Rep. Phil Hare knows a thing or two about service. The former factory worker spent six years in the U.S. Army Reserve and has served ably on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee since joining Congress in 2006.  In that capacity, he has sponsored legislation that would make VA health care a mandatory spending item within the federal budget and improve veterans' access to mental health care. 

To commemorate Veteran's Day, Hare published a thoughtful op-ed in the State Journal-Register, detailing the significant legislation Congress has recently passed to care for returning soldiers and what still needs to be done. Here's an excerpt, but read the whole thing:

George Washington once said, “The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their country.”

Our first president had it exactly right. On this Veterans Day, as we continue to fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is more important than ever to honor our nation’s heroes by providing them the care and benefits they deserve.