Many Americans think of Memorial Day for its barbecues and recognize it as the unofficial kickoff to the summer vacation season. Yet Memorial Day is truly meant to be a day to remember those who have fallen serving our country and protecting our freedoms.
In 1868, only three years after the end of the Civil War, Major General John A. Logan announced that a new holiday would be observed on May 30 at Arlington National Cemetery called Decoration Day. Several thousand patriotic citizens came to the event and laid flowers and paid respects to our fallen members of the military.
Although the official Decoration Day occurred at Arlington, several local cities in the North and South also claimed to be the first to recognize this new commemorative day. Among them were Macon and Columbus, Georgia, Richmond, Virginia, as well as Boalsburg, Pennsylvania, and Carbondale, Illinois, the home of Major General Logan. By the end of the 19th century, cities across the country were holding ceremonies on May 30, and several state legislatures passed proclamations designating May 30 as Memorial Day.
Not until after World War I did Memorial Day expand to include all troops who had fallen in all American wars. In 1971, Congress officially declared Memorial Day as a national holiday, placing it on the last Monday of May.
Our military men and women and their families have sacrificed more than many of us could ever imagine -- especially those families who have lost a loved one. That is why, despite some reports to the contrary, the House budget does not cut any survivor or veteran benefits. We must reduce wasteful spending and get our nation off the path toward a debt and deficit crisis but not on the backs of our veterans. In fact, we must solve our spending crisis so we can keep our promises to veterans.
Finally, we must also modernize and update some of the most antiquated Veterans Administration (VA) systems -- such as the claims process -- while streamlining services to improve care and reduce redundancies in VA, the Department of Defense, the Department of Labor and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Veterans wait on average more than 180 days for claims to be processed. This process must be simplified and transferred to a paperless, rules-based adjudication system. We must also assess the planned renovation of VA's aging health care facilities to modernize buildings and provide better care.
When duty called, our military men and women have answered the call time and time again. We are deeply indebted to them and their families. We can, and must, meet the needs of today's veterans while keeping the promise to yesterday's veterans through new technology, enhanced outreach and better communication.