Obama visits Arlington National Cemetery to honor veterans

Obama said the federal holiday is about more than showing gratitude to veterans, but also is a reminder of how they still serve the nation and of the public’s duty to them.

In his speech this year, President Barack Obama relayed a call to action, urging Congress and Americans as a whole to do their part in paying tribute to veterans every day of the year.

Army Lt. Col. Luta C. McGrath, 107, the oldest known female World War II veteran, right, is greeted as she is recognized by President Barack Obama during Veterans Day ceremonies, Wednesday at the Memorial Amphitheater of Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.. During that same period, though, the appeals caseload has risen steadily by nearly 75,000 claims, the Military Times reported.

Tragically, wounded veterans are not on the top of the Obama administration’s priority list. Eighteen months since the scandal broke, the VA added 1,400 doctors and saw more than seven million more patients than it did in the year before the crisis, according to the Washington Post.

Veteran unemployment is 3.9 percent – even lower than the national average, which is 5 percent.

– One hundred years after it was written, the poem “In Flanders Field” is being read in many countries today – particularly in Canada, where its author, Lt. Col. John McCrae, served in the First Brigade of the Canadian Field Artillery.

“If you want to get the job done, hire a vet”, Obama said.

But it’s not enough to honor such sacrifices on one day a year, he said.

The president said the nation is boosting funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs and making progress on longstanding problems, like veteran homelessness, but there are other concerns that still need to be addressed.

The bulk of Obama’s remarks, though, focused on veterans’ employment. “They get stuff done”.

– Here at NPR, you can also read about how heroic WWI veteran Sgt. Alvin York built a school in his hometown, and on today’s Diane Rehm show, two veterans discuss how they helped each other and their community. On Veterans Day, we reflect on the immeasurable burdens borne by so few in the name of so many, and we rededicate ourselves to supporting those who have worn America’s uniform and the families who stand alongside them.

As many of us sit down for dinner with our families, our military are out in the streets and in battlefields.