I want to thank VFW Post 5819 for putting on this event and thank Commander Bill Ward for giving me the honor of being the keynote speaker.  In my district I speak at a lot of events honoring veterans.  I put on a Veteran Fairs at least once a year to give veterans an opportunity to have a one-stop shop to get help from various government agencies and other organizations that help veterans.  And I visit a lot of VFW and American Legion posts.  But I don’t think I have ever addressed an event specifically for Vietnam vets.  So this is a very special opportunity for me to say something to a group of veterans that I don't have enough opportunities to meet with, and who probably have not heard enough what I am going to say.

Thank you.

Thank you for serving our country when we called you, especially at a time it was not popular to heed the call. Like your fathers before you, you put your dreams on hold for our nation.  Before answering Uncle Sam’s call, many of you probably had never traveled out of the country, maybe not your state.  You were sent to Vietnam, a place somewhere on the other side of the world.  And most troubling, you were sent for a reason that many Americans questioned. 

But you answered the call to serve, and I thank you, even if many people were ungrateful.  Most of you deserved much better when you came home, a lot better.  There were no parades.  Instead of a Thank You some people may have sworn at you or worse. You were not treated like the heroes you are, but you persevered.

I was born in 1966 and came of age at a time when patriotism was on the rise and respect for the men and women in our armed forces was growing stronger.  In 1986, more than a decade after the last Americans left Vietnam, there was finally a welcome home parade.  Much too belatedly, and still falling short of what you deserved, more and more Americans finally began to understand what we owe to you, and to all of our veterans. 

You did not give up on yourself or each other.  Carrying the burden of physical and mental scars, you persevered.  You gave back to the community just like your parents had done before you and played a pivotal role in building our nation.  And after so many in America turned their backs on you, you taught Americans that no matter how they feel about a particular military operation, they need to honor and respect the men and women who answer the call and put their lives on the line.  Today, we see that attitude as we welcome home those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and elsewhere around the world. 

When you came home you did not forget those that saw their young dreams end suddenly in Vietnam.  As they were laid to rest, you vowed to remember them forever.  You made sure that people understood the personal cost of freedom and that each of those men and women who lost their lives left behind a grieving family and friends.  This more personal look at war is clearly on display in the thousands of names etched on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in our nation’s capitol.  I’ve been there many, many times, and I’ve seen the impact on so many visitors.  The “moving wall” also brings that impact to people all around our nation.  Our nation’s understanding of the value of each of those individuals who has given his or her life has been permanently shaped by you and that Wall. 

When you returned home you continued to make sure to keep the pressure on for the return of every American from Vietnam.  You were the driving force behind keeping MIA/POW issues in the forefront.  Next to my office door in Washington there are three flag stanchions; I fly the flag of the United States, the Illinois state flag, and the POW/MIA flag, so that we never forget.  And while you have made our nation’s efforts better, there is still much work to be done, especially when it comes to returning those brave Americans who were killed overseas back home for a proper burial. 

Over the last few years, I have worked with many veterans and their families to push for more resources to locate and identify Americans that fell in service to our nation.  I have helped pass legislation in Washington requiring the Defense Department to devote these resources and have a greater focus on recovery efforts.  The least we can do for our citizens that paid the ultimate price for us, and for their families, is to give them a proper burial in their hometown.

And finally, you have brought awareness to the need for more services for people that are suffering from the mental scars of war.  Treatment in this area has long a way to go, but thanks to you, we are in much better place today.  Many of the men and women who are coming back from recent wars are suffering greatly from their experiences.  I have and will continue to support legislation that provides funding and research towards managing the mental toll of military service.  

But much work still needs to be done by our nation in taking care of all of our veterans.  For example, the backlog at the VA continues to grow, which is unacceptable and I will continue to work to fix it. 

I have always made it a priority of my office to serve veterans.  I have a staff member who specifically handles the questions and concerns of veterans in the Third District.  Whether it is an issue with the benefits you are owed as a veteran, a problem with obtaining your service records, or if you have earned medals for your service but never received these medals, we can help.  If you need some assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.  

Again, I want to thank you for being here today to commemorate Vietnam Veterans Day.  I once again helped introduce a bill in the House of Representatives to officially recognize this day.  Earlier this week, in a speech on the House floor, I asked my colleagues to join me in participating in events like this in their home districts this weekend.  We stand stronger today as a nation because of your sacrifice, one that we will never forget. 

In closing, I have one request of you.  When you’re “out and about”… …make sure to proudly wear your items that say you’re a Vietnam veteran…so people like me can come up to you and say “Thank you.”

Thank you.