[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 46 (Thursday, April 17, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E701]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             VETERANS COLD WEATHER INJURY COMPENSATION ACT

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                       HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 17, 1997

  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, today I have introduced 
legislation that will assist disabled veterans who were exposed to 
extremely cold weather conditions for prolonged periods of time while 
defending our nation during World War II and the Korean war, and more 
recently while serving in the peacekeeping mission in Bosnia. In fact, 
Mr. Speaker, veterans of the Battle of the Chosin Reservoir in Korea 
are recognized as having suffered especially high rates of severe cold 
injuries.
  In many instances, service members did not seek or were unable to 
obtain medical care after cold injuries because of battlefield 
conditions, which impeded the ability of veterans to acquire supporting 
documentation, such as buddy letters, which are often used to support 
claims to the Veterans Administration. For too long, our Government has 
failed to recognize the severity of the injuries suffered by these 
veterans, and this legislation will help to right that wrong.
  Mr. Speaker, my bill instructs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 
create and maintain a registry of veterans exposed to extremely cold 
weather for a great length of time. It will use that information to 
analyze all clinical data obtained by the Department of Veterans 
Affairs in connection with exams and treatment given to veterans that 
may help in determining what kind of association there is between the 
disability and the cold weather. In addition, if a veteran suffers from 
a cold weather injury after serving in a war or battle that was fought 
in prolonged, extreme weather circumstances, it would be presumed--for 
the purpose of disability benefits--that the injury was caused by the 
severe weather.
  Veterans from all over New Jersey, and the Nation, have been 
requesting that we provide a simplified process of recognizing and 
identifying this service-connected affliction, which has been ignored 
for far too long. We have the moral obligation and duty to ensure that 
our veterans are cared for when injuries and disabilities result from 
war and service to our country.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank 
Larry St. Laurent, director, and John Dorrity, assistant director, of 
the Ocean County Veterans Service Bureau, for their hard work and 
assistance in writing the Veterans Cold Weather Injury Compensation 
Act.
  I would urge all of my colleagues to please consider supporting this 
bill.

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