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The White House
For Immediate Release

WHITE HOUSE VIDEO MESSAGE: Thanking Our Veterans

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

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EMBARGOED UNTIL 6:00 AM ET, SATURDAY, November 9, 2013

WHITE HOUSE VIDEO MESSAGE: Thanking Our Veterans

In this week’s message, Colonel Ricardo Morales thanks our veterans who have bravely served in the Armed Forces and discusses the important work being done to ensure all veterans have a chance to share in the opportunity they have helped to defend.

The audio of the address and video of the message is available online HERE.

Spanish Language Video Message

The White House

November 9, 2013

Hello everyone. Veterans’ Day Weekend is a chance for all of us to say two simple words: “Thank you.” Thank you to all the heroes who have served in the Armed Forces. Our military is coming home from fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan; we need to serve them as well as they served us. And that requires more than a simple “thank you” – especially from those of us who’ve been elected to serve.

Some of the President’s top priorities are to grow the economy and create new jobs. And a very important part of that is making sure that every veteran has every chance to share in the opportunity he or she has helped defend.

In addition to the care and benefits they’ve earned, which includes good mental health care to stay strong, a good job, a good education, and a home to call their own.

From the half million Latinos who stepped up to defend our nation during World War II to the 200,000 currently serving in the military, as Latinos we have a strong record of service and as a result our military is better because of the rich diversity of experience we contribute.

If you fight for your country overseas, you should never have to fight for a job when you come home.

Since the President took office, we’ve created new transition assistance programs to help our veterans and their spouses find new jobs and plan their career.

As the Director of Joining Forces, an initiative of the First Lady and the Vice President’s wife, Dr. Biden, I’ve had the ability to work with businesses to help returning heroes find jobs in the private sector.

These companies have hired thousands of veterans and their spouses. We’re also committed to giving today’s veterans and their families the same shot at a great education to earn their degrees under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Thanks to all these efforts, we’ve made progress getting our veterans back to work. But we’ve got a lot more to do. And as more than a million of our troops return to civilian life, we’re going to have to work even harder.

So to all our veterans, on behalf our entire nation, thank you for everything you’ve done and will continue to do for your country. I am proud of serving in the military and grateful for all that this nation does for us.

And the President and his Administration will continue to make sure that America has your back, not just on one day or one weekend, but 365 days a year.

Thank you, God bless you, and have a great weekend.

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