May 28, 2004
ROMNEY MARKS MEMORIAL DAY BY HONORING VETERANS
Signs Legislation to Make Peacetime Vets Eligible for State Benefits
On the eve of Memorial Day weekend, Governor Mitt Romney today recognized the contributions of peacetime military veterans by signing into law a measure that extends to them the full recognition and benefits they had previously been denied.
Romney noted that Massachusetts veterans who served during peacetime have not received the same state benefits conferred upon patriots who served during periods of war. This new law will make approximately 54,000 soldiers, who were primarily enlisted between the Vietnam and Persian Gulf Wars, eligible for a variety of state benefits, including housing assistance, employment and education benefits and real estate, auto excise and sales tax abatements.
“It is time to acknowledge the extraordinary sacrifice of all of our veterans,” Romney said. “While many Massachusetts soldiers served our nation in a period technically dubbed ‘peacetime,’ they restored American pride in the wake of Vietnam and helped bring a successful end to the Cold War.”
He added, “The service of these men and women was not without cost. There are countless stories of soldiers who served with great distinction only to be denied veteran status after returning home.”
Until the passage of this law, only veterans who had served at least one day of active duty during wartime were eligible for state benefits. Now, that status will be extended to peacetime veterans, with 180 days of active duty, who were honorably discharged from the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force or Coast Guard.
“Peacetime veterans are the men and women who, in fact, won the Cold War, yet for too long were relegated to second-class status among their peers,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Medal of Honor recipient Tom Kelley.
Also eligible for state benefits are:
· Peacetime veterans with fewer than 180 days active duty who were awarded service-connected disabilities;
· Full-time National Guard members with 90 days of active service and at least one day of wartime service; and
· American Merchant Marines who served in armed conflict between December 7, 1941 and December 31, 1946.
“Every man and woman who volunteered to serve this country should be treated with the same degree of respect, gratitude and dignity,” said Romney.
Romney also signed into law today a bill that expands the crime of destroying or defacing a veteran’s grave marker, metal plaque or flag to include a veterans flag holder that commemorates a particular war conflict or period of service.
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