Lee Zeldin: “Our servicemen and-women have sacrificed so much in their courageous fight for our exceptional Nation and our freedoms.…”

“Our servicemen and-women have sacrificed so much in their courageous fight for our exceptional Nation and our freedoms. Unfortunately, when our veterans return home from the battlefield, too often they find that their fight has just begun. My home county in New York, Suffolk, boasts one of the highest concentrations of veterans in the country, and we pride ourselves on our rich history and commitment to serving our Nation's veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that approximately 20 veterans per day take their own life, oftentimes plagued with post- traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. One of those suffering was PFC Joseph Dwyer, an Iraq war veteran from Mount Sinai, New York. As an Army combat medic, PFC Dwyer was the face of the Iraq war. In 2003, this photo next to me was taken of Joe carrying an injured Iraqi child to safety, and it went viral worldwide. Unfortunately, when he came back home to Long Island he returned with the mental wounds of war, and after years of struggling, he lost his battle with PTSD in 2008. It is important to note that Joe didn't commit suicide. He was seeking temporary relief from his pain, and his last words were: I don't want to die. Understanding that PFC Dwyer was just one of the local veterans struggling, I created the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Veteran Peer Support Program as a New York State senator in 2012.…”