Nydia M. Velazquez: “From the Revolutionary War to the war in Afghanistan, we owe a great debt to our servicemen and -women. One way that we…”

“From the Revolutionary War to the war in Afghanistan, we owe a great debt to our servicemen and -women. One way that we honor them is through their internment in national veteran cemeteries, which gives them a dignified and honorable final resting place. As anyone who has walked through the rows of tombstones at Arlington National Cemetery knows, these cemeteries are hallowed ground. They allow us not only to pay our great respect to these great men and women, but to reflect on the cost of defending the very freedoms we enjoy in our daily lives. Unfortunately, these burial grounds were not left unscathed by Hurricane Sandy. In fact, the Cypress Hills National Cemetery--New York City's only such cemetery--was heavily damaged by the storm. As the final resting place for more than 20,000 soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, Korea, and Vietnam, it spans our Nation's military history and is a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made to defend democracy. At Cypress Hills National Cemetery, trees were downed, areas were flooded, and many important monuments were jeopardized. Headstones were also damaged, with some pulled out of the ground due to trees falling on them. To honor those veterans buried there, the cemetery must be well maintained, and making these repairs and protecting these structures should be a priority for all Americans.…”