Cord Byrd: “West Virginians have a long and proud record of service to the U.S. military. General Stonewall Jackson, one of the…”

“West Virginians have a long and proud record of service to the U.S. military. General Stonewall Jackson, one of the greatest military minds of his time, hailed from present day West Virginia. Chuck Yeager, the World War II ace and the first man ever to travel faster than sound, is proud to be a West Virginian. SSG Junior Spurrier left his home of Bluefield, WV, to fight for the liberation of France and received just one fewer awards than the legendary Audie Murphy, the most decorated American soldier in World War II. There are many more West Virginians whose names will not be recorded in the great military histories of our country, but these veterans have asked little of their country. They have a right to expect that our Government will provide them with the benefits they earned in service to our country, and that is the one thing they do expect. Time and time again, President Bush has turned his back on veterans who have served our country. Over and over again, President Bush has had to choose between veterans programs and budget-busting tax cuts for the wealthy, and he has chosen to cut taxes for America's super-wealthy instead of taking care, as he should have, of America's veterans. As veterans evaluate the actions of this administration, I hope they are asking whether they are better off than they were 4 years ago.”