Today, we at The Heritage Foundation are proud to honor Veterans Day by pausing to remember the men and women in uniform who serve this country. They are some of the finest this nation has to offer. Among those who have served throughout the years, the recipients of the Medal of Honor (MOH) deserve our utmost respect and admiration. They wear this august award for those who did not come home. They never refer to themselves as “winners” but see themselves as caretakers of the Medal of Honor for all …
Last week, a federal judge approved a settlement agreement that will help ensure that religious freedom is respected at the Houston National Cemetery and other national cemeteries around the country. Several veterans groups, represented by the Texas-based Liberty Institute, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) agreed to a consent decree that requires the VA to acknowledge the religious freedom rights of veterans’ groups and families and allow the inclusion of religious language and prayers in military burials. The rifle salute, the solemn playing of Taps, and the presentation …
The President is expected to speak this morning at Washington’s Naval Yard about the importance of finding jobs for America’s veterans. Veteran unemployment is at an all-time high. The best way to solve the problem, however, is for Washington to change course. The best advantage the nation ever gave a veteran in getting a job after serving the military is military service. Every post-war economic recovery experienced by the United States since the American Revolution was led by American veterans. They brought their skills, leadership, ingenuity, work habits, and values into …
A prominent group of retired military chaplains has written a letter to current chief chaplains in the Armed Forces urging them to support conscience protection for currently serving chaplains and service members regarding homosexual behavior. The 22 chaplains, each of whom has held a leadership post as an endorsing agent for military chaplains, called on the chief chaplains of the Army, Air Force, and Navy to “strongly encourage the adoption of broad, clear, and strong protections for conscience,” especially in light of recent confusion over the conduct of same-sex marriage …
Earlier this year, the last veteran of World War I died at the age of 110. It’s hard to believe, but in the coming years, most of America’s World War II veterans will be gone as well. The Honor Flight Network exists to grant them one last wish and final honor before they go. The program transports World War II veterans to Washington, D.C., free of charge to see the National World War II Memorial for the first—and likely—last time. Earl Morse—a retired air force captain and pilot—got the idea …
After passing in the House, the stage is now set for a Senate vote to pass the “Cash for Clunkers” bill that would offer up to $4,500 to trade in a used vehicle for a new one. Although the idea sounds good on paper, we’ve outlined a number of problems with the bill: Consumers typically replace clunkers with slightly newer clunkers or used cars, the program would distort the used car market by reducing the supply of used cars at a time when demand has been increasing, the voucher exceeds …
This Memorial Day, Heritage honors those who serve in the United States Armed Forces, their families, and all military retirees and veterans. From the battlefields of the Civil War–after which the first Memorial Day was observed–to the Forest of Argonne, the beaches of Normandy, the islands of the Pacific, the Chosin Reservoir, the jungles of Vietnam, the deserts of Iraq, the mountains of Afghanistan, and all the other fields, territories and theaters American soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen have fought bravely, we remember those fallen men and women …
As the world marks the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War, it seems a lifetime ago that Europe was plunged into unimaginable darkness, resulting in approximately 20 million military and civilian deaths within four short years. Yet four British veterans of World War I survive today, and three were in London to mark the special anniversary. They stand as testimony to the generation of men and women who shared their sacrifice in pursuit of freedom and liberty. More than any other countries, Britain and America know …
Americans would do well to ponder the unrelieved strains on the nation’s military readiness on this Veterans Day, one short week after the election of a new president and Congress. The Army’s readiness is particularly low. Seven years of combat overseas have exacted a grinding toll on all our military services, including the National Guard and Reserves. Among the symptoms: compromised training, shortfalls in deploying personnel and equipment, less maintenance for worn-out weapons, and truncated downtime at home before troops must redeploy. Despite the economy’s woes, President-elect Barack Obama and …
Yesterday, the New York Times shamelessly politicized Memorial Day by publishing an editorial attacking President Bush and Sen. John McCain for not supporting Sen. Jim Webb’s (D-Va.) “Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act.” The New York Times is free to criticize the president as much as it wants (we sure do) but it’s editorial writers owe our men and women in uniform an honest debate on an issue that greatly affects their lives. And this editorial leaves out half of the GI Bill story. The paper completely fails to mention that …
