AXPOW A STALWART ALLY

I am honored to be in the presence of citizen-soldiers whose sacrifices in the name of Democracy helped make it possible for us to meet today in a nation free from tyranny and overflowing with the blessings of liberty.

In his Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Profiles in Courage , John Kennedy wrote, "...without belittling the courage with which men have died, we should not forget those acts of courage with which men...have lived. A man does what he must-in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures-and that is the basis of all human morality."

American Ex-POWs are eloquent exemplars of President Kennedy's courageous men and women. You have been tested in the misery-ridden cauldrons of stalags and labor camps, and in the confines of tiger cages and concrete cells...and you emerged morally victorious in spite of personal consequences, obstacles, dangers, and pressures.

It takes courage to remain true to your country when every drop of water, every morsel of food, indeed, every breath you take, comes at the whim of your enemies. It takes courage to sustain the will to live and prevail in the face of starvation, mistreatment, torture, and random deaths. And it takes courage to sacrifice your own energy-perhaps your own life-on a death march supporting a buddy who would otherwise fall....and die.

Your experiences as prisoners of war were shaped on the anvil of sacrifice by a hammer of evil that more than one million American servicemen and women died selflessly to remove from the face of the earth. America's Ex-Prisoners of War know the sting of that hammer...You felt its bitter and merciless cold...You ached from its festering wounds...You suffered its lingering diseases...And you experienced the brutal isolation from day and night and time itself.

And yet through it all...through the pain and the fear and the deprivation... you stood tall and never gave up and never gave in. No matter how tough the going got, you never let down your faith in all you believe about America.

How can a grateful nation ever repay such sacrifice? .....I ask that question often, and I am proud to lead the Department charged with making good on Abraham Lincoln's promise "...to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and orphan." Today, more than ever in VA's history, we are committed to redeeming our Nation's debt to the men and women who endured imprisonment at the hands of liberty's enemies.

I know, as you do, that nine out of ten former POWs are World War II and Korean War veterans well into their 80s. Even our Vietnam Ex-POWs are approaching, or are in, their 60s and facing their own mortality in the decades to come.

I am directing a coordinated, nationwide public affairs and outreach campaign to get the word out to former prisoners of war, their families, and their communities that they may be entitled to certain VA benefits and services.

We need to let former POWs know that 20 years of legislation has expanded and improved their benefits. Many POWs may not be aware of the benefits for which they are eligible, even if they are currently receiving compensation.

We are counting on veterans' service organizations, our own employees, and the news media to get the word out..... that now is the time for former POWs to learn more about VA benefits and services so they can apply and enroll.

More than 21,000 former prisoners of war already receive some form of compensation from VA. There are, however, many who do not. This past year, VA mailed information about benefits to another 4,700 known ex-POWs not on our rolls. However, we estimate there could be as many as 11,000 more POWs for whom we do not have an address.

We need your help, as the lead VSO for Ex-POWs, to reinforce VA's outreach effort, and I know I can count on you to get the word out through your own internal communications and your extensive community links around the country. Each VA Regional Benefits Office and VA Medical Center has a former POW coordinator on staff to help.

I encourage your members to seek out our coordinators for the latest information on benefits and health care. And VA medical centers have former POW clinical treatment teams ready to help any ex-POW who needs our assistance.

Again, I thank the American Ex-POWs for all your support over the past three years.

You have been a stalwart ally as I worked to reinvigorate VA and earn our veterans' faith that their Department is listening to them and responding with the best health care, the most timely benefits, and the enduring pledge of noble honors in our National shrines.

In closing, let me turn to Lincoln, who during his life, often expressed his heartfelt appreciation to individual soldiers, officers, and military cadres for their service.

In a speech in Washington, DC in the closing months of the Civil War, he observed- "... it has been said, all that a man hath will he give for his life; and while all contribute to their substance the soldier puts his life at stake, and often yields it up in his country's cause. The highest merit, then, is due the soldier."

Whether in the Civil War or the war on terrorism, the greatest tribute belongs to the American soldier ...sailor ... airman ... marine ... and coastguardsman whose indomitable spirit, buoyant optimism, and unwavering courage are the lifeblood of American democracy. And no tribute is more deserved than the tribute America owes our Ex-POWS....you made the blessings of Freedom possible ... for America and for others. My Department has no greater cause -no more sacred responsibility-than to serve those who have so courageously borne the battle.

VA and American Ex-POWs are linked by unbreakable bonds of mutual respect, friendship, and a shared noble purpose ... I continue to be proud of our enduring partnership on behalf of America's veterans. We are faithfully pledged to succeed in our mission if we are to leave as our legacy the honor of a redeemed promise to those who serve our Nation so well.

Thank you.