Congressman Robert Hurt
Weekly Column 2/25/13
As I traveled across the 5th District from Danville to Fauquier this past week, I was glad to visit with and hear from so many families, small business owners, local officials, farmers, students, hardworking individuals, volunteers, and veterans from all areas of our district. Hearing from you is a constant reminder of why the work we do in Washington is so important. This past week, I was especially proud to visit the Madison County American Legion Post where we presented life-long Madison resident, Staff Sergeant Cecil Berry, with his long-overdue Bronze Star.
Like so many of our nation’s veterans, SSG Berry answered when our nation called upon him during World War II. Drafted in December of 1942, SSG Berry rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant in the 394th Infantry Regiment, 99th Infantry Division. As a young man, SSG Berry braved the battlefields of Europe, spending 151 days in combat.
To stand next to this brave hero was a reminder of the selflessness and bravery of all of those veterans and active duty men and women who sacrifice to protect our freedoms. And it was a stark reminder of why it is so important that we in Washington work together to do our part to preserve the American way of life that so many before us have heroically defended.
Today, we have many pressing problems at our doorstep – not the least of which is the need to make responsible spending reductions in order to restore fiscal sustainability and get our economy growing again. But when we think about the tough choices our veterans made – our veterans like SSG Berry – we are reminded that, as with all generations before us, it is our charge to make the difficult decisions that will leave this country a better place than we found it.
As we work to address our nation’s growing debt and get 5th District Virginians back to work, we must do so with the sacrifices of our men and women in uniform in mind. Now is the time to make the tough but necessary choices that will restore our founding principles that SSG Berry and all of Virginia’s veterans fought so tirelessly to defend.
If you need any additional information, please visit my website at hurt.house.gov or call my Washington office: (202) 225-4711, Charlottesville office: (434) 973-9631, Danville office: (434) 791-2596, or Farmville office: (434) 395-0120.
Posts
