Honoring Our Veterans

Honoring Our Veterans
November 10, 2005

It's my privilege to salute our nation's veterans as we observe Veterans Day 2005.

For centuries now, in times of war and peace, American servicemen and women have defended our country and the values we hold dear. I join with all Americans in recognizing their sacrifices, and those of their families, on our behalf.

A few weeks ago, I traveled to Walter Reed Army Hospital to visit with a Wisconsin soldier who'd been shot by a sniper in Iraq. This was his second tour of duty in the war zone.

He is a brave young man in a hospital full of brave young men and women, following in the footsteps of all those who have worn the American uniform with pride and honor.

In some ways visiting Walter Reed felt more like visiting a college dormitory than a hospital. Walter Reed is populated predominantly by young people - 18 to 25 years old or thereabouts. The tempo is upbeat and hopeful. But these young people also carry the scars of battle. The missing arms and legs were obvious…the damaged psyches and shattered dreams less obvious…but no less real.

These young men and women, like many before them, took an oath to serve and backed up those words with action. Unfortunately, as a nation, we have not yet learned to consistently back up our words with action…concrete action that tells each and every veteran unequivocally, "We value your service. We honor your sacrifice. And we uphold our commitment to you." For far too long, the federal government has fallen short when it comes to keeping the promises it made to our nation's servicemen and women when they stepped forward to serve their country.

We promised to provide quality health care to our veterans and eliminate the long delays that many face when seeking that care. Yet now there's a move toward more cuts in benefits and increases in fees for VA services.

In every war, servicemembers have returned with unexplained illnesses. In Vietnam, we know many illnesses were caused by exposure to Agent Orange. We still do not understand Gulf War Syndrome, more than ten years after its symptoms first appeared. No veteran should ever be told that a deployment-related illness is in his or her head. More research funding is needed to find the causes, develop the cures, and deliver the treatments for these illnesses.

We force retired disabled veterans, with at least twenty years of military service, to give up their disability benefits if they're also receiving military retirement benefits - benefits they may have bled for. In effect, this prohibition on "concurrent receipts" amounts to a special tax on disabled veterans benefits.

Whether we will fully fund veterans benefits is a simple question of priorities.

With an increasing number of casualties among service members in Iraq and Afghanistan, now is the time for the Congress and the Administration to affirm their commitment to our veterans by providing comprehensive benefits for those who have given so much for our country. Their sacrifices and service to this nation should be matched by our desire to improve the quality of life for veterans and their families.

Not surprisingly, the soldier I visited in the hospital talked to me about the Packers and the Badgers, and the sights and sounds of home. But, in the end, he said, "I can't wait to get my hearing back and get back to my unit."

This young man's commitment to duty and his comrades must be honored and matched, measure for measure, by our commitment to all those who wore the uniform. Our veterans deserve nothing less than promises fulfilled; and I will be satisfied with nothing less!

On this Veterans Day, and every day, I thank all veterans for their service to our country and reaffirm our duty to them.

http://tammybaldwin.house.gov/columns_display_page.asp?page=columndisplay&type=3&releaseid=59