ISSUES ::

War In Iraq  |  Health Care  |  Foreign Policy  |  Veterans  |  Social Security & Medicare
Taxes  |  Working-Class Families  |  Environment  |  Immigration  |  Economy
Civil Rights  |  Energy  |  Education  |  Justice  |  Affordable Housing

UPDATE: 05.21.09 Rangel introduces the Korean War Veterans Recognition Act to add National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day, July 27, to the list of days on which the flag of the United States should be displayed. Rangel is a veteran of the Korean War, where we earned a purple heart.

My Position: Veterans deserve our gratitude and respect for laying life and limb on the line, and when they get home, they deserve our generosity and utmost care. It is disappointing to me when people imply that the heroes of the current war are somehow not deserving of the benefits we gave the heroes of World War II. I am of a different opinion. We unanimously passed in the House a series of tax relief bills for veterans, including making mortgage revenue bonds available to them permanently. It's the least we can do for those Americans who are paying the real cost in this war. It was the G.I. Bill that gave me new life following my stint as a soldier in the Korean War, gifting me the education that swept me out of the streets of Harlem and into the halls of Congress. I want only to give our brave men and women today that same opportunity.

It's not just education. For that greatest sacrifice in defense of this nation, adequate health and medical care is not a privilege but a sacred right. Troops today face an increased risk of major depression, substance abuse, functional impairment in social and employment settings, and the increased use of health care services. The number of troops with post-traumatic stress disorder jumped nearly 50 percent in 2007 over the previous year, as they serve lengthy and repeated tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. The number of cases for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is now 40,000. This as the military faces a shortage of specialized health personnel to treat the growing ranks of troops with the disorder.

The number of Army suicides increased again in 2007, amid the most violent year yet in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. There were 115 confirmed deaths among active duty soldiers and those in the National Guard, a nearly 13 percent increase over the previous year. The suicide increases come despite a host of efforts to improve the mental health of a force stressed by long and repeated tours of duty. Increasing the strain on the force last year was the extension of deployments to 15 months from 12 months. Since the beginning of the global war on terror, the Army has lost over 580 soldiers to suicide, an equivalent of an entire infantry battalion task force.

Honoring our servicemen and women too often left unrecognized is a yearlong endeavor. The Hispanic American Heroes Resolution, H. Con. Res. 253, serves as a vote of confidence to our brothers and sisters still in the field, as well as a tribute to the many who over the years have sacrificed life and limb on the field. Hispanic Americans have been on the front lines of every major military conflict − from the ongoing battles in Iraq and Afghanistan, dating back to the Revolutionary War. Their story is inextricably woven into the tapestry of American history. That history includes the conferring of an impressive 42 Congressional Medals of Honor to Hispanic soldiers, a Hispanic veteran population that is 1.3-million strong, and generations of descendants from over 20 neighboring nations expressing their allegiances to the American promise.

But that history has not always been showcased, let alone, acknowledged. Despite facing second-class treatment at home and within their ranks, many Hispanic American heroes never thought twice about defending the promise of this nation when the call for leadership sounded in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Segregation and racism was an entrenched American institution at that time, saddling many Hispanic Americans, including veterans, with the stigma of discrimination. So, after laying their lives on the line in battle abroad, many joined ranks with African Americans and other progressive activists in the fight against racial injustice at home. They fought tirelessly, holding fast to the belief that through their efforts, America could reach its full potential and become the kind of democracy we all dream that it should be.

President Truman put an end to the senselessness of segregation within the ranks of the Armed Forces, with the stroke of his pen allowing for a brilliant showing of unity. It took another fifteen years for the spirit of his Executive Order to fully guarantee equality of treatment and opportunity, when the Department of Defense finally amended its policy to explicitly bar the discrimination of black servicemen and women in 1963.

I, myself, served in the all-black 503rd Field Artillery Battalion in the Korean War and can vouch personally that a diversity of race, color, religion, and national origin – whether it is in the classroom, in our neighborhoods, in the workplace, or at war – can only do good for the soul, morale, and our chances for obtaining success. This one step was a precursor to a tidal wave of change and progress, one that today leaves us beaming with infinite pride for an Armed Forces that has improved the standing of women and minorities.

But our effort is not yet complete. Senior black officers are still rare, particularly among the highest ranks. Black Americans represent 17 percent of the force but only 9 percent of all officers. The discrepancy leaves younger black soldiers with fewer role models to emulate. Only one of 38 four-star generals or admirals serving as of this summer was black; just 10 black men have ever gained four-star rank. We must work to encourage diversity – not just within the infantry – but within every level of our military, so that we may benefit from the spectrum of views and life experiences that comes with it. There are pools of talent we unwittingly squander when we scour the same places in search of our future leaders.

■

WHAT DO YOU THINK? I Agree with Congressman Rangel's stance on this issue. I Disagree with Congressman Rangel's stance on this issue.
First Name*:
Last Name*:
Zip Code*:
E-mail*:
Comment: