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Below is a transcript of Bob's Speech
Thank you very much for that introduction and for inviting me to speak with you. It's an honor to be here.
I come before you today, not as a Treasurer or a candidate, but as simply a grateful American ... a grateful American who is, to be perfectly honest, at a loss for meaningful words.
How do you adequately thank someone who has faced grave danger on behalf of their country? Words that are easily spoken - "we honor your service," "we are forever in your debt" - just don't seem to be enough. I'm sure you've heard them before. And I'm sure they were sincere. But they seem inadequate.
Can someone like me - who did not serve in our armed forces - fully understand what those words "to serve" really mean?
My generation did not face a draft. Other pursuits beckoned. For me it was teaching in the inner city with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. We were waging our own battle against apathy and poverty ... and lives were indeed at stake. But not our own.
And today ... how do you adequately honor service in a new conflict without borders, without recognizable enemies, and without an end in sight? There is much that is uncertain ... but it is clearly a war, because young people are dying with their country's flag on their uniform.
Pennsylvania has sent more National Guard troops to the war in Iraq than any other state. And only three states have lost more lives. As of last week, eighty-two young men and women from small towns and big cities across Pennsylvania have died.
I cannot stand here today and profess to have all the right words. I don't. And I cannot claim to understand the true meaning of sacrifice beyond the love that a parent can show their children. Your sacrifice, and that of those of who have fallen, is beyond measure. And, really, beyond words.
It's why today, I hope to aim for a different standard - to show appreciation, not through artful words, but rather through a demand that our government keep its word with you.
Life is a promise. And throughout life, we are promised many things - safety ... opportunity ... that there is a higher power at work.
And when young men and women are brought into their nation's service, whether by choice or not, a promise is made. Your life will not be taken for granted. Your son or daughter will be taken care of. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten.
And these promises are not words. They are often unspoken ... but they are a bond between a country and its patriots.
I'm reminded of how William Penn founded, not a state, but a commonwealth ... where the common good was the founding principle. Where enemies were faced, not alone, but as a people bound together.
And once the battle is a memory, the promises remain. Unforgotten ... but far too often, unfulfilled. And that must change.
Promises are obligations ... and they begin from the moment our young people are sworn into service. And they remain, no matter what the branch of service.
From the Coast Guard to the National Guard to The Old Guard, our troops deserve the very best equipment no matter what the cost. And they deserve the very best planning, no matter what the politics may demand.
When our men and women leave the service, our country's obligations continue.
The transition from the military to the VA should be seamless.
VA health care should be fully-funded. No more political games from either side.
Expand mental health care to all VA hospitals.
Fill private doctor prescriptions without requiring a physical.
G.I. benefits shouldn't count against college financial aid.
And no veteran should ever have to choose between disability pay and retirement pay. The only "either-or" decision should be this - either you support our veterans ...
or you don't.
The duty of supporting veterans is not new to me. As Auditor General and now as State Treasurer, I've worked alongside Governor Rendell, General John Patten, and Adjutant General Cecil Hengeveld to improve the quality of long-term care, to elevate the Bureau for Veterans Affairs to cabinet-level status, and to support a new veteran's home in Central Pennsylvania.
Long-term care, in particular, is a promise and an obligation that is very important to me, as I know it is for you.
As Auditor General, I uncovered life-threatening conditions in nursing homes across Pennsylvania. The five VA facilities were among the best in our state ... but many other private facilities that house veterans were among the worst.
In some cases, it took months for complaints to be addressed ... often times long after a patient had died. We led the fight for radical reforms and today, complaints are addressed within 24 hours. And nursing homes are held accountable.
I think every veteran deserves dignity in their final years, they deserve a home that is close to their family, and they deserve admission without a long drawn-out waiting list. Service to country is a lifetime bond ... and it should never be a one-way street.
As we look down this road our country is now traveling ... there is much uncertainty and danger. But there are certain truths that can serve as lamps of light along the way.
Our country must stand firm in its resolve against terrorism. Every citizen becomes a soldier ... and we must always be vigilant. Just as the citizens of London have shown the world, we can never give up or give in.
Our homeland must always be protected. Our ports, our railways, our power plants ... these must never become points of weakness in Pennsylvania. Because the consequences could be catastrophic.
Our position in the world must be one of leadership, not brinksmanship. We cannot possibly win the war on terrorism alone ... and we cannot possibly expect our troops to carry the entire burden of a free world.
Military force is something to be used with wisdom ... not wasted. And troop morale is something to be preserved ... not taken for granted.
I learned a lot about courage from my father - both as a public official fighting for what he believed was right ... and as a man facing a life-threatening disease.
As my father was being wheeled into surgery for a double-organ transplant, one of the state troopers on his security detail gave him a very special gift. It was a prayer to St. Joseph that the trooper had carried with him into every battle he fought in Vietnam, a prayer for safety and deliverance.
This prayer was a tremendous source of strength for my father and our family. And its words bear a special meaning ...
"Guardian of the Holy Family, be with us in our trials."
The mission of the American Legion is truly one of guardianship over the family of veterans ... through every trial and every test of faith.
But because I believe in the power of community and shared strength, please know that the American Legion will never stand alone.
Samuel Beckett once said that "words are all we have." Well, I disagree with Mr. Beckett. Sometimes words are not enough. And often all we do have ... is each other.
"Guardian of the Holy Family, be with us in our trials."
From a family of public servants ... to a family of veterans, I will always stand with you. And I am forever grateful.
Thank you and God bless you.
Click here to learn more about the American Legion.
Click here to learn more about the VFW.
Click here to learn more about Veterans Affairs (VA).
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