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Capitol Comment
by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
Texans Answer the Call to Service
August 24, 2007
Meeting the people who help make Texas so special is the greatest privilege of serving as your Senator. I particularly treasure the opportunities I have to speak with our veterans and active duty personnel and thank them personally for their tremendous service to our country. This month, I’ve traveled all across Texas and met some of the brave men and women who answered the call to defend our freedom and way of life.
In San Antonio, I had the honor to present Private First Class Sonny Weldon with a Purple Heart for wounds he sustained in Iraq when a roadside bomb exploded near his unit. The occasion was especially meaningful because PFC Weldon received his medal on the anniversary of the day George Washington created the Purple Heart decoration in 1782. I am inspired by PFC Weldon’s strong convictions and dedication to his mission.
Then, in Houston, I met Marine Corporal Paul Gardner and his wife Ashley. Corporal Gardner was shot and paralyzed during a firefight with insurgents in the opening weeks of Operation Iraqi Freedom. I was deeply moved by his courage and determination both on and off the battlefield. He once wrote, “I can do anything if I want it bad enough. It just takes a little more effort sometimes.” That day I participated in a ceremony to give the Gardners the keys to a brand new home, custom built by the Wounded Hero Home Program to fit Paul’s special needs.
The Wounded Hero Home Program is a compassionate partnership of 57 Houston-area Rotary Clubs, the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes and corporate donors such as Gallery Furniture, H-E-B grocery stores and Phoenix Blinds. In addition, Perry Homes and the Riverstone Development Company each gave about $50,000 to the project. The Gardners’ home is the first of 14 that this ambitious venture aims to provide for wounded veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan by the end of this year.
Later that week, I welcomed the crowd at the Freedom Concert held in Grand Prairie. Featuring country music stars Montgomery Gentry, Lee Greenwood and Colin Raye, the benefit concert was organized by the Freedom Alliance and radio and television commentator Sean Hannity to provide college scholarships for the children of soldiers slain in combat. Several thousand Dallas area residents filled NOKIA Theatre to thank our troops and their families.
This month I also received the results of a study I requested to assess the heath care needs of our veterans living in the Rio Grande Valley. Currently South Texas veterans are forced to endure 500 mile, ten-hour roundtrip treks to the San Antonio VA hospital for even basic procedures and routine check-ups. This is simply unacceptable. The study calls for an expanded, 158,000-square foot VA facility specializing in services like cancer treatment and outpatient surgery that will eliminate 95 percent of the arduous trips to San Antonio. Last week, local leaders joined me in Harlingen to welcome the results of this study, and I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress to secure funding to build this vital center.
Throughout my travels, I was proud to see Texans supporting the troops. Our current conflict in the Middle East has challenged our nation’s fortitude, but I am always touched by your pride and patriotism. While some of my colleagues in Congress would like to ignore the threat of radical Islam, Texans know the high stakes of the Global War on Terror. If we walk away from our commitments in Iraq and Afghanistan, the terrorists will not be appeased—they will follow us home. Many of our friends and loved ones are serving bravely in our armed forces, and some have made the ultimate sacrifice in the defense of liberty. As I have said on the floor of the U.S. Senate, and as you have expressed to me time and time again, we cannot allow their efforts to have been in vain.
I am always inspired to meet the service members and veterans who give of themselves to preserve our nation’s bedrock principles and most cherished ideals. When given the chance, I urge you to give these brave Americans your deepest thanks. They are true heroes, deserving of our highest respect and steadfast support.
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