Obama says America's veterans deserve better

He's already spoken on patriotism and public service, and today Barack Obama turned to another Independence Day-themed topic: the treatment of America's veterans.

In a speech in Fargo, N.D., Obama touted his work in the Senate on veterans issues and pledged to do better by them if he becomes president. He reiterated earlier vows to improve the Veterans Affairs system with more funding, end homelessness among veterans, and pay appropriate attention to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD.

Honoring American ideals, Obama said, "requires more than saluting our veterans as they march by in a 4th of July parade. It requires only sending them to war when we must, and giving them the equipment they need to complete their mission safely. It requires giving them the care and benefits they have earned. And it requires standing shoulder-to-shoulder with our veterans and their families after the guns fall silent and the cameras are turned off."

Obama cited what he called "deplorable conditions" at military facilities such as Fort Bragg and Walter Reed, and the "broken bureaucracy of the VA."

"It doesn't have to be this way. Not in this country," he said, according to prepared remarks. "There are many aspects of the war in Iraq that have gone inalterably wrong, but caring for our veterans is one thing we can still get right."

Obama is planning to spend the holiday tomorrow in Montana with his family.