National commander tells Legion family members, 'You are the reminder Congress needs to what's right for veterans.'
Leading off the Commander’s Call portion of The American Legion’s annual Washington Conference on Feb. 24, National Commander Michael D. Helm shared the story of the Philippines government’s decision last fall to suspend all burials at Clarks Veterans Cemetery, where more than 8,600 U.S. military veterans and their families are buried.
Families were going into debt preserving their loved ones’ bodies in funeral homes or being forced to cremate remains, rather than burying them as the family wished.
Department of Philippines Legionnaire Edward Craft wrote a letter to Helm, who shared it with Legion staff in the D.C. office. That same staff contacted Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who contacted the Philippine ambassador within days. A few weeks later, the cemetery resumed burials.
“The burials had been stopped for months,” said Helm, who will testify before a joint session of the House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs Feb. 25. “Veterans and their families were given bureaucratic excuses but little action. But what really made the difference was a letter from one Legionnaire and communicating that message to a member of Congress.
“Nobody expected Mr. Craft to fly from the Philippines all the way to Washington. And most Legionnaires, veterans and their families do not live near the nation’s capitol. But that is why you are here. You are the voice. You are the reminder that Congress needs to hear to wake up and make things right for America’s veterans and their families.”
Helm said there are many issues of importance to the Legion: the departments of Veterans Affairs’ and Defense’s budgets, taking care of veterans with traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder, and veterans homelessness and employment.
“All of these things matter to the 2.3-million (members) of The American Legion,” Helm said. “That’s why we pass resolutions to take up these issues with Congress. That’s why you’re here: to be the loud and steady voice of the American veteran (and) to let Congress know that they have to do what’s right for those who served.
“Tell Congress it’s not enough to listen. Tell Congress they need to act. They need to act to serve our veterans.”
- Washington Conference