking all of you here, all of us, everyone who fought hard and came together to keep our promise to our veterans to keep the faith.
My fellow Americans, we stand here today. We think about all that our veterans have given to our nation, serving and sacrificing in uniform just as they serve and sacrifice here at home as educators, firefighters, law enforcement officers, construction workers, entrepreneurs, business leaders, doctors, nurses, elected leaders, and so much more.
And just as routinely — they routinely put aside differences to work together, this is the moment — this is the moment to come together as a nation to keep faith in each other.
The world is depending on each of you and all of us — all of you to keep honoring the women and the men and the families who have borne the battle, to keep protecting everything they’ve fought for, to keep striving to heal our nation’s wounds, to keep perfecting our union.
We’re the only nation in the world built on an idea. Every other nation is based on things like geography, ethnicity, religion. But we’re the only nation — the only in the world — built on an idea, and that idea is we are all created equal and deserve to — created equal throughout lives. We haven’t lived up to it every time, but we’ve never walked away from it even when it’s hard — especially when it’s hard.
And today standing together to honor those Americans who have dared all, risked all, and given all to our nation, we must say clearly: We never will give up.
God bless our veterans and their families. And may God protect our troops today and always.
God love you. Thank you so much. (Applause.)
12:04 P.M. EST
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