In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the First Great War ended. From the battlefield, a young American Soldier sent a letter home and he said, "Fighting stopped. Lantern shine in every window and door." That flame of Liberty still burns brightly thanks to the service and sacrifice of so many like him who fought and defended it. And each year on this day, we celebrate generations of patriots who've done the same: our veterans. Since our nation's founding, our veterans have defended our democracy, protected our posterity, and shoulder the weight of war on our behalf. So many still carry the physical wounds and the visible scars of their service. We remember too all those who have yet to return, and the Gold Star families, who have sacrificed their very hearts, a piece of their soul, for their country. Our veterans are the very spine of America. We owe them. We owe their families, and the survivors. We owe you everything. You know, as a nation we have many obligations, but I've been saying for a long time, we have only one truly sacred obligation: to prepare and equip those brave women and men we send to war, and to care for those and their families when they come home. And for me and Jill, it is personal. I can still remember the pride we felt seeing our son, Major Beau Biden, in his uniform, and the worry we felt while he was deployed for a year. Support for our veterans and their families is something that unites all Americans. That's why I've been so proud of signing into law more than 25 bipartisan bills, to make sure our veterans get the support that they have earned and deserved. This includes the PACT Act, the most significant law in our nation's history, to help millions of veterans who are exposed to the toxic fumes from burn pits during their military service abroad. And Jill, and her Joining Forces initiative, continues to help our veterans families, caregivers and survivors get help they need. So today, let's not only remember the service and sacrifice of our nation's veterans, let's join in renewing our sacred obligation to them: the brave women and men who dared it all, and risked all, to keep the flame of freedom burning bright across the world and at home. May God bless you all, and may God protect our troops.
