As the warmer weather calls us to venture outside again, we’re quick to fire up our grills and dust off the lawn chairs in preparation for Memorial Day. However, as important as it is to gather with friends and family, it is also important that we take time to honor and recognize those who have died while serving our country in uniform.
These men and women gave their lives protecting the rights and freedoms we sometimes take for granted.
While Veterans Day is nearly six months away, it’s also always important to also honor and thank all people who have served, or are serving, in the armed forces, including many of our members.
CSEA is fortunate to have a very active and committed Statewide Veterans Committee, made up of dedicated members who are veterans themselves. They advocate for the rights of veterans across the state, and remind us every day of the debt we owe to these brave men and women who served — and presently serve — in the armed forces.
In addition, CSEA region Veterans Committees are very active in raising money for local organizations that assist veterans and their families and visiting veterans’ facilities in their areas, spending time in conversations about their shared experiences. They also work tirelessly to provide assistance to homeless veterans in their communities.
One of the committee’s biggest accomplishments was its success in helping to pass the Veterans Buyback Law,
which allows veterans who were honorably discharged to buy back up to three years of military service for pension credit. Up until the passage of the law, only veterans who served during conflict were allowed to buy back their time. The statewide and region Veterans Committees worked tirelessly to mobilize members, families and friends to put pressure on the governor to sign the bill.
CSEA’s Statewide Veterans Committee is now working on an important initiative with the Library of Congress called the Veterans History Project. The committee has been collecting the stories and personal accounts of veterans among CSEA’s ranks and submitting them to the Library to be memorialized and preserved for all generations to come. Each veteran has a unique story to tell, and we honor them by helping to ensure that their story lives on long after we are all gone.
In that vein, let us all honor the veterans in our lives and in our communities in the ways that speak most personally to us. Collecting socks to ship to our soldiers overseas, signing petitions for new veteran protections or legislation, or even donating money to local veterans’ organizations.
During this Memorial Day season, let us take some time to remember those who have died serving our country. Let’s also honor those who serve today…those special men and women to whom we owe so much.
