Editor’s note: Sen. Amy Klobuchar spoke Tuesday to about 5,000 veterans, families and friends at the American Legion 93rd Annual National Convention in Minneapolis. The following excerpts are from Klobuchar’s prepared remarks.

We are proud to help host the 93rd Annual National Convention of the American Legion. For 93 years, the American Legion has been standing strong in support of the men and women who offered their lives to protect our freedoms.

Minnesotans have always understood the debt we owe our military servicemembers. This is a state where we wrap our arms around the people who serve and sacrifice for us. No matter when or where they served — from the beaches of Normandy, to the hills of Korea, to the jungles of Vietnam, to the mountains of Afghanistan, and the sands of Iraq — this state and our nation are forever indebted to these brave Americans. ...

Minnesota has a strong tradition of service and sacrifice to our nation. That proud heritage continues today. From the Bulldogs of the 148th Fighter Wing in Duluth who won the prestigious Raytheon Cup as the most outstanding unit in the Air Force, to the Red Bulls of the 134th Brigade Combat team who served the longest single deployment of any unit in the Iraq War in 2007 — Minnesota continues to answer the call to duty. ...

When we send these men and women overseas, we make a promise to them that we will give them the resources they need to carry out their missions. That we will provide the support their families need at home. And that we will take care of them when they come back. Because when the men and women of our Armed Forces signed up to serve and fight for our country, there wasn’t a waiting line. And when they come back home and they need heath care, or an education, or a job, or a home — there shouldn’t be a waiting line in the United States of America.

I thank the Legion for its leadership in the area of veterans’ employment and for hosting the jobs conference here. As you know, we have a lot of work to do.

First, we have the alarming problem of homelessness among our nation’s veterans. Right here in Minnesota, 700 veterans are homeless on any given night ... These numbers are unacceptable. With the help of Minnesota advocates and the key endorsement of the Legion, I introduced the bipartisan Helping Our Homeless Veterans Act to extend VA resources and services to more veterans. Those who have put their lives at risk must have a home. ...

We all know that the best long-term solution to ending veterans’ homelessness is to promote education and job opportunities for veterans so they don’t become homeless in the first place. Unemployment among post-9/11 veterans remains far too high, with unemployment rates several percentage points higher than the national average.

Access to higher education is among the most valuable benefits we can give our servicemembers to help prepare them for success. The passage of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill was a great step forward. But we can’t stop there. We need to focus on building job opportunities for returning servicemembers by improving job-training programs and by helping veterans transition the skills they acquire in the military into success in the civilian workforce. ...

Finally, working with the Legion and other organizations, it is our job to cut through red tape ... We must continue to give back to the heroes who have given us so much — and not just on Memorial Day, not just on Veterans Day, but every day. This is the least we can do for the people who have fought and died to protect our freedom. ...

Thank you for your service ... and for the good work you do for veterans across the nation. ...