Respect for our Veterans

This weekend my wife, Jessie, and I attended a Veteran of Foreign Wars memorial service sponsored by the Lunenburg VFW in Victoria.  The event was well attended by state and district VFW leaders as well as local community leaders.  They respectfully honored those missing in action and those held as prisoners of war.  They memorialized members who died in the last year and honored others in the community who serve to protect lives through their service in fire, rescue, and law enforcement.

     This ceremony reinforces the role that our veterans have in communities.  The skills, the commitment that these folks learned in the military has made them assets for our communities.  They have learned to rely not just on themselves but also on those they work with as a team.

If one looks at the veterans that have returned to our communities, one sees folks who know how to get the job done.  After each conflict, they have returned home to start businesses or become key employees of businesses.

When veterans band together in VFW and American Legion posts, they often volunteer their time and donate resources to community projects.

     This is the reason that the General Assembly has worked to make Virginia a better place for our returning veterans.  Currently, we have a higher percentage of veterans than most other states.  The biggest issues for them and us are in the area of medical care, employment, and mental health.

This year, I was proud that the Finance Committee Subcommittee on Capital Projects, that I chair, considered the issue of healthcare our highest priority.  Virginia has almost five times the number of veterans per available hospital beds than some other states.  Their medical care is a federal issue, but for new or expanding construction states are required to invest.  Therefore, we set aside about $120 million for the construction of two new centers; one in Tidewater and one in northern Virginia.

Currently, Virginia is the home of two veteran care centers – in Roanoke and Richmond.  That might have been right decades ago, but the veterans from World War II, the Korean Conflict,  and Vietnam are all now over 65 and some in their 90’s.  In addition, we now have veterans who have returned from the wars in the Middle East with injuries in which they probably would not have survived in prior wars.

Over the last several years we have worked to better assist those leaving the service.  Often businesses do not understand the skills these folks have.  We have established programs to change that.  We need these very capable people working for and working in Virginia.

     Regrettably, some that are returning have challenges that require a different type of assistance.  Some turn to alcohol and drugs as crutches to relieve the pain, both mental and physical, caused by the hell of serving in combat situations.  As we have tried to address mental illness statewide, our recent returning warriors have been at the forefront of our efforts.

These dependencies have often led to homelessness.  Therefore, there is a serious effort to solve this dilemma.  The Governor has made the promise that we would have no homeless veterans by the end of the year.  I hope he is successful.

We have a responsibility to those who have served us when they return, particularly when that service has caused them problems.

We love to hear from you!   You can contact us at Sen.Ruff@verizon.net, 434-374-5129, or P. O. Box 332, Clarksville, VA  23927.