Oct. 26, 2016
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| Majority chairman of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee joined other members of the General Assembly to recognize retired Brig. Gen. Jerry Beck for his nearly four decades of service to the Commonwealth. |
HARRISBURG – Today, Rep. Steve Barrar (R-Chester/Delaware) recognized retired Brig. Gen. Jerry Beck and all veterans of the Commonwealth during a joint informational hearing hosted by the House and Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness committees.
House Resolution 1097, which was sponsored by Barrar, honors all Pennsylvania veterans who served during wartime and peacetime by naming Oct. 26 Veterans Day at the Capitol. The committees specifically noted one influential veteran.
Beck was lauded for his many decades of service to our great country as well as to the men and women who defend it. His career, which began in 1977, culminated with his service as Pennsylvania’s deputy adjutant general. In that position, he supervised the administration of assistance programs for nearly 1 million veterans and their dependents, as well as the operation of the Commonwealth’s six veterans’ homes.
“Today we recognized the years of service and countless accomplishments of retired Brig. Gen. Jerry Beck,” Barrar said. “Every time I have met with him, his passion for helping veterans is evident. He will do whatever it takes to make the lives better for veterans in the state of Pennsylvania.”
Also during the hearing, leadership of the State Veterans Commission advocated for funding for the Veterans Service Officer Grant Program, which works to improve the administration and delivery of services to Pennsylvania veterans. Funding for the program in this year’s state budget was eliminated by Gov. Tom Wolf.
Kit Watson, deputy chairman of the State Veterans Commission, also advocated for the creation of three additional state veterans homes and wartime bonuses for the men and women who served in Afghanistan.
“During the first committee meeting of the new session, we will hear from the commission and other organizations that serve veterans about their legislative priorities. Those conversations will drive our efforts on behalf of the veterans,” Barrar added.
Representative Stephen E. Barrar
160th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Alison Evans
717.260.6206
aevans@pahousegop.com
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