[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17383]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  IN HONOR OF THE VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA--READING, PENNSYLVANIA 
                                CHAPTER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE SESTAK

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 29, 2010

  Mr. SESTAK. Madam Speaker, on September 24th, 2010, in Reading, 
Pennsylvania, a ceremony marked the 22nd anniversary of that proud 
community's Vietnam Memorial. It is my personal honor to join the 
Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Reading, PA Chapter in celebrating 
that event. The author Myra MacPherson wrote that ``above all, Vietnam 
was a war that asked everything of a few and nothing of most in 
America.'' When called, many young Americans went abroad to fight for 
our Nation--just as their fathers did before them. Sadly, the 
sacrifices they made in Southeast Asia were not reciprocated by our 
government or the American public. They returned to a nation wracked by 
recession and without the medical care, counseling, educational 
opportunities or public support they deserved.
   That outrageous neglect persisted for over thirty years as a grossly 
underfunded Department of Veterans Affairs was unable to meet their 
needs. As a result, courageous men and women suffered alone for years 
with the debilitating illnesses associated with exposure to Agent 
Orange and other physical and emotional maladies unique to that war. 
The fight to right those wrongs was led by the VVA, and as the senior 
most veteran ever elected to the House of Representatives, it has been 
my solemn duty in Congress to see that our Vietnam veterans receive the 
recognition and resources that belatedly fulfill our obligation to them 
and their families for their service to a now grateful Nation.
   The 110th and 111th Congresses have worked very hard in that regard 
but more needs to be done. Madam Speaker, I ask that this chamber pause 
to acknowledge the patriotism, courage, and fraternity of the VVA and 
salute every veteran of the Vietnam War. With our nation again at war, 
let us continue our work to finally, fully support veterans of all 
conflicts. And let us pledge to never again abandon a generation of 
brave American warriors.

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