Comments by candidate
& President George W. Bush
"To the veteran, we
owe gratitude -- shown not just in words of tribute, but in acts of care and
attention. ... As president, I will work with Congress to raise the standard of
service -- not just for veterans, but for our military retirees. All of them
must be treated with the care they have been promised and the dignity they have
earned."
September 6,
2000-American Legion, Milwaukee Wisconsin
"In order to make
sure that morale is high with those who wear the uniform today, we must keep
our commitment to those who wore the uniform in the past…We will make sure
promises made to our veterans will be promises kept."
January 19,
2001-Pre-Inaugural comment to military retirees/veterans in Washington, DC
"America's veterans
have earned not only honors but specific benefits, and those only become more
necessary with the years. America's veterans ask only that government honor its
commitments as they honored theirs. They ask that their interests be protected,
as they protected their country's interest in foreign lands. In all matters of
concern to veterans -- from health care to program funding -- you have my
pledge that those commitments will be kept. My administration will do all it
can to assist our veterans and to correct oversights of the past."
May 28, 2001-White House
Memorial Day Breakfast
"Veterans are a
priority for this administration."
"My administration
understands America's obligations not only to those who wear the uniform today,
but to those who wore the uniform in the past -- our veterans."
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