Reintroduce Legislation to Honor Fallen Veterans
Toomey, Shuster Reintroduce Legislation to Honor Fallen Veterans
3/9/15
WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Congressman Bill Shuster (R-PA) are working together to help bring dignity to veterans who have passed away but whose remains are still unclaimed.
The pair of Keystone State legislators will introduce in the Senate and House of Representatives respectively, The Dignified Interment of our Veterans Act of 2015 which requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on matters relating to the burial of unclaimed remains of veterans.
“When our veterans pass, they should be honored in a way that reflects the bravery and sacrifice they showed in defending our country,” said Senator Toomey. “Tragically, too often, the remains of our veterans are going unclaimed. It is Congress and the VA’s job to fix this and develop an action plan which helps resolve this issue that is so important for our veterans’ community. Congressman Shuster and I are going to keep up the fight on behalf of our veterans until both the House and Senate act on this important bill.”
“The services and sacrifices of our veterans should never be forgotten,” said Congressman Shuster. “Each one of them should be treated with the proper respect they deserve, and Congress needs to act to address this clear problem. I am happy to continue working with Senator Toomey, veterans in the 9 th Congressional District, and veteran service organizations across the country to raise awareness of this issue and move legislation through Congress to thoroughly examine the barriers preventing timely burial of our nation’s heroes.”
According to the Missing in America Project (MIAP), there are an estimated 47,000 veterans remains stored throughout the United States that have yet to be claimed. Currently, due to legislative and procedural barriers that prevent multi-agency cooperation and collaboration it can be extremely difficult for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), veteran service organizations, and funeral directors to determine whether the next of kin can be found.
The Dignified Interment of our Veterans Act begins the process of looking at how the VA handles these remains by conducting a study of how they are identified, claimed, and interred. The study will estimate the number of unclaimed remains, evaluate existing procedures relating to the claiming and burial of remains, and recommend appropriate legislative or administrative action for future Congressional consideration.
“The military burial is how our nation shows gratitude to the men and women who have faithfully defended our country. Yet so many veterans have been forgotten. They can be found on mortuary shelves, in cans or boxes. They were homeless, or without family, or just forgotten by their family and remain unclaimed.
“It is MIAP’s belief the ashes of our veterans, forgotten or ignored by their families, are spread all across this country, from state hospitals to funeral homes. MIAP has spent the last years visiting funeral homes nationwide, asking to be let in to identify these veterans so they can get them properly buried in a national or state cemetery. It’s a challenging task, considering not all the nation’s 23,000 funeral homes are willingly opening their doors to show what’s in their back rooms.
“In eight years, MIAP has located, identified and interred over 2,200 veterans with honors. There’s much more to do. Thousands of America’s war veterans are warehoused in back rooms, dusty basements and closets waiting for a proper burial. It’s a monumental effort, but MIAP feels it is the right thing to do,” said Fred “Ducpho” Salanti, Executive Director of the Missing in America Project.
“A year has passed from the time this legislation was first introduced, and I am very happy to see that it did not die or was forgotten about,” said Ron Metros, Fayette County resident and president of the 5th Pennsylvania Chapter of Rolling Thunder . “The veterans of this country gave their very best to preserve the rights and freedoms for all and to protect our way of life. Giving the forgotten veterans the dignified burial in a place of honor that they deserve is the least we as a nation can do to give back to them for their sacrifices. In conversation with various vets in this area, this legislation is very welcome and long overdue. Thank you Congressman Bill Shuster and Senator Pat Toomey for doing what should have been done long ago.”
“I would like to commend Congressman Shuster and Senator Toomey for their commitment to honoring the fallen veterans whose remains have yet to be claimed, said John M. Fabry . “As the Pennsylvania State Coordinator for the Missing in America Project and a licensed funeral director I look forward to continue working with them for our veterans.”
Senator Toomey and Congressman Shuster’s legislation has also been endorsed by the VFW Department of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania American Legion.
Last year, the Dignified Interment of our Veterans Act was also introduced by Senator Toomey and Congressman Shuster. It was passed in the Senate and received 41 cosponsors in the House.