Veterans Day, 2021

Proclamation 10305 of November 9, 2021

Veterans Day, 2021

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

For generations, millions of Americans have answered
the call to serve--taking the sacred oath to defend and
preserve our Nation's ideals of liberty and democracy.
These patriots represent the best of us. On Veterans
Day, we honor their service, dedication, and valor and
are forever grateful for their sacrifice.

Our Nation has only one truly sacred obligation: to
properly prepare and equip our service members when we
send them into harm's way and to care for them and
their families when they return home. For our 19
million veterans, that means ensuring that they have
access to the support and resources for a future of
security, opportunity, and dignity. This is even more
important as we continue to recover from the global
COVID-19 pandemic.

Our obligation to support our Nation's veterans and
their families is personal for me and the entire Biden
family, and I remain committed to ensuring that every
veteran receives the care and support they have earned.
The recently passed bipartisan Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act will create millions of good
jobs for veterans and grow opportunities for veteran-
owned businesses. My Build Back Better framework also
prioritizes improvements to VA health care, ensuring
that every veteran--including our often-underserved
female and LGBTQ+ veterans--receives competent, world-
class health care through the Department of Veterans
Affairs. Last month, the White House Gender Policy
Council released the first-ever United States Strategy
for Gender Equity and Equality, which included the
unique needs and contributions of women service members
and veterans. And the Department of Veterans Affairs is
also working to get every eligible veteran the
information and opportunity they need to register and
vote, protecting their voice in the democracy they
fought to preserve.

Ensuring veterans have timely access to services and
benefits is at the center of my Administration's
commitment to fulfilling our sacred obligation. This
includes addressing the adverse health effects of
service-related exposures. In August, the Department of
Veterans Affairs announced it will begin processing
disability claims for respiratory conditions connected
to exposure during military service in Southwest Asia
and other areas. My Administration also added three
conditions to the list of those presumptively
associated with exposure to Agent Orange, ending the
long wait for disability benefits for many Vietnam era
veterans. In the coming months, we are committed to
taking additional action to address potential adverse
health effects associated with military environmental
exposures.

So many of our veterans carry the scars from their
service--both visible and invisible--and it is our
Nation's responsibility to help them heal. Too many
veterans and service members have considered suicide or
taken their own lives, and addressing this tragedy is a
national responsibility. That is why I have made
military and veteran suicide prevention a top priority,
and earlier this month, I released a new comprehensive,
cross-sector public health strategy to reduce military
and veteran suicide. Implementing this approach will
unite us around a common mission and accelerate
meaningful

improvements in suicide prevention programs, helping us
live up to our sacred obligation to those who have
served in our Nation's Armed Forces.

Fulfilling our Nation's promise to our veterans and
military families, caregivers, and survivors is not
only a moral imperative--it is crucial to our national
security and to maintaining the finest military the
world has ever known. We are a Nation that keeps our
promises. That is why my Administration is dedicated to
a whole-of-government approach in responding to the
needs of our veterans and their families, caregivers,
and survivors.

Through the First Lady's work with Joining Forces--the
White House initiative to support veteran and military
families, caregivers, and survivors--my Administration
is addressing employment and entrepreneurship, military
and veteran child education, and health and well-being
for veteran families. Earlier this year, the First Lady
met with military and veteran families to learn how we
can better support and prioritize their needs, and in
September, Joining Forces and the National Security
Council released a report outlining the first round of
Administration-wide commitments and proposals that
support veteran and military families, caregivers, and
survivors. These efforts will honor our sacred
obligation to support our veteran families and ensure
they receive the resources they need to thrive.

On Veterans Day, we honor our Nation's veterans, who
have given so much to protect our freedoms and the
freedom of others around the globe. They represent the
highest ideals of our country. While we can never fully
repay the debt we owe these heroes, we will honor their
service and provide them the care and support they
deserve. We also salute and show gratitude for all who
ensure our Armed Forces remain strong, united, and
unmatched.

In respect and recognition of the contributions our
veterans and their families, caregivers, and survivors
have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the
world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a))
that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a
legal public holiday to honor our Nation's veterans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of
the United States of America, do hereby proclaim
November 11, 2021, as Veterans Day. I encourage all
Americans to recognize the valor, courage, and
sacrifice of our veterans through appropriate
ceremonies and private prayers. I call upon Federal,
State, and local officials to display the flag of the
United States of America and to participate in
patriotic activities in their communities. And I call
on all Americans, including civic and fraternal
organizations, places of worship, schools, and
communities, to support this day with commemorative
expressions and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
ninth day of November, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
sixth.