Senator Larkin Honors Commitment and Sacrifice for Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a holiday that focuses on remembering and honoring those Service Members who have sacrificed in the service of their country.  The holiday was originally intended as a day of remembrance to honor those killed in the Civil War, a conflict that left as many military deaths as all other conflicts in American history combined.  Since its inception, this holiday has evolved to encompass remembrance for all those killed in every conflict fought by the United States.  It is important to honor this service and sacrifice on Memorial Day more now than ever, especially in an era of ongoing combat operations that has left 6,808 Americans killed, and tens of thousands wounded.
 
Senator Bill Larkin (R-C-I-Cornwall-on-Hudson) said, “These men and women sacrificed a great deal in order for us to enjoy the freedoms we have today.  Offering a day of remembrance and thanks for their service is the least we can do to honor them.”
 
As Memorial Day approaches, Senator Larkin honors that service and sacrifice of our veterans by sponsoring the following five bills.  Three of these bills (S.280, S.283, and S.284) have already passed the Senate, while two (S.269 and S.3954) are still in committees.
 
-S.269- Allows for reservists to apply certain veterans’ credits on civil service exams.
-S.280- Allows for veterans to apply credit towards civil service exams.
-S.283- Makes cemetery desecration of a veteran a Class E felony.
-S.284- Makes the unauthorized sale of veterans’ commemorative property illegal.
-S.3954-  Creates license plates for those awarded the Combat Medical Badge.
 
Senator Larkin notes, “These bills honor and protect the memory of those killed in combat and veterans who have since passed away, as well as help to honor the service of those veterans who are still alive.  S.283 and S.284 ensure legal protections for the graves of veterans, while S.269 and S.280 allow for those who have served to be afforded more employment opportunities in state and local government.  Lastly, S.3954 allows a way for us to give a special honor our Combat Medics similar to how we already honor Combat Infantrymen.”