Washington DC, : United States outgoing President Joe Biden on Monday expressed deep gratitude to veterans for their dedication to the nation, emphasizing the importance of honouring commitment of those who have served.
Speaking at the Veterans Day ceremony held at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, Biden noted that this would be his last Veterans Day as commander-in-chief. "It has been the greatest honour of my life to lead you, to serve you, care for you [and] to defend you just as you defended us," he said.
Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis R. McDonough, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., attended the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the speech at the Memorial Amphitheater, the US Department of Defense said in a statement.
Biden took inspiration for his remarks from Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address delivered on March 4, 1865. Biden, too, called to "bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan."
Biden said supporting veterans and their families is not a partisan issue, and he noted that Congress has easily passed legislation looking to address issues facing veterans and their families. This covers issues like addressing exposure to toxic substances. The president has worked with Congress to expand veterans' access to health care, address veteran homelessness and support education and workforce opportunity for veterans and their families.
"Biden announced that under the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act, also known as the PACT Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs will expand the number of cancers covered to all veterans who served at Karshi-Khanabad Air Base in Uzbekistan. That base -- called K2 -- was polluted by jet fuel and more. The PACT Act makes it easier for effected veterans to qualify for care.
"We're committed to getting this rule in place by the end of my term," Biden said. "Folks, this matters. Too many veterans have served only to return home to suffer from permanent effects of poisonous chemicals," the statement added.
Veterans are an inspiration to America, the president said. "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," Biden said. "They routinely put aside differences and work together."
Biden urged the nation to follow the example of veterans in this regard. "This is the moment to come together as a nation, to keep faith in each other," he said. "The world is dependent on each of you and all of us, to keep honouring 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."