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| Honor, Respect, and Sacrifice |
November 10, 2005 |
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Dear Friends,
Until recently, New Mexican Ben Rosecrans was a Specialist in the United States Army. A year ago Ben was with the 25th Infantry Division outside of Mosul in Iraq. He was driving the last Stryker in a convoy of four when he spotted a green Ford Explorer quickly approaching the convoy from the rear. Ben did what he was trained to do: he maneuvered his Stryker to keep the Explorer from getting in the middle of the convoy.
The Explorer hit Ben’s Stryker, and exploded. Ben suffered severe second and third degree burns to his hand and face, and a dislocated and broken arm. He cut himself free from the 5 point harness and got out of the vehicle while under enemy fire. He nearly died from his injuries and is back home today. I visited him earlier this year when he was home on leave as his little brother, David, prepared to ship out to his next assignment.
New Mexicans serve. And I’m proud to work in the U.S. House on behalf of our veterans, of all generations.
We’ve come a long way. Funding for veteran healthcare programs has nearly doubled over the last seven years. We’ve increased GI Bill benefits and VA home loan guarantees, and we finally enacted a historic $22 billion concurrent receipt benefit fixing a problem that’s been around since the Civil War.
In addition, I’m working with the VA on the possibility of expanding Santa Fe National Cemetery. There are some parcels of land adjacent to the cemetery that the VA may be able to acquire, and we’re working through those issues. Of course, I’m still working on the long-term goal of establishing a new National Cemetery in central New Mexico for when Santa Fe is full.
At the beginning of November as Veterans Day approached, Ben’s younger brother arrived at his duty station at an Army camp north of Baghdad. David’s family, including his brother, are proud of his service.
New Mexicans of all generations have served their country in uniform. It’s an honor for me to serve you today and do everything I can to stand up for New Mexico’s veterans. People like Ben and David Rosecrans, and those of you who came before them, deserve respect and honor.
My best to you on this Veterans Day,
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