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Hello everyone,
Colorado has a rich tradition of military service. This Veterans Day, I’d like to thank the more than 400,000 veterans living in Colorado for their service to our country. Today and every day, we honor these brave men and women.
This week, our team interviewed several veterans from across Colorado for the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. It’s important that we record their experiences for future generations so they have the opportunity to learn from our veterans and appreciate the sacrifices they have made to protect the freedoms we enjoy today.
Please read on to learn more about the Colorado veterans who participated in the Veterans History Project and the work our office is doing to support the veteran community in Colorado.
Sincerely,
Michael
P.S. If you are a veteran in need of assistance, please do not hesitate to reach out to our offices.
LISTENING TO STORIES OF SERVICE
To commemorate Veterans Day, members of our staff interviewed Colorado veterans for the Library of Congress Veterans History Project. The Veterans History Project is a national effort to preserve the experiences of those who served in the United States Armed Forces by recording their personal stories and archiving them for future use by historians, teachers, and the general public. I encourage you to watch the interviews below to learn more about a few of our Colorado veterans.
Richard Gottlieb, Rio Grande County
Served in the Army Air Corps from 1944-1946 During World War II
(Watch Richard’s Full Interview HERE)
“If given the opportunity to do things differently, I would do it all again.” - Gunner in Army Air Corps Richard Gottlieb
Keith Lamee, El Paso County
Served in the Army During the Cold War Era
(Watch Keith’s Full Interview HERE)
“I think the military is an honorable profession because they are training to keep our country safe at all times.” - Sergeant Keith Lamee
Michelle Johnson, Adams County
First Woman appointed as the U.S. Air Force Academy Superintendent whose 40 years of service spanned the Cold War and the Global War on Terror
(Watch Michelle’s Full Interview HERE and HERE)
“When I was accepted into the 2nd cohort of women at the U.S. Air Force Academy, I was on a bow wave of change, the significance of which I have come to understand over my 40 years of service.” - Lt. Gen Michelle Johnson (ret.)
HELPING VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES
It is our honor and responsibility to support the more than 400,000 veterans and their families who call Colorado home, and in Congress, I am working with my colleagues to do just that. This year, I’ve focused my efforts on ensuring that veterans, especially those with combat-related injuries, have access to quality health care and retirement benefits.
Currently, 42,000 military combat-injured veterans qualify for retirement pay for their service from the Department of Defense (DoD) and for disability compensation for injuries acquired in combat from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). But, for retired veterans with less than 20 years of service, their disability pay is deducted from their retirement pay. In February, I joined my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to sponsor the Major Richard Star Act to repeal this unfair offset and allow disabled veterans to receive both their retirement pay and their disability compensation.
In addition to retirement pay and disability benefits, we also need to ensure that veterans who have bravely served our country, and their families, have access to the fertility care they need. During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, thousands of servicemembers suffered injuries that left them unable to conceive naturally. Because of a ban Congress passed in 1992, the VA has been prohibited from covering the costs of certain fertility services.Today, servicemembers are faced with the choice of pursuing fertility treatments before leaving service or paying thousands of dollars out of pocket later. In April, after hearing from Colorado veterans on this issue, I introduced the Veteran Families Health Services Act of 2021 to ensure VA benefits cover fertility treatments for servicemembers and veterans.
WORKING TO CENTRALIZE RESOURCES FOR VETERANS
Colorado has a wide range of resources available for servicemembers, veterans, and their families. However, these resources are often spread across many agencies and organizations, leaving veterans unsure about how to access them.
In March, I reintroduced the bipartisan HUBS for Veterans Act of 2021 to make it easier for veterans, servicemembers, and their families to benefit from these resources all in one place. Already, communities in Colorado are recognizing the benefit of centralizing resources into a network hub. The Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center in Colorado Springs, a one-stop center for transitioning military, veterans, and their families, has seen incredible results working with military members in transition to attain job stability and self-sufficiency for themselves and their families. Our legislation would elevate this idea and increase access to resources for more veterans and their families.
ADDRESSING VETERAN MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE
We need to address the growing crisis of veteran suicide across the country. In Washington, we are working to bring attention to this tragic issue, give communities the resources they need, and decrease the rate of veteran suicide. Recently, the Senate passed legislation that would direct the VA to designate one week per year as “Buddy Check Week” modeled off of the American Legion’s initiative to help combat veteran suicide by organizing outreach events and teaching veterans how to conduct peer wellness checks. Learn more about the Legion’s initiative here.
We also must do better to help the families of veterans who have died by suicide. Last month, Senator Hickenlooper and I urged the VA to ensure that beneficiaries who have lost a veteran family member to suicide can easily access their benefits. These families are already burdened by the loss of a loved one and should not struggle to claim the benefits they deserve.
SUPPORTING VETERANS WHO SERVED IN AFGHANISTAN
Since 2001, the brave men and women of our Armed Forces served admirably in Afghanistan, fulfilling their mission to destroy al Qaeda’s safe haven, remove the Taliban government that sheltered al Qaeda and pursue those who planned the terrorist attacks on 9/11.
It’s deeply troubling to see the images from the fall of Kabul in August and know the implications of Taliban control for the Afghan people, especially for women, girls, and our longtime Afghan allies.
In August, I sat down with a group of veterans in Colorado Springs who served in Afghanistan. They shared personal stories about their time in service, and also expressed concerns about the safety of their Afghan allies. Our office has been working hard to support the safe relocation of Afghan allies and their families.
We must do everything we can to ensure those who served our country so bravely in Afghanistan and other conflicts are fully supported here at home. And we owe it to every American to undertake a sober and thorough examination of the serial misjudgments across multiple administrations, under both Republican and Democratic leadership, that led us to two decades of war at a cost of trillions of dollars, and incredible hardships born by our servicemembers and their families.
PROTECTING OUR RICH MILITARY HISTORY AT CAMP HALE
The incredible history behind Camp Hale and the soldiers who trained there is inspiring and worth protecting. In 2016, I announced plans to protect this land as a first-of-its-kind National Historic Landscape by incorporating it into the Colorado Outdoor Recreation and Economy (CORE) Act, robust public lands legislation to protect over 400,000 acres of public land in Colorado and boost the state’s outdoor economy. The veterans I snowshoed with at Camp Hale in February 2020, and many across the state, support the CORE Act because it honors the storied legacy of the Army’s 10th Mountain Division. I’m working harder than ever to get the CORE Act over the finish line.
(Visiting Camp Hale in February 2020)
RESOURCES
If you are a veteran, or family member supporting a veteran, who is experiencing difficulty with a VA benefits claim or receiving VA health care, please connect with our team.
Veterans can use the Find VA locations tool to check the status and operating hours of their local VA facility.
If you or a veteran you know is struggling or in crisis, connect with the Veterans Crisis Line to reach caring, qualified responders with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Click here to respond to this email.
 
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