Story highlights Bernie Sanders defended health care benefits for veterans in a speech following a Veterans Day Parade in Lebanon, New Hampshire

"It means we keep our promise to those who kept their promises to us," Sanders said

Lebanon, New Hampshire (CNN) Bernie Sanders marked Veterans Day on Wednesday here by arguing that "patriotism or love of country" mean both protecting soldiers at war and veterans when they come home.

Sanders, the independent Vermont senator and Democratic presidential candidate, hopped over the state border to Lebanon to march in the town's Veterans Day parade and give a brief speech to the roughly 100 people assembled in the town's central park.

"To my mind, if patriotism or love of country means anything, it means that we do not now, or ever, turn our backs on those who defended us," Sanders said. "It means we keep our promise to those who kept their promises to us."

He added: "The bottom line is that if we are serious about our patriotism and about defending those who defended us it means that all of our veterans get the benefits and the health care they need and that they were promised and that they get that health care in a timely manner."

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