“The battle over there, and the battle here at home your battle to recover, which at times can be even harder, and certainly as longer,” Obama said.
Obama called the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial a challenge to all Americans to remember what they owe to all veterans, especially those who are disabled.
That includes an obligation to “never rush into war,” but to do so only when it is “absolutely necessary,” Obama said.
A critic of the Iraq war launched in 2003, Obama has recently authorized airstrikes against growing militant groups in Iraq and Syria.
Veterans benefits are also part of the American debt to its troops, Obama said, though “we have not always fulfilled our obligations to those who served in our name this is a painful truth.”
In recent years there have been numerous complaints about wait times and the quality of care at veterans hospitals.
“If they come home having left a part of themselves on the battlefield on our behalf this memorial tells us what we must do,” Obama said. “We need to move heaven and earth to make sure they get every single benefit, every single bit of care, that they have earned, that they deserve.”
The granite-and-glass monument, which includes a ceremonial flame, is located behind the United States Botanic Garden, near the U.S. Capitol.
The president also praised the disabled veterans themselves.
Whether they have lost legs or arms, sustained mental or physical injuries, or lost the ability to see or walk, wounded warriors have worked to re-claim their lives, the president said.
“We thank you,” Obama said. “We are inspired by you, and we honor you.”
