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Every summer, thousands of delegates to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), America’s oldest and largest organization of combat veterans, convene for their national convention. This year, San Antonio, Texas was chosen as the host city. Texas’ very own “Military City USA” is a fitting location.
For those who served in the Army or the Air Force, it is quite likely that they have spent time at one of the many military installations located in San Antonio or somewhere else in Texas. More than 150,000 veterans call San Antonio home. In addition, more than 200,000 Active, Guard, and Reserve Troops hail from Texas, and our state is home to a total of 1.7 million veterans.
Our proud tradition of brave servicemen dates back to Colonel William Barrett Travis, Commander of the Alamo. In 1836 he wrote: “Take care of my little boy. If the country should be lost, and I should perish, he will have nothing but the proud recollection that he is the son of a man who died for his country."
Members of the VFW and the other veteran service organizations spend millions of hours volunteering each year. Their members give particular assistance to fellow veterans, active duty military and their families. I have been proud to stand with VFW members and other veterans at DFW airport as we welcome our brave men and women returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. It has been one of my greatest privileges during my 18 years in the Senate to visit with our troops overseas and personally thank them for their service in places like Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. Their sacrifices for our liberty cannot be underestimated.
This past April, during the federal budget impasse, the on-time pay of our military
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