Bob's Blog
Commemorating the 68th anniversary of D-Day
Sixty-eight years ago today, American and Allied soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines stormed the heavily-fortified beaches of Normandy, displaying uncommon bravery and ultimately turning the tide of World War II against Nazi Germany. We owe a debt of gratitude to those who gave their lives in the cause of freedom and justice, and who will forever be remembered for their courage and determination in the face of unimaginable challenges.
I am proud to represent servicemembers and veterans across Pennsylvania who have served our nation honorably throughout our history. We should pause and reflect on the extraordinary sacrifices made by our brave men and women on June 6, 1944 and every day as they serve our nation around the world.
Honoring Those Who Served in Iraq
Today, as we mark the official end of the war in Iraq, I ask that you join me in honoring the great sacrifices of our military and civilians who have served there. Throughout the duration of the war, Pennsylvanians have served honorably in the execution of their duties. 198 Pennsylvanians made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in Iraq. We should also remember the families of our service members. There are many spouses, children, parents and family members that will celebrate this holiday season with only the memory of a loved one who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq.
In addition to the many Pennsylvanians who lost their lives, 1,239 service members were wounded during the war. These brave men and women must have access to the best possible care for their specific wounds and a system that is easily navigable to allow for that care to be provided as quickly as possible.
We must care for our wounded service members and work to improve their lives while also supporting the survivors of our fallen troops; I view this as one of the most important responsibilities of a Member of the Senate. As our military’s role in Iraq comes to an end, there is still a good deal of diplomatic work to be done to ensure that our nation’s sacrifices were not made in vain. Today, the veterans of the Iraq War can hold their heads high and know they answered the call of their nation.
Thank you to all of our Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn veterans. Welcome home.
Helping our Nation’s Veterans Transition Back to Civilian Life
Today I attended a veterans roundtable discussion with leaders of Veterans Service Organizations to discuss ideas and solutions to better help with our nation’s veterans transition back to civilian life. As Americans we must make sure that all veterans have what they need when they return to civilian life. As a United States Senator I have been committed to working to keep our commitments to veterans on healthcare, education and employment opportunities that these brave men and women fought hard to protect. The skills, experiences and work ethic that veterans bring to the workforce will not only strengthen but grow our economy.
It is extremely important that we as United States Senators hear directly from veterans and advocates about the ideas these individuals have to put our returning service members back to work. Just last week, I was proud to cosponsor the Vow to Hire Heroes Act, which passed the Senate with a vote of 94-1. This legislation seeks to help out of work veterans use their skills to get back to work. Working together we can continue to make progress in ensuring our veterans are getting the services they need, whether it is new and innovative healthcare treatments, stronger educational support or incentives to get veterans back to work.
Two Pennsylvanians that are leaders of prominent national veteran organizations were among the veterans and advocates that attended the roundtable. These individuals expressed the ongoing struggles veterans, service members and their families are dealing with every day when it comes to employment issues. I look forward to working with these groups to come up with commonsense solutions to put these brave men and women, and their families back to work.
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