Vice President, DoD Leaders Honor Pentagon’s 9/11 Sacrifices

Terri Moon Cronk at the DoD News offers the below piece: WASHINGTON, Sept. 11, 2018 — The terrorists who attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, sought not just to take the lives of U.S. citizens and crumble buildings; they hoped to break America’s spirit, Vice President Mike Pence said at the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial observance here today. They failed, he said.  “The American people showed on that day and every day since, we will not be intimidated,” the vice president said. “Our spirit cannot be broken.” Defense Secretary James N. Mattis and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Paul J. Selva hosted Pence for the annual remembrance for families and friends of those who fell at the Pentagon.  Seventeen years ago, terrorists flew American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon. One hundred eighty-nine people perished -- 125 service members and civilians working in the building, and 59 men and women and children aboard the flight. The losses at the Pentagon, combined with those at New York City’s World Trade Center and in a field crash site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, totaled 2,977 men, women and children. A Special Burden “To the families of the fallen gathered here and all those looking on, the cherished final moments you shared with your loved ones no doubt seem like just yesterday: a goodbye kiss, a tender embrace, or one last wave,” Pence said. “Just know that your nation understands that, while we all suffered loss that day, we know you bear a special burden,” he added. “But we gather here in the shadow of the building where your loved ones departed this life to say that you do not bear that burden alone. The American people stand with you and we always will.” The vice president said that even before the smoke cleared and the fires were put out, Americans began to answer the call and step forward to serve the nation.  “It's amazing to think in the 17 years since that day, nearly 5.5 million Americans volunteered to serve in the armed forces of the United States,” he added. “Those courageous men and women turned a day of tragedy into a triumph of freedom.”  Hatred Will Not Prevail Mattis told the families and friends of victims that, “[In] the shadow of our rebuilt Pentagon, we are all part of your larger family. We stand with you every day in honored tribute of the fallen, of your loved ones.” In that spirit, the secretary added, “this morning we commit ourselves to remembering and honoring the lives that might have been. We keep faith with the innocent who perished. We take solace in their deaths were not in vain, for in their passing they empowered us forever with our enduring sense of purpose. And we remember that hatred disguised in false religious garb to murder innocents will not prevail.” We remember the bravery and sacrifice of those who fell here in America, and then on far-flung battlefields, he said. “We salute the soldiers, sailors, airmen, Coast Guardsmen and Marines who nailed our colors to the mast, giving their last full measure of devotion, declaring proudly that Americans do not scare,” Mattis said.  Strength and Resilience Together with the families of the fallen, we remember all that is good, true, and beautiful about those we have lost, “And if we remember them, if we honor them by living as they would have us live, if we in the Department of Defense do our best every day to protect America's promise to the world, then we keep our promise to them and to ourselves and to future generations,” the secretary said. Selva told the audience today’s ceremonies across the country, “inspire us to reflect not only on the nation's strength and resolve after those brutal attacks, but also on the strength and resilience of individual people who continue to carry on, even to thrive, in spite of the pain of losing a loved one.” The vice chairman said all should take comfort in knowing that those who died imparted a legacy of selfless service, courage and patriotism, and a belief in the high ideals, all of which continue to inspire a new generation of grateful Americans who have answered the call to serve.  “So today, let us reaffirm the commitment that as long as we have breath to breathe, our military members will defend this nation,” the vice chairman said. “We will ensure that future generations of America are able to enjoy the same freedoms and liberties that we inherited.”

Vice President Pence Says America Owes Vets A Debt, Promises Stronger Military

Jim Garamone at the DoD News offers the below piece:

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY, Va., Nov. 11, 2017 — From the dawn of the Republic, the United States has depended upon its veterans, and it owes them a debt of honor that must be paid, Vice President Mike Pence said today at the annual Veterans Day ceremony here.

He stood in for President Donald J. Trump, who is attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in Da Nang, Vietnam.

Pence noted that some 50 million Americans have worn the cloth of the United States since 1775, with 20 million of them alive today. “From the hour of our nation’s birth, our best and bravest have stepped forward to defend our freedom,” he said. “And as we speak, a new generation of American veterans is being forged across the wider world.”

The United States owes a debt to veterans, and “it’s a debt we can never fully repay. But on this Veterans Day we rededicate ourselves to accomplishing just that,” Pence said.

Veterans return from service to the nation to serve their communities, he said.

Pence said the administration has been working hard on delivering the services – especially medical assistance – that veterans need and deserve. “Working with Secretary [David] Shulkin, we’ve made the Department of Veterans Affairs already more efficient, effective, and accountable,” the vice president said.

“Let me be clear: Veterans benefits are not entitlements -- they are earned. They are the ongoing compensation for services rendered in the uniform of the United States of America. And under President Donald Trump, we’re keeping the promises that we’ve made to men and women who’ve served in our armed forces,” he said.

Veterans Choice Program

Pence noted the administration has expanded the Veterans Choice Program by more than $2 billion to give beneficiaries access to real-time, high-quality healthcare. “And because not all wounds of war are visible, we’ve improved veterans’ access to urgent mental healthcare services and given them greater access to telemedicine for our veterans,” he said.

The president also signed into law the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act to ensure veterans receive the highest level of service. “And this president has taken decisive action to end the pattern of neglect and mistreatment at the VA,” Pence said. “We’ve already fired or suspended over 1,500 VA employees for negligent behavior.”

Trump has also signed legislation to expand the post-9/11 GI Bill and eliminate the 15-year limit on benefits for new veterans. “And I’m glad to report, veteran unemployment has already fallen by nearly 40 percent since President Trump was elected,” he said. “It’s lower today than at any point since the year 2000. And we're just getting started.”

Veterans return from service to the nation ready to serve in communities. “Today, our veterans continue to serve our nation in careers ranging from business to education, from law enforcement to public service,” Pence said.

Keep Your Wits

He related an example of service from the tragedy in Texas. “On Wednesday, Karen and I traveled to Sutherland Springs, Texas, to meet the families and the victims of the worst attack on a place of worship in American history,” the vice president said. “At Brooke Army Medical Center, we stood at the bedside of a retired U.S. Marine Corps gunnery sergeant named Juan Macias. We spoke to his family, as he lay before us, recovering from his injuries. But it was from another member of the church that we learned of that veteran’s extraordinary courage last Sunday.

“Julie Workman, a registered nurse, was also wounded in the First Baptist Church that day,” Pence continued. “But no sooner had the attacker left that she began to treat the wounded. Seeing what lay before her, though, Julie told me she was momentarily overcome, and that’s when “Gunny” stepped in. Despite having five bullet wounds, she told me that Gunny sat up, looked her in the eye and said, ‘You were born for this, keep your wits about you, do your job.’ She said that’s all she needed to hear. Heroism outlives the uniform. And her actions and his courage undoubtedly saved lives that day. That’s an American veteran.”

Veterans of the future are serving today, and the vice president said the administration has already taken decisive action to make the strongest military in the history of the world, stronger still. “This President has already signed the largest increase in military spending in nearly a decade, and before this year is out, we’ll enact the largest investment in our national defense since the days of Ronald Reagan,” he said.

“And under President Donald Trump, I’ll make you a promise: We’re going to rebuild our military. We're going to restore the arsenal of democracy, and we will once again give our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen the resources and training they need to accomplish their mission and come home safe,” Pence said. “That's our promise to all of you.” 

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