Secretary Wilkie

Today we remember and thank more than one million men and woman who died so that they might give life to this nation, the last best hope of man. There has never been anything in history like the American warrior.

Congratulations on coming together virtually for TAPS’ 26th Annual National Military Survivor Seminar. My deep thanks to the entire TAPS team for making this important meeting happen in spite of the COVID crisis.

So how is, what is the state of your VA? The state of your VA is good.

You’re about to watch a documentary that traces the amazing story of the first female soldiers who served during World War I. The ‘Hello Girls’ were 223 extraordinary women who served as telephone operators during the great war. In 1917, the telephone was a new technology that could offer commanders an advantage on the frontlines in France.

This is a remarkable day for a remarkable institution. This is the institution, as I have said, that has the most noble mission in the Federal Government, the most noble mission in America—a mission given to us by our 16th President.

Since the late 19th Century, this group has worked diligently to ensure that we honor the service of Jewish American warriors. But you have done so much more than that. You and your members have always been an ally of America’s highest ideals – individual liberty and freedom from tyranny.

The Press Club has a unique place in the annals of American’s service. The American Legion post—and it was established here, right after World War I—continues to this day, and amongst its members

Today, we gather to honor Veterans.

I’m glad to be back at the Press Club celebrating the anniversary of the American Legion Post #20, here, a post that was inaugurated by the only man who is below George Washington on our protocol chart, or the first man below George Washington on the protocol chart, General Pershing, the General of the Armies, General Pershing a member of this club, and also the person who found the post here that is one of the oldest and now celebrating its 100th anniversary.

Ten percent of those we serve are America’s fighting women. Our budget is about 10 percent of what we spend on health. There are women’s clinics in all of our VA hospitals.

Senator Helms, from that small town in southwestern North Carolina, understood better than anybody who did the fighting.

This Legion knows something about where we came from, and the importance of reminding us all of the shared sacrifice that these members have. You were chartered one hundred years ago, at the end of World War I.