Veterans Day not the only day to honor and remember veterans

By Sen. Claudia Kauffman

As we observe Veterans Day, I again reflect on the importance of honoring, not just today, but every day, those who have served our nation.

During the 2007 legislative session, I and my Senate colleagues were proud to support Washington citizens who have served our country in the armed forces. We passed important legislation that honors and supports veterans.

I co-sponsored Senate Bill 5242, which creates internships at the state Department of Transportation for wounded veterans returning home. These internships are geared toward jobs that match skills of veterans. We also passed SB 5123, a measure that extends state discrimination protections to cover all honorably discharged veterans and active or reserve service personnel, providing legal protection from discrimination.

More than 670,000 veterans call Washington home. Supporting our veterans is a big priority for me, and a job I take very seriously. In particular, I am committed to supporting our men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and working with them and the state Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure every one of them gets the support and assistance that they need — they have served their country honorably, and it’s our duty to serve them as they return.

For more information or to request assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs, go to its Web site, or call 800-562-2308.

Veterans Day is a special day of the year when we recognize those who have served. It’s important that each of us recognize the veterans in our communities and state every day, and in particular, remember and honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their state and nation.

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