Barack Obama

it an honor to have the support of so mani veteran across the great state of pennsylvania __PUNCT__ includ so mani brave men and women who serv in afghanistan and iraq __PUNCT__

thi includ my friend congressman patrick murphi __PUNCT__ and my pennsylvania veteran coordin kobi langlei __PUNCT__

we seen a tremend grassroot effort __PUNCT__ as these young vet have organ __PUNCT__ held meet __PUNCT__ and gone door to door to talk about the chang we need to bring to washington __PUNCT__

as a candid for presid __PUNCT__ i know that i am run to becom command __PUNCT__ in __PUNCT__ chief __PUNCT__ to safeguard our secur __PUNCT__ and to keep a sacr trust to serv our veteran as well as thei have serv us __PUNCT__

there is no respons that i take more serious __PUNCT__

becaus america commit to our servicemen and women begin at enlist __PUNCT__ and it must never end __PUNCT__

without that commit __PUNCT__ i probabl wouldn't be here todai __PUNCT__

my grandfath __PUNCT__ stanlei dunham __PUNCT__ enlist after pearl_harbor and went on to march in patton armi __PUNCT__

my grandmoth work on a bomber assembl_line __PUNCT__ and my mother wa born at fort leavenworth __PUNCT__

after my grandfath stood up for hi countri __PUNCT__ america stood by him __PUNCT__

he went to colleg on the gi_bill __PUNCT__ bought hi first home with help from fha __PUNCT__ and move hi famili west to hawaii __PUNCT__ where he and my grandmoth help rais me __PUNCT__

todai __PUNCT__ he is buri in the punchbowl __PUNCT__ the nation memori cemeteri of the pacif __PUNCT__ where __NUM__ victim of pearl_harbor ar laid to rest __PUNCT__

i knew him when he wa older __PUNCT__

but i think about him now and then as he enlist __PUNCT__ a man of __NUM__ fresh __PUNCT__ face with an easi smile __PUNCT__ when i meet young_men and women sign up to serv todai __PUNCT__

these son and daughter of america ar the best and the bravest among us __PUNCT__

thei ar a part of an unbroken line of hero that overthrew a king __PUNCT__ freed the slave __PUNCT__ face down fascism __PUNCT__ and fought for freedom in korea and vietnam __PUNCT__ from kuwait to the balkan __PUNCT__

todai __PUNCT__ thei ar serv brilliantli in the face of grave danger in afghanistan __PUNCT__ iraq and around the world __PUNCT__

when our troop go into battl __PUNCT__ thei serv no faction or parti __PUNCT__ thei repres no race or region __PUNCT__

instead __PUNCT__ each and everi on of them serv togeth __PUNCT__ and fight togeth __PUNCT__ and bleed togeth for our highest ideal __PUNCT__ the ideal sum up here in pennsylvania by presid lincoln __PUNCT__ govern of the peopl __PUNCT__ by the peopl __PUNCT__ and for the peopl __PUNCT__

we honor their servic to thi ideal everi time we fly the flag __PUNCT__

but the true measur of our patriot is not taken on veteran dai or memori_dai __PUNCT__ the true measur is how we provid for those who serv __PUNCT__ and for their famili __PUNCT__ after the gun fall silent and the camera ar turn off __PUNCT__

and it is my strong belief that over the last few year __PUNCT__ we have not alwai kept that sacr trust __PUNCT__ we have not serv our veteran as well as thei have serv us __PUNCT__

we heard rhetor that hasn't been match by resourc __PUNCT__

we seen second __PUNCT__ rate condit at walter reed __PUNCT__

we had unpredict and insuffici time for our troop at home between deploy __PUNCT__

our militari famili have been left to fend for themselv while spous and parent ar sent to fight tour after tour after tour of duti __PUNCT__

it not accept __PUNCT__

you cannot lead thi countri into war __PUNCT__ and then fail to care for those who have serv __PUNCT__ and for their famili __PUNCT__

it start with protect the fundament right of our troop __PUNCT__

thei have fought across the world so that other have the right to vote __PUNCT__ but here at home __PUNCT__ the bush_administr ha refus to help wound warrior regist __PUNCT__

there is noth patriot about deni wound troop the abil to vote __PUNCT__

it time for the va to do the right thing __PUNCT__

it time to revers thi shame decis __PUNCT__

it also time to be straight with the american_peopl about the sacrific that ar be made __PUNCT__

for year __PUNCT__ thi administr ha refus to count all of our wound men and women in uniform __PUNCT__

in iraq alon __PUNCT__ ten of thousand of troop who were injur or fell ill have not been count in our casualti number __PUNCT__ go against the militari own standard from past war __PUNCT__

it time to stop hide the full_cost of thi war __PUNCT__

it time to honor the full_measur of sacrific of our troop __PUNCT__ and to prepar for the cost of their care __PUNCT__

i am run on a record of stand up for wound warrior on the senat veteran affair committe __PUNCT__ an assign i sought out when i join the senat __PUNCT__

i led a bipartisan effort to improv outpati facil __PUNCT__ slash red_tape __PUNCT__ and reform the disabl process __PUNCT__ becaus recov troop should go to the front of the line __PUNCT__ and thei shouldn't have to fight to get there __PUNCT__

and anyon who ha visit a militari hospit ha seen spous who don't see visit hour as part __PUNCT__ time __PUNCT__

that why i pass_legisl to give famili_member health_care while thei care for injur troop __PUNCT__ and introduc a bill to give famili_member protect so thei don't have to choos between care for a love on and keep a job __PUNCT__

i also work to confront the signatur injuri of the war in iraq and afghanistan __PUNCT__ ptsd and traumat brain injuri __PUNCT__

for far too mani troop and their famili __PUNCT__ the war doesn't end when thei come home __PUNCT__

that why i pass measur to increas screen for these unseen wound __PUNCT__ and help lead a bipartisan effort to stop the unfair practic of kick out troop who suffer from them __PUNCT__

and when i presid __PUNCT__ we enhanc mental_health screen and treatment at all level __PUNCT__ from enlist __PUNCT__ to deploy __PUNCT__ to reentri into civilian life __PUNCT__

we have call on our troop and their famili for so much these last few year __PUNCT__ but we haven't alwai issu that call respons __PUNCT__

it not enough to restor twelv month armi deploy __PUNCT__ we need to restor adequ train and time at home between deploy __PUNCT__

and we must recogn that when we deploi our troop __PUNCT__ our militari famili also go to war __PUNCT__

that why we need to provid more counsel and resourc to help famili cope with multipl tour __PUNCT__

and we know that the sacr trust doe not end when the uniform come off __PUNCT__

that why it time to build a __NUM___centuri va __PUNCT__

no more red_tape __PUNCT__ it time to give everi servic __PUNCT__ member electron copi of medic and servic record upon discharg __PUNCT__

no more shortfal __PUNCT__ we fulli fund va health_care __PUNCT__

no more delai __PUNCT__ we pass on __PUNCT__ time budget __PUNCT__

no more mean __PUNCT__ test __PUNCT__ it time to allow everi veteran into the va system __PUNCT__

i tire of hear stori about vet navig a broken vba bureaucraci __PUNCT__

we need to hire addit worker __PUNCT__ and creat an electron system that is fulli link up to militari record and the va health network __PUNCT__

and i will have a simpl principl for veteran sleep on our street __PUNCT__ zero toler __PUNCT__

i fought for thi in the senat __PUNCT__ and as presid i expand hous voucher __PUNCT__ and launch a new support_servic hous program to prevent at __PUNCT__ risk veteran and their famili from slide into homeless __PUNCT__

final __PUNCT__ we need to make sure that everi veteran ha the same opportun that my grandfath had under the gi_bill __PUNCT__

that why i proud to co __PUNCT__ sponsor jim_webb gi_bill for the __NUM___centuri __PUNCT__

it time to make sure that everi veteran ha the support thei need to get an educ that put them on a pathwai to their dream __PUNCT__

it past time that congress_pass thi bill __PUNCT__

america stood by my grandfath when he took off the uniform __PUNCT__ and it never left hi side __PUNCT__

i will never forget the dai that we laid him to rest __PUNCT__

in a cemeteri line with the grave of american who have sacrif for our countri __PUNCT__ we heard the solemn note of tap and the crack of gun fire in salut __PUNCT__ we watch as a fold flag wa hand to our famili and the coffin wa lower into that hallow ground __PUNCT__

it wa a final act of a nation_servic to stanlei dunham in return for hi servic to america __PUNCT__

we must alwai rememb that we honor our highest ideal by honor the men and women who have sacrif for those ideal __PUNCT__

that is the work that li befor us __PUNCT__ and that is what i will do everi dai as command __PUNCT__ in __PUNCT__ chief __PUNCT__

i will have no greater call than stand by those who have answer our countri call __PUNCT__