On this Friday, November 11th, our nation will celebrate Veterans Day. It is a day when we pause to remember the noble service and sacrifices of those who have worn this nation's uniform.

It was the 250-member First Minnesota regiment during the Civil War's Battle of Gettysburg that held the line against 1600 Confederate troops while much-needed reinforcements were brought in on the Union side. The First Minnesota suffered one of the highest percentages of casualties of any regiment during the War. A plaque devoted to them at Gettysburg reads: "In self-sacrificing desperate valor their charge has no parallel in any war."

From the ridges of Gettysburg, to the beaches of Normandy, to the sands of Iraq, Minnesota's men and women have served their nation with honor.

The price they have paid is extraordinary. This November 11th -- on the moment the guns of World War I fell silent -- we will honor their sacrifices, and remember those who came home and those who did not.

I have always said that Minnesota is a state where we wrap our arms around the people who have sacrificed for us. Today, our state's veterans need us more than ever. In addition to the thousands of Minnesotans on active duty in the armed forces, thousands more in the National Guard and Reserves have been called to duty and deployed overseas in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.

These wars are creating a new generation of veterans who need their country to stand with them. Tragically, 2,000 American soldiers have now died in Iraq. Another 15,000 have been wounded -- some permanently. We have an obligation to bring our troops home safely and to honor returning soldiers and surviving families by giving them the benefits they have earned.

In years past, veterans like my father could count on the fact that their government would stand by them. After World War II, our government did just that, adopting the GI Bill to provide health, housing and educational benefits that gave returning veterans the help they needed to heal, to raise families and to prosper.

Today, the administration and the Republican-led Congress are failing our returning troops. At a time when we are spending billions on the reconstruction of Iraq, funding for health care for veterans is far below what's needed. Those are the wrong priorities for our country. We cannot abandon the brave soldiers who fought for us once they return home.

We need to provide veterans the benefits they have earned. We must assure fair compensation policies for veterans, good education benefits and the health care that they deserve.

Minnesota has a proud tradition of leaders who fight for veterans in Congress, standing up for our local VA hospitals to get them the funding they need to care for our vets. As senator for Minnesota, I will not rest until our veterans get the benefits that their nation has promised and that they have earned.