During the City of Huntington Park’s third annual Veterans Day ceremony at Freedom Park, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) joined local elected officials and area residents in paying tribute to our nation’s veterans.  The congresswoman made the following remarks, after which she handed yellow  roses to the family of the late Army Sgt. Andres Contreras of Huntington Park, who was killed in 2006 in the line of duty while serving in Iraq.

“Thank you Mayor Elba Guerrero for inviting me here today.  It is a pleasure to join you to pay tribute to the heroic men and women who have worn our nation’s uniform in defense of our country.

Today we honor their service and the sacrifices they made to protect our freedom and our way of life.  Our nation’s veterans represent the very best of America. 

As we begin a new chapter in our country’s history with the historic election of President elect Obama, we must all continue to be vigilant to ensure the tributes being paid to our veterans today, go beyond words.

I commit to you that I will do everything I can to fulfill our obligation, indeed our moral obligation, to ensure our veterans receive the services and benefits they have more than earned and to which they are entitled.

To that end, I was more than pleased to help pass the Veterans Affairs funding bill of 2009.  This bill built upon last year’s legislation which I am proud to say provided the largest increase in VA funding in the agency’s 77-year history.  These much needed increases in federal dollars will help to improve veterans’ medical care and reduce backlogged claims for disability and other essential benefits by allowing for the hiring of new claims processors. 

We in Congress also passed in June of this year the very significant new GI BILL of the 21st Century.  This law provides veterans who have served a minimum of three years of active duty and were deployed overseas since the tragedy of Nine Eleven, with the full cost of a college education.  I am proud that we in Congress have taken these steps to help ensure our veterans receive the benefits and services they have earned and so richly deserve.

There is no doubt, however, that much more needs to be done to fully honor our veterans’ patriotism and the sacrifices they and their families have made on behalf of our country.  As the wife of a former Marine officer and Vietnam veteran and the stepmother of an Iraq veteran, I am fully aware of the fact we can never truly repay our debt to our nation’s veterans.  They and their families truly embody the selfless patriotism which ensures that our country will always remain free.

It is therefore my great honor to be here to personally acknowledge and thank our nation’s and our community’s brave veterans for their dedicated service to our country.  I would also like to take this opportunity to wish all Marines and their families a very happy 223rd birthday.”
 

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