On the recordMay 9, 2012
I was in Tazewell County--which is in the area of Pekin, in East Peoria, IL--last week at the Veterans Administration Commission. I talked to a number of vets from the Vietnam war and other conflicts. We talked about obvious questions: veterans' unemployment, what was happening with disability payments, education for veterans, topics that most vets are very concerned about. They face some pretty significant challenges, as we know. We promise these men and women that if they put up their hand and swear that they will risk their life for America, we swear we will be there when they come home. It is that basic. We have to keep our word. As a nation, we have a sacred pledge to take care of veterans who serve. I take it very seriously--I think both parties do--and we should. We also need to honor those who have lost their lives. Just a few weeks ago, we buried another soldier from that county. There was a huge turnout at the memorial service. One particular local resident was doing his part to honor our fallen heroes in an extraordinary way. I learned about him when I visited Tazewell County. He is from Little York, IL, and he is known as the Flag Man. Larry Eckhardt is not a veteran, and there are no servicemembers in his family. But in 2006, Larry Eckhardt attended a funeral for a soldier from his area who had died.…
