Nov. 9, 2006
 
BYRD’S EYE VIEW: Ensuring Quality Care for Our Veterans
 
From the desk of U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-WV
 
Washington, DC (HNN) -- West Virginia’s veterans have served in missions around the globe. Their bravery and courage have helped to keep our nation safe and strong. The gratitude that we express to our veterans sends a message to future generations of fighting men and women, as well as to our current veterans, and to the families of the fallen.
 
That is why I am honored, this Veterans Day, to participate in the dedication of the new West Virginia Veterans Nursing Home in Clarksburg.
 
This $26 million facility will provide long-term medical treatment for veterans from across the state and ensure that these men and women do not have to travel long distances, perhaps even out of state, for their care.
 
While this nursing facility will assist some of West Virginia’s older veterans, we also must focus on providing the care that our new veterans require. Each day, as they come home from war, many of our new veterans have specialized medical needs.
 
Some of the most serious injuries facing these new veterans are those that cannot be seen from the outside. In fact, brain injuries have been called "the signature wound" of the Iraq war. Yet, the Defense Department’s premier brain trauma center faces funding cuts that jeopardize treatment of brain injuries for our troops.
 
I am not going to stand by and see these services placed at risk. I pressed the Senate to approve legislation so that these very challenging, very intricate injuries will receive the attention of experienced doctors and nurses. The Senate responded, directing $19 million to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
 
The nature of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, where roadside bombs are as prevalent as bullets, means that the medical care we provide must adapt to these new conditions. This funding will help to meet the need for better research and treatment of brain injuries.
 
This Veterans Day, and each day, we should take the time to say "thank you" to our veterans for putting their lives on the line for our freedom. To anyone willing to serve this country in the Armed Services, everlasting gratitude is theirs by right. In the Senate, I will continue to work for our veterans and for our troops in the field. These men and women did not flinch when called to duty, and we must never flinch from our support of them.