October 26, 2009
Last week, I had the opportunity to visit the Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Boulder City for a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the opening of its new maintenance facility. My participation in this ceremony was especially important to me, because I am a Veteran myself, having served in the United States Air Force from 1967-1971. I was joined by Senators Woodhouse and Breeden, and all three of us were equally impressed by the efforts underway to make sure the grounds of the cemetery, where so many of our Nevada Veterans are laid to rest, are kept in good condition. The event reminded me of the importance of paying proper respect to the Veterans who have made endless sacrifices, so we can enjoy the freedoms and rights we hold so dear.
All too often our heroic Veterans are overlooked and not cared for properly. On behalf of myself and the Nevada Senate Democrats, I can say that ensuring our Veterans are not forgotten is a top priority in the Legislature. Not only does this mean taking care of our Vets when they return home from war, but also making sure we are continuously paying our respect toward them by providing them with beautifully maintained cemeteries to be laid to rest.
Just this past session, the Assembly passed AB3, which "requires the area immediately above and surrounding the interred
remains in each veteran's cemetery in this State to be landscaped with natural grass." This is a big step in making sure we are honoring our Veterans as they deserve and expect to be.
There are currently over 22 million Veterans living in America today, and more are returning home from their tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan every day. It is every citizen's responsibility to make sure we are treating our Vets with the honor and respect they deserve for their great contribution to our country. If you are a Veteran, or know a Veteran in need, please take some time to look at the list below that features helpful links to Veterans websites:
-National Veterans Foundation
-Nevada State Veterans Benefits-Miliatary.com
-Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
-U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs
As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I look forward to being in touch again soon.
All My Best,
David Parks
State Senator, Clark 7
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