BOSTON – Senator John Kerry today released the following statement on the wrongful death lawsuit filed by Kevin and Joyce Lucey against Veterans Affairs Secretary, Jim Nicholson. The Lucey’s son Jeff committed suicide in June of 2004 after returning from Iraq.

“The Lucey’s have worked tirelessly to prevent this from happening to even one more family, and I will always support them in their efforts to prevent this horrible tragedy from occurring again. I hope their lawsuit is a wake up call to both the Bush Administration and the VA they need to get their priorities straight. Far too many of our brave soldiers are coming home and not getting the help they need. Our current policy has failed far too many families and brave men and women in uniform, and I applaud the Luceys for their unceasing effort to prevent what happened to their son from happening to another American family and another soldier in need of help.”

Since Jeff’s death, Kerry has been working with the Lucey family in helping to highlight the inadequacies of our nation’s treatment of returning veterans.

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