Washington, D.C. — Today marks the official issuance of a commemorative stamp: “Honoring Veterans, Continuing to Serve.”  In an important way this stamp is historic in that it is the first stamp ever issued to honor all of our nation’s veterans.

Over the years, there have been stamps issued to honor particular groups of veterans, such as: World War II veterans (1945-47, 1985), Korean War veterans (1985), and Vietnam era veterans (1979, 1999).  Other veterans stamps have been issued to honor some of our veterans service organizations (VSOs), like the Veterans of Foreign Wars (1973-1974), and the Disabled American Veterans (1970).  A stamp honoring the work performed at the Veterans’ Affairs Administration was issued in 1980-1981 as well.

I commend the U.S. Postal Service for looking at the big picture, and stressing a very important point:  so many veterans don’t stop serving the country once they leave the military.

When our sons and daughters leave home, many of them teenagers, they often come back with new skills and a renewed spirit of patriotism and teamwork.  Over the years, our veterans have used these new talents and skills to transform our nation.

The World War II generation, for example, has often been called the “greatest generation” -- for very good reasons.  When they came home in 1946, they helped make America the most prosperous and admired nation in history.

We do well to remind ourselves that we are all … every one of us … better off for everything veterans have done, during and after their military service.
 
Whether we know and admit it or not, we owe them a double debt of gratitude.  Our promises to veterans should be first ones kept. 

I’ve argued for over two decades that veterans should be first in line when Congress prepares its budget.  And the first thing I said last January as the new chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee is that we would be unabashed advocates for veterans.

From day one we put on a full-court press for a significant increase in funding for veterans programs, and we’re still keeping up the pressure.

World War II veterans are part of an aging veterans population we too often take for granted.  But the World War II generation will not be with us forever – thousands of our World War II veterans are passing away every day.

But what the U.S. Postal Service is doing today is something we should all applaud.

And every American who buys or collects or uses that commemorative stamp will recall a truth worth repeating:  Veterans have not only preserved the freedoms that made America great, they have made their communities nicer places to live by continuing to serve.