Mar. 31, 2016
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Rep. Steve Barrar (R-Chester/Delaware) spoke to Vietnam veterans and their family members who visited the Capitol on Tuesday, March 29, for an event honoring their service to the country and commemorating the 43rd anniversary of the end of the war. |
HARRISBURG – Rep. Steve Barrar (R-Chester/Delaware), majority chairman of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee, partnered with other members of the House and Senate to recognize the end of the Vietnam War and celebrate the men and women who served there.
To mark this year’s Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day, all four chairmen of the House and Senate Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness committees were present. Sen. Randy Vulakovich (R-38), Sen. Jay Costa (D-43), Rep. Chris Sainato (D-Lawrence) and Barrar all expressed disappointment about the poor treatment veterans received when they returned home.
“Unfortunately, for reasons well out of their control, Vietnam veterans have not received the respect they deserve,” Barrar said. “Any personal beliefs about a war do not change the commitments and incredible dedication of our military – dedication that must never be forgotten.”
All of the Vietnam veterans in attendance were presented with lapel pins to recognize them for their service. An eagle, laurel wreath, and the stars and stripes were imprinted on the pins. The images symbolize the upstanding values that our servicemen and women demonstrated, the American flag and the six allies who served in the war.
Brig. Gen. Jerry Beck spoke of the Faces Never Forgotten Project, which is dedicated to displaying a picture of each fallen Vietnam hero on the virtual wall. While photos are still being gathered for more than 400 Pennsylvanians, everyone is encouraged to recognize the heroes by visiting the virtual wall at www.dmva.pa.gov.
More than 304,000 American service members were wounded in Vietnam and of the 58,193 service members who lost their lives, 3,144 were from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Representative Stephen E. Barrar
160th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: Alison Evans
717.260.6206
aevans@pahousegop.com
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