A resting place for an American hero

By U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman
R-Arkansas

Freedom comes at a cost. Each year, Memorial Day serves as a weighty reminder of just how high a price many of our service men and women have paid. Most of us will spend our weekend enjoying the company of friends and family, hopefully some warm weather and sunshine, and maybe even a cookout or two. 

But my hope is that we can still remember that our ability to enjoy the holiday weekend and the many blessings we have been given as Americans is all because of the sacrifice of our military heroes.

A little over a month ago, Hot Springs, Ark. was privileged to welcome home the remains of World War II veteran, U.S. Army Air Force Staff Sgt. Russell O. Chitwood. While serving in France, his aircraft was struck down by German fire over enemy territory. Chitwood was among ten men, some of whom were captured as prisoners of war. However, Chitwood was never accounted for.

After new technology allowed his remains to be identified, Staff Sgt. Chitwood finally made his way home, eighty years later. It’s stories like these that remind us of the cost of freedom. And they remind us of how truly blessed we are to hold on to that freedom.

There’s a quote by Ronald Reagan that perfectly captures the spirit of this upcoming holiday. In his own Memorial Day speech at the Arlington National Cemetery in 1982, he said, “The willingness of some to give their lives so that others might live never fails to evoke in us a sense of wonder and mystery. One gets that feeling here on this hallowed ground. And I have known that same poignant feeling as I looked out across the rows of white crosses and stars of David in Europe, in the Philippines and the military cemeteries here in our own land. Each one marks the resting place of an American hero.”

I’m grateful to Staff Sgt. Chitwood and all of our American heroes who have served or lost their life for our country. As a Member of Congress, it’s a privilege to use my vote to honor their service and sacrifice. This week, the House voted to pass the Veterans 2nd Amendment Act.

Our veterans fought to defend our Constitution. And they shouldn’t lose their own constitutional rights simply because a box was checked on their benefits form. For too long, veterans with fiduciaries have been placed into the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) – taking away their ability to legally own a firearm or ammunition.

This strips them of the due process civilians are guaranteed before being added to NICS. So instead of a judge making the decision of whether a veteran is a threat to their community, a VA bureaucrat makes that decision with the flick of a pen or click of a button.

House Republicans passed the Protecting Veterans 2nd Amendment Act to prevent the VA from giving the NICS sensitive information without due process to protect our veterans’ constitutional rights – the ones they fought to defend.

I’m always proud to work alongside my colleagues in Congress to cast a vote that ensures our veterans receive the care, respect, and rights they have earned.

I hope you had a blessed Memorial Day weekend and may God continue to bless our troops and the United States of America.