“Our veterans were asked at very young ages to go overseas and take great risks ... and veterans are veterans, no matter where they have served,” he told a group of combat veterans during a presentation of quilts by the Quilts of Valor Foundation Sunday at West Virginia Independence Hall in Wheeling.
During the ceremony, Rockefeller presented quilts to 12 local combat veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Desert Storm and other overseas deployments.
“Quilts are built to last hundreds of years, which is fitting because this is symbolic of our commitment to you,” he told the veterans.
One of those receiving a quilt was Army National Guardsman Steven Bliss Jr. of Wheeling.
“I was held captive as a government detainee for three days in 2003. To receive a quilt from someone is great because it lets you know they care,” he said.
Monica Myers of Belmont is a veteran of the U.S. Navy who also makes some of the quilts.
“We make these quilts everyday because we know how much they mean to people,” she said.
Jeremy Harrison of Wheeling is a combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“This is a very meaningful way to express appreciation for what veterans have done for this country over the years,” he said.
Rockefeller acknowledged the need for the U.S. Congress to provide more support for combat veterans.
“The truth is that you do not have to be physically wounded by a war to be profoundly wounded by it,” he said in reference to the mental and emotional scars combat veterans can face.
Rockefeller believes the current Congress is going to do what it can to improve the service provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
“Many veterans right now are stuck at the VA hospital looking for treatment and looking for benefits. But I have never seen a Congress this angry and this committed to helping our veterans, so I am hopeful that things can get better,” he said.
Article Photos
Photo by Casey Junkins
Army National Guardsman and Operation Iraqi Freedom combat veteran Steven Bliss Jr. of Wheeling, left, receives a Quilt of Valor at West Virginia Independence Hall in Wheeling Sunday, as U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., looks on.