Washington ( CNN ) -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Tuesday to deliver a Veterans Day speech , but perhaps more interesting than what he had to say was just what had happened to his face . Hagel was sporting a large bandage on his left cheek -- which a Pentagon spokesman attributed to a minor kitchen accident . `` He simply scratched it on an open cabinet door . Nothing more than that . No stitches . No hospital , '' said Rear Adm. John Kirby , the Pentagon spokesman . Hagel used his speech to say that the United States needs to learn from its mistakes of the past before sending troops to war . His comments come as President Barack Obama sends an additional 1,500 troops to Iraq to combat ISIS .
Defense Secretary Hagel was wearing a bandage on his left cheek at Veterans Day events . The president also said he would not allow the U.S. to be dragged into another war in the Middle East. The spokesman said Hagel did n't receive stitches or visit the hospital .