Honoring Our Heroes

The town of Boalsburg, Pennsylvania is in Centre County and has a population fewer than 4,000. It sits in a beautiful valley in the shadow of Mt. Nittany. Boalsburg claims to be the birthplace of Memorial Day - as do about two dozen other towns across our country.

Having visited and met with the people of Boalsburg, I know they are right. Legend and scholarship tell us that in the fall of 1864, three local women visited the cemetery to lay flowers on the graves of a father and son who had died in the Civil War. As the women left, they agreed to return the next year to remember not only their loved ones, but others.

The following July 4, friends accompanied them. Prayers were offered. Graves were tended. No headstone was left unadorned. Their tradition continued. And in 1868, May 30th was declared Decoration Day across the country. But it wasn't until 1971 that the U.S. officially celebrated Memorial Day on the last Monday in May.

The three Boalsburg ladies are the creators of a rich American tradition and fitting tribute to those who gave their lives in defense of our country. This year, we celebrated Memorial Day on May 25^th. I visited Hope Cemetery in Kutztown to attend the American Legion Post 480's Veterans Memorial Day Ceremony. Meeting with Pennsylvania's veterans is an important reminder that we owe our veterans a debt of gratitude that we can never fully repay.

I encourage you to read about three Pennsylvania war heroes in my recent column here.

Do you know the name Mike Crescenz? Corporal Michael J. Crescenz was a Philadelphia native and served in the Vietnam War. He has a truly incredible story - one of bravery and heroism that made him Philly's only Medal of Honor recipient of the Vietnam War. And now, after my bipartisan bill passed the Senate unanimously last December, the Woodland Avenue Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia has been renamed after this amazing hero.

I spoke at the renaming ceremony recently, and I enjoyed hearing from Corporal Crescenz's family about his life and legacy. I hope the renaming of this medical center will serve as a reminder of the sacrifices of all of Pennsylvania's Vietnam War veterans.

You can read about the renaming ceremony here. (Photo: Brad Larrison/Newsworks)

I am a member of the bipartisan Senate VA Backlog Working Group, and I was pleased to team up with Senator Bob Casey to unveil legislation to reform the broken claims system at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The backlog of veterans' disabilities claims in our state and nationwide is a disgrace. But we may not know truly how far behind the VA is in processing these cases because its management may have covered up the problem. Moreover, management may not have followed standard or basic VA guidelines for audits, or in some cases, veterans' privacy.

This is simply unacceptable and outrageous. I will continue working with Senator Casey and other members of the bipartisan Senate VA Backlog Working Group to help tackle this critical and longstanding issue. You can read more about our efforts here.

I am working to help bring dignity to veterans who have passed away but whose remains are still unclaimed. According to the Missing in America Project, there are an estimated 47,000 veterans' remains stored throughout the United States that have yet to be claimed. Unfortunately, due to red tape, it can be extremely difficult for the Department of Veterans Affairs, veteran service organizations, and funeral directors to determine whether the next of kin can be found.

My bipartisan bill, the Dignified Interment of Our Veterans Act, begins the process of looking at how the VA handles these remains -- how they are identified, claimed, and interred.

When our veterans pass, they should be honored in a way that reflects their bravery and sacrifice while defending our country. It is up to Congress and the VA to fix this and develop a plan of action to help resolve this important issue for our veterans. I am going to continue to fight on behalf of our veterans until both the House and Senate act on this bill.

Read more about my effort here. 

Recently, I welcomed Staff Sergeant Earl Granville (Scott Township, Lackawanna County) to my office and he attended Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's address to Congress as my guest. Prior to the speech, SSG Granville and I took some time to discuss his time serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the important work he has been doing here in the United States.

SSG Granville lost his left leg when an improvised explosive device detonated near his vehicle in Iraq in 2008. In December 2010, SSG Granville's twin brother, Joe, suffering from undiagnosed post-traumatic stress, took his own life at age 27. These two brothers served alongside each other in Bosnia and Iraq. I cannot adequately express my respect and appreciation for the heroic service they have given to our country. However, SSG Granville's service didn't stop there, and I have just as much admiration for the work he is doing now to bring awareness to mental health issues and the terrible tragedy of a very high suicide rate among veterans.

He is a true American hero. You can read more about his visit here.