mrs. lois pope, co-founder and chairman of disabled veterans' life memorial. thank you. co-founder and president, arthur wilson. secretary dennis joyner. treasurer gene murphy. mrs. diane mussleman. roberto bobby barea. we owe all of them a deep debt of gratitude. another round of applause for all of their hard work. thank you for your work. and sadly, there are three men who made enormous contributions to the memorial who did not live to celebrate this special day. the honorable jesse brown, former secretary of veterans affairs and co-founder of the memorial. and board members, the honorable gordon mansfield, former acting secretary of the va. and kenneth mussleman, a distinguished disabled vietnam veteran, please join me -- please join me in a moment of silence to honor these three great men. i know they are here with us in spirit today. thank you for remembering them. we are also indebted today to many individuals, foundations, organizations, and corporations whose donation made this historic day possible. many of them are listed in your program. there are more than 1

mrs. lois pope, co-founder and chair person of the disabled veterans like memorial, thank you. -founder and president arthur wilson. secretary dennis joyner. treasurer dean murphy. mrs. diane mosselman. roberto bobby bureya. we owe all of them and deep debt of gratitude. another round of applause for all their hard work. thank you for their work. said lee there are three men who made enormous contributions to the memorial who did not live to celebrate this special day. the hon. jesse brown, former secretary of veterans affairs and co-founder of the memorial. [applause] >> and board members, the hon. gordon mansfield, former acting secretary of the va. [applause] >> and kenneth muscleman, a distinguished vietnam veteran. please join me, please join me in a moment of silence to honor these three great men. i know they are with us in spirit today. thank you for remembering them. we also indebted today to many individuals, foundations, organizations, and corporations who made this historic day possible. there are more than 1 million individual donors whose contribution made this mem

mrs. lois pope, whose commitment to disabled veterans knows no bounds.she was instrumental in the creation of this memorial. with thenrces in 1998 av national adjunct arthur wilson and the late secretary of veterans affairs, jesse brown. please welcome lois pope. [applause] but thank you, ray. thank you for that very gracious introduction, and thank you for for the memorial for so many years. good morning, everybody, and welcome to the dedication of this magnificent american veterans disabled for life memorial. [applause] history is being made here today . at long last, we have a memorial to inform, educate, and remind our public of the kurdish, sacrifices, and the continuing struggles of the more than 4 million living disabled veterans and the hundreds of thousands who have died before them. they serve as reminders that the cost of war does not end when the guns are silent. for every day, disabled veterans continue to battle with their physical and mental disabilities , to reintegrate into society, to adjust to new family lives, and professional realiti

mrs. lois pope,

lois pope, mr. arthur wilson, mr. robert voelker, and the honorable sally jewell.nt of the united states, barack obama. ♪ ♪ ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, on behalf o >> ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the disabled veterans life memorial foundation, it is our honor to present to america's citizens the american veterans disabled for life memorial. >> ladies and gentlemen, it is my distinct honor and privilege to introduce to you the president of the united states, barack obama. >> thank you so much. good afternoon. please be seated. to all our disabled veterans, our extraordinary wounded warriors, we gather here today on this gorgeous autumn day in america because each of you endured a moment that shaped the arc of your lives and that speaks to our debt as a nation. maybe it was there on the battlefield as the bullets and shrapnel rained down around you. maybe it was as you lay there, the medics tending to your wounds. perhaps it was days or months later in that hospital room when you finally came to. perhaps it was years later as you went about your day or in the mi

lois pope, wilson, mr. robert vogel and the honorable sally jewell.s and gentlemen, the the united states, barack obama. ♪ [ ♪ [ ♪ to the chief ♪ hail to the chief ♪ >> ladies and gentlemen, on disabled veterans life memorial foundation, it is our honor to present to citizens the american veterans disabled for life memorial. [applause] >> ladies and gentlemen, it is privileget honor and to introduce to you the president of the united states, barack obama. [applause] >> thank you so much. bed afternoon, please seated. to all our disabled veterans, woundedaordinary warriors, we gather here today gorgeous autumn day in of you because each endured a moment that shaped the thatf your lives and speaks to our debt as a nation. maybe it was there on the bullets andas the shrapnel rained down around you. you lay there, the medics tending to your wounds. perhaps it was tay days or monts in that hospital room when to.finally came perhaps it was years later as or innt about your day the midnight hour when the memories came rushing back like flood. wherever you we