"We reserve Nov. 11 as the day we remember those who served America when she was most in need. Our veterans are a valuable resource reminding us of how our precious freedoms come at a cost.

"This Veterans Day, our country prepares for the arrival of a new generation of servicemen and women returning from their service in Iraq and Afghanistan. We must welcome these brave men and women home with open arms and keep our promise to provide them with the services and benefits they need and deserve. I will continue to fight for veterans, old and new, because it is the very least we can do after all they have done to protect us.

"Veterans Day is a day of remembrance and appreciation. But as the years go by, we lose hundreds of our veterans each day. Every veteran has a story to tell us, and we owe it to future generations to ensure our veterans' stories are heard and endure.

"In 2000, I helped pass legislation creating the Veterans' History Project at the Library of Congress. The Veterans' History Project is collecting interviews with veterans and those who served to support them, and is seeking documents, such as their letters and photographs for a national collection.

"This Veterans Day, I encourage you to participate in the Veterans' History Project. You can take part in this important project by interviewing a war veteran and bring their stories to my office. I will personally present them to the Library of Congress, where they will be preserved and become a permanent part of its collections. There are valuable lessons to be learned in our veterans' stories; lessons that will ensure that future generations of Americans will never take their freedom and liberties for granted.

"To learn how to participate and to receive a project kit, contact my office or go to the Veterans' History Project website, www.loc.gov/folklife/vets/, to find out how to be a part of this vital initiative to save the stories of our nation's veterans."