Honoring Quiet Heroes Among Us
Memorial Day, past and present.
By Margi Vanderhye
State Delegate (D-34)
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Each year as Memorial Day approaches, a wave of nostalgia washes over me as I remember my hometown’s annual parade, our special tribute ceremonies and a big family cookout with grandparents and cousins that featured root beer floats and flag pinwheels. Yet every year, the celebration had an undertone of poignant recollection: All the men at the family gathering had experienced combat and had lost comrades; all the women had known sacrifice and uncertainty and grief. We "Baby Boomer" kids learned early that the real purpose of the Memorial Day was to honor the fallen that gave their lives to protect our freedom.
During this past session of the General Assembly, we passed several bills to help our active military and our veterans cope with the stresses of combat and the competing demands of "normalcy" in civilian life. Each of these measures passed with broad bipartisan support.
One important bill (HB 1727) establishes an Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. The compact is designed to remove barriers to educational success imposed on military families because of frequent moves and deployments of their parents.
I co-sponsored a bill to streamline the process of preparing veterans’ disability claims (HB1732). Another important bill (HB2279) will ensure that benefit claims assistance is provided to veterans on a regular basis at locations other than established service offices — a great way to access and expedite assistance to our Virginia veterans.
We also passed a constitutional amendment (HJ 648) to exempt from taxation the real property that is the principal residence of a veteran (or widow or widower of a veteran) if the veteran has been determined to have a 100 percent permanent service-connected disability. To amend our Virginia constitution, this resolution will have to be passed again in the 2010 legislative session before voters see it on a ballot.
Here in McLean, we have a wonderful non-profit organization called "Our Military Kids" that provides support to the children of National Guard and Reserve personnel who are deployed or were grievously wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan. This nationally recognized program can always use more volunteers and assistance. To learn more, see their Web site at www.ourmilitarykids.org.
Through the passage of laws and by the donations of our time and talent, we can all make a difference in the lives of our military families. Today, the best way to honor the sacrifices of our country’s countless fallen heroes is to make life better for the quiet heroes still among us. This Memorial Day, we have several opportunities to attend patriotic programs in McLean and Great Falls. Regardless of the activities we choose to mark the day, let’s take a moment to remember why we are celebrating and offer thanks.
