[no audio] >> president obama begins an nine day trip starting in all live. on wednesday, he travels to australia and indonesia. next weekend, he will return to why he would cut leaders of canada and mexico before turning -- returning to the white house. the president has built-in time for separate meetings with most of the top asian leaders. today on "washington journal," a

discussion on the delayed action keystone pipeline. after that, in a study looking at school future compensation. later, a look at which undergraduate majors pay more. that is live at 7:00 a.m. eastern here on c-span. >> the c-span.org home page is now easier to use. it makes it easier for you to watch today's events live and recorded. we have added a and the channel finder see you can quickly find where to watch our 3 cspan network on cable or satellite systems across the country at the all new c-span.org. >> next, president obama at

veterans day events at arlington national cemetery starting with a wreath laying ceremony at the tomb of the unknown followed by an observance at the empty air. this is about one hour. [no audio] [no audio]

[no audio] [no audio] [military orders] [star spangled banner]

[star spangled banner] [star spangled banner] [military orders]

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[trumpets] [battle hymn of the republic]

[battle hymn of the republic] [battle hymn of the republic] [battle hymn of the republic]

[battle hymn of the republic]

republic]ymn of the [battle hymn of the republic]

>> glory, glory, hallelujah his truth is marching on. glory, glory, hallelujah glory, glory, hallelujah glory, glory, hallelujah his truth is marching on. ♪

[applause] >> executive director of the arlington national cemetery program. captain russell bowinkle commander in chief military order of the world wars. and the hon. eric shinsecki, of

veterans affairs. [applause] ♪ >> these and gentlemen, the president of united states. [hail to the chief] >> please, be seated. ladies and gentlemen, as we begin today's ceremony, we will present a special tribute to america's veterans. nc-17 hundreds, generations of

our military men and women have established a legacy of resolve and determination that exists in our country today. ♪ following the attack on pearl harbor, america pause greatest generation stepped forward to chisel their place in history at normandy, midway, and around the world. it was short-lived as the world rushed into the nuclear age and became polarized between the forces of democracy and communism. ♪ >> in carioca, -- in

korea our troops served after three years of intense combat, the armistice was signed that list -- that is still in effect today. ♪ ♪ >> in vietnam, our next generation of veterans engaged the enemy with honor in places like the tet offensive. following vietnam, the united states turned to an all-a volunteer force. they demonstrate the result of united states grenada and

panama rescuing thousands for the fall of the berlin war, marked our victory in the cold war. ♪ history repeated itself as history emerged in the middle east and europe. in desert storm, our forces moved strictly to help liberate kuwait from the occupying iraqi forces. united states intervened in bosnia and kosovo to protect the innocents caught in the violence. ♪ following the attacks of 9/11, america took the fight to the enemy in southwest asia where we continue to eliminate threats today. been and veterans have continue to be the bedrock of our nation, protecting the united states of america.

♪ [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please rise as we present our national colors and those of our host veterans organization, the military order of the world wars. ♪ ♪

♪ >> please remain standing for the prayer for all veterans delivered by chaplain keith etheridge. >> let us pray -- holy god, we seek your blessing as we return to this sacred crown to celebrate and honor american veterans. we join with americans all across our land in ceremonies around the world to thank our veterans for their love of country, their dedication to excellence, their commitment to service. we give thanks for families who have stood by their military men and women while they were

deployed and today stand by them as they invest that same love of country, dedication, and service in civilian life. we oppose this morning -- we pause this morning for those who continue to grieve the loss of service members matter the generation or time of service. in this hour, we pledge to care for veterans and their families as they adjust to living with the wounds of war. mayday know that their sacrifices were not in vain and that a great, formation takes time today to honor them for the great gift of freedom. last our service members to continue to serve in harm's way in afghanistan, iraq, and in locations around the world. here are prayer for veterans. we pray with gratitude, amen.

>> i would like to invite mr. russell bowinkle to lead us in our pledge of allegiance. >> please join me in the pledge of allegiance i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america to the republic for which it stands one nation, under god, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> please be seated. it is now my distinct privilege to introduce the leaders of the veterans service organizations that comprise the veterans day national committee. the committee was formed by presidential order in 1954 to all this annual observation for

america's veterans and support and encourage veterans day observance throughout the nation. hold your applause until i have introduced all these special guests. if you are able, please stand when i call your name. russell iowinkle. arthur cooper, national president of the retired enlisted association. harold fritz, congressional medal of honor society. donald s. samuels, disabled american veterans. bill muli, pearl harbor survivors association. norbert ryan, jr. therese robel. william mcswain, korean war

veterans association. albert to gonzales, national commander gi forum. carol beaugard. leo haley, national commander catholic war veterans. frederick elliott, vice- president vietnam war veterans. richard l. denoyer. gary frye. samuel l. huhn./ jeffrey gibson, national commander army and navy union of the usa. h. gene overstreet. david boyles.

bill hutton. james scarborough. james twohey. edward t. brogan. bill lawson. donald l. marks. the associate members of the committee are located in the box is to my left. hold your applause until the end, please. norma luther. jeanette early. janet broussard. peter forbes. s. sanford schlit.

carl barrett jeffrey ladue. mike lynch gerald de arancisco. david fletcher. laurie montgomery jack klemp. gerald yamada j. david bailey. darlene baker.

charles able. walker williams. tim moon. vicky haiduk. ladies and gentlemen, please join me in recognizing our veteran national leadership with your applause. [applause] it is now my pleasure to introduce our veterans organization host, founded in 1919, the military order of the world force was formed at the suggestion of general of the armies, john j. pershing. as a veteran service organization comprised of members who were or are

commissioned as warrant officers of the u.s. army, navy, marine corps, air force, coast guard, public health service, and the national oceanic and atmospheric administration. the military order of the world wars is represented today by their national commander in chief, retired navy capt russell. c. bowinkle. he served in vietnam. ladies and gentlemen, russell c. bowinkle. [applause] >> mr. president, fellow veterans, distinguished guests and americans everywhere -- on behalf of the companions of military order of the world wars, thank you for celebrating the service of america's veterans. secretary shinsecki reminds us that today celebrates the selfless service of our veterans, a day to rejoice that

we as americans are willing to accept significant hardships to preserve and protect our nation. likewise, america is blessed that have veterans that continue this tradition after active military service. .ervi ends this is one of many a veterans service organizations. in the 92 years since our founding, our order has served america by sponsoring new leadership conferences, accredited by the national association of secondary school principals throughout the united states. our order also serves america's youth by sponsoring award programs for junior and senior rotc programs, the boy scouts and girl scouts of america. we also recognized those who excel at national security, homeland security, and law enforcement arena as. finally, we serve america by

sponsoring color ceremonies, for the july, memorial day, and veterans day. we're not unique. veterans and veterans' service organizations to which they belong support america every day in every way. we are grateful for the veterans of biting devotion to duty and humbled by their eternal sacrifices, their selfless service underwrites the freedom of thought, choice, and action necessary we all must have to pursue our respective dreams and aspirations. for that enforce a much more, we are in their eastern and debt. thank you. -- their internal debt. thank you. [applause] >> please welcome the hon. secretary of veterans affairs,, hinsecki.

>> welcome, everyone, to this hallowed place. our purpose here today is to honor all of you, veterans of our great country. mr. president, first lady michelle obama, medal of honor recipients, distinguished members of congress, sectorial -- secretary of defense panetta and service secretaries and members of your defense team, chairman and mrs. marty dempsey, leaders of our uniformed services, a deputy va secretary and other va leaders, my greetings to russell bowinkle, again, our coast today. bill muli and other pearl harbor

survivors who are standing with us their last veterans day organization as they stand with us. for the past 75 years they have been stalled or reminders of the importance of national readiness. thank you for their service and godspeed. [applause] other veteran service organizations, fellow veterans, other distinguished guests, ladies and gentleman -- what a beautiful day for observing this 11th hour of the 11-of the 11th month in the 11th year of this century. just think warm. [laughter] we gather as americans to honor, thank, and celebrate those who have safeguarded this great nation both in peace and war and to renew our commitment as a nation to those who in the words

of abraham lincoln have borne the battle. in these uncertain times, the nations of veterans can take great comfort in knowing that we have a commander in chief who had -- is to also devoted to commitment.coln's president obama's support for veterans has been strong and unwavering and because of that, we have been transforming your va to better serve veterans throughout this 21st century. working with congress, the president provided in 2010, the largest single year increase in the va budget and 30 years. [applause] -- budget in 30 years. he has steadily grown that budget by 27% over the past two

fiscal years. that is extraordinary support during these tough, economic times and get essential if we're going to increase veteran access to our services and benefits, eliminate the backlog in disability claims, and and veteran homelessness in 2015. in the last two -- 2.5 years, we have added nearly 800,000 veterans to our health care rolls, built more than 50 new clinics, are building five new hospitals, have invested heavily in mental health car andcare. we have also improved outrage to female veterans at 144 women program coordinators at our key medical centers and women's

veterans benefit court netters at our 56 regional offices, and rolled over 56,000 veterans and family members in college under the new gi bill and begun piloting an automatic claims process that will start eliminating the backlog next year. we helped permanently house over 32,000 veterans and another 50,000 for our homeless call center. we addressed longstanding issues from past wars, agent orange, gulf war illness, combat post traumatic stress disorder, making it easier for hundreds of thousands of veterans to receive the benefits they earned. no president since franklin delano roosevelt has done more for the nation's veterans who

answered the call to general quarters at pearl harbor, who turned the tide at midway, who captured hitler's eagle's nest, outflanked communist forces and inchon, fought in the tet offensive, liberated kuwait and toppled hut saddam hussein, drove the taliban into hiding and brought osama bin laden to justice. [applause] we could not ask for a stronger advocate for veterans and for the men and women who serve today in uniform who will be tomorrow's veterans. ladies and gentleman, it is my great personal and professional honor to present to you our commander in chief, the president of united states of america, barack obama. [applause]

>> thank you. please, be seated. thank you secretary shen secchi for your extraordinary service to our country and your tireless commitment to our veterans. the secretary of defense, leon panetta, chairman dempsey and mrs. dempsey, to our wonderful veteran service organizations for the extraordinary work you do for our nation's heroes, to all who attend to and watch over this sacred cemetery, and above all, to every active -- to every active duty member and veteran of the united states armed forces. there are many honors and

responsibilities that come with this job. none are more humbling then serving as your commander in chief. i am proud to be with so many of you here today. hear, where our heroes come to rest, we come to show our gratitude. a few moments ago, i laid a wreath to pay tribute to all have given their lives to our country. even though this is a day we rightly honor america's veterans, we gather today in some respect, mindful that we are guests here, mindful that we share this hallowed space with a family's moment of quiet grief, mindful that many veterans not far from here are tracing their

fingers over black granite for friends who never came home and expect us to do all we can to bring every missing american servicemen home to their families. to all of our nation's veterans, whether you fought in salerno or somara, kison, or wherever, you are part of an unbroken chain of women who have served this country with honor and distinction. on behalf of a proud and grateful nation, we thank you. when i spoke here on this day two years ago, i said there would be a day before long when this generation of servicemen and women would begin to step out of uniform and i made the promise -- i said that when you're tour ends, when you see

our flag, when you touch our soil, you will be home in america that is forever here for you just as you have been there for us. [applause] for many, that day has come. more than 5 million americans have won the uniform of the united states armed forces. of these, 3 million step forward after the attacks of september 11, knowing full well they could be sent into harm's way. in that time, they served in some of the world's most dangerous places. their service has been selfless, their accomplishments have been extraordinary. in iraq they battled a brutal

insurgency, trained forces and given the iraqi people the opportunity to forge a better future. in afghanistan, they have pushed back the taliban and decimated al-qaeda and deliver the ultimate justice to osama bin laden. in concert with our allies, they have helped and the brutal gaddafi leadership and returned libya to their people. because of their incredible efforts, we can stand here today and say with confidence that the tide of war is receding. in just a few weeks, the long war in iraq will finally come to an end. [applause] our transition in afghanistan is moving forward. my fellow americans, our troops

are coming home. [applause] for many military families, this holiday season will be a season of homecoming and over the next five years, more than 1 million americans in a formal transition back to civilian life, joining the nearly 3 million who have done so over the past decade and embraced a proud new role, a role of veterans. this generation of service members, this 9/11 generation, has borne the burden of our security during a hard decade of sacrifice. our servicemen and women make up less than 1% of america but also more than 1 million military spouses and two million children and millions more parents and relatives, all of

whom have shared the strains of deployment and sacrifice on behalf of the country that we love. only 27 years old on average, these young men and women have shattered the false myth their generation's apathy. came of age in an era when somebody institutions failed to live up to their responsibility but they chose to serve a cause greater than themselves. they saw their country threatened but they signed up to confront that threat. they felt some tugs, they entered some call, and they said let's go. they have earned their place among the greatest of generations. [applause] that is something for america to be proud of.

that is the spirit america needs now, a stronger, newark, spirit of service and sacrifice. that spirit that says what can i do to help. what can i do to serve? that is the spirit that says when my country is challenged, i will do my part to meet that challenge. on this veterans day, let us commit ourselves to keep making sure that our veterans receive the care and benefits they have earned, the opportunity they defend and deserve, and above all, let us welcome them home as what they are -- and enter girl, essential part of our american family -- an integral part of our american family. [applause]

when our men and women signed up to become a soldier or sailor, airman, marine, or coastguardsman, they don't stop being a citizen. when they take off that uniform, their service to this nation does not stop either. like so many of their predecessors, today's veterans come home looking to continue serving america however they can. at a time when america needs all hands on deck, they have the skills and strength to help lead the way. our government needs their patriotism and sense of duty. that is why i have ordered the hiring of more veterans by the federal government. [applause] our economy needs their tremendous talent and specialized skills so i challenged our business leaders to hire 100,000 post-9/11 veterans and their spouses over

the next few years and yesterday many of these leaders joined michelle to announce that they will meet that challenge. [applause] our communities have always drawn strength from our veteran leadership. think of all who have come home and settled into a quiet life of service as a doctor or police officer, an engineer or an entrepreneur, as a mom or dad and in the process change to countless lives. other veterans seek new adventures from taking on a new business to building a team of proud veterans who used skills learned in veterans' to help in natural disaster. there are so many in this young generation who still feel that tug to serve but don't quite

know where to turn. on this veterans day, i ask every american -- recruit our veterans. if you are a business owner, hire them. if you are a community leader, a mayor, a pastor, a preacher -- call on them to join your efforts. organize your community to make a sustained difference in the lives of veterans because of that veteran can make an incredible difference in the life of your community. if you are a veteran looking for new ways to serve, check out seve.gov./ if you --serve.gov. you can also go to joining forces,gov. find out what you can do as an employer. there is no such thing as too small a difference. that effort you make it may have

the biggest impact. i say this because recently i received a letter from a vietnam veteran. she was not writing to tell me about her own experience. she just wanted to tell me about her son, jeremy. jeremy is not deployed. jeremy is not a veteran or even in the military at all as badly as he wants to follow in the footsteps of his family and in list. you see, jeremy has down's syndrome. jeremy chooses to serve where he can best -- with his local vietnam veterans of america chapter in beaver, pa.. he calls them the soldiers. one day last spring, jarmon spent the day with several of

these veterans, cleaning up a local highway. he worked tirelessly, wrote his mother, he never asked to take a break, he did not stop to talk about his beloved steelers, he did not even ask for anything to eat or drink. he only asked one thing several times -- mom, will president obama be proud of me for helping the soldiers? jeremy, i wanted to know, yes, i am proud of you. i could not be proud of you and your country is proud of you. thank you for serving our veterans by helping them continue their service to america. jeremy's example, one young man's example, is one that we

must all now follow because after a decade of war, the nation we now need to build his our own and just as our greatest generation left a country recovering from depression and returned home to build the largest middle-class and history, the 9/11 generation will play a pivotal role in rebuilding our prosperity in the 21st century. we know it will be hard. we have to overcome new threats to our security and prosperity and we have to overcome the cynical voices are warning that the best days of america are behind us. if there is anything our veterans teach us, it is that there is no threat we cannot meet, there is no challenge we cannot overcome, america paused best days are still ahead and the reason for that is because we are a people who defy those voices that insist otherwise.

we are a country that does what is necessary for future generations to succeed. [applause] you are veterans who fights or children don't have to bury rebuild and we invent and we learn so we will no greater opportunity. america leads so that the next generation here and around the world will know a more hopeful life on this earth. today, i think you'll for making that -- i thank you all for making that possible. god bless you. god bless our veterans and troops and god bless the united states of america. [applause]

[applause] >> please rise and join the united states army band and singing "god bless, america appear, ♪ god bless america land that i love stand beside her and guide our through the night with the light from light the mountains to the paris to the ocean god bless america my home sweet home god bless america my home sweet home ♪

[applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, please remain standing as we retire the colors. retired the colors! ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

♪ [stirring patriotic marching music] ♪

♪ ♪ >> this concludes the veterans day observance. please be seated for the departure of the president of united states and thank you for joining us to honor all two- suitwho served. [applause]

[no audio] [no audio] [applause] ♪

♪ [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011] >> decorated veteran and best- selling author finally recognize and comes to terms with his post traumatic stress disorder decades after vietnam. >> i told this guy about my symptoms. i jumped up in the middle of the night and ran outside without knowing what was going on. if a car honked behind me, i would attack the car behind me. he said to me have you ever been in a war? that hit me so hard. i was in the middle of a room with 80 people and i started bawling. it was that simple.

he said you have ptsd, have you ever heard of it? >> more about his life sunday night on cspan's "q &a." the c-span.org home page is easier to use. you can watch today's events live and recorded. there's a section to access our most popular series and programs. we have added a handy channel fighters a you can quickly find where to watch our three cspan net works on cable or satellite systems across the country at the all new c-span.org. >> coming up, "washington journal," we will take your questions and comments and after that, the senate governmental affairs committee looks at a proposal to help the post office avoid bankruptcy. this