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Dear Fellow Vermonter,
I participated in a wonderful Veterans Day event today in St. Albans. I had the honor of sitting next to Bob Coon, an American hero who fought in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.
As I said to the Vermonters gathered today in St. Albans, we owe our veterans a tremendous debt of gratitude, one which we will never truly be able to repay. As a longtime member and former Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I believe that on Veterans Day, and every day, we honor the extraordinary sacrifice and bravery of our nation’s veterans, and the families who stand by their side in service to our country.
As we recognize, honor, and remember their service, we must, as a community, do more. We must commit ourselves to keeping America’s promise to our veterans and servicemembers, just as they kept their promise to us. That means making certain that veterans and their families get all the benefits they earned through their service, on time and without delay. That means ensuring access to the best quality health care this country can provide by protecting and strengthening the Department of Veterans Affairs. That means ensuring no veteran goes hungry or is forced to sleep on the streets. And it means ending injustice, including making sure those who served their country are not deported, as well as doing right by those exposed to toxic substances and with bad paper discharges.
I believe that if someone takes an oath to serve their country, to go off to war, to risk their life or risk coming home wounded - in body or in spirit - then that government has a duty to make good on its commitment. I am honored to work every day to keep that promise to our veterans and their families.
Vermont veterans can find state and federal resources here. If you, or someone you know, needs help accessing benefits or resolving an issue with Veterans Affairs, do not hesitate to contact my office on our website, or by phone at 802-862-0697 or 1-800-339-9834.
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