On Memorial Day, Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge encourages constituents to join her in remembering the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. All Americans are forever indebted to the members of the U.S. Armed Forces who answered the call to duty and lost their lives in defense of our nation's freedom.

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, only a handful of states other than Ohio suffered more casualties in America's most recent conflicts.  During Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn in Iraq, 189 Ohio troops were killed and 1,425 were injured, the fifth highest toll in the nation. During Operation Enduring Freedom: Afghanistan, 75 Ohio service members have been killed, the seventh highest among all states, and 602 were wounded, the fourth highest number of casualties.

"The pain of loss will surface for many veterans' families at this time.  If you know someone who lost a loved one in the Armed Forces, please take the time to offer them comfort. It can be something as simple as a cheerful smile or a small act of kindness. Of this I am sure; we can never say thank you enough to our fallen heroes and to their families," said Congresswoman Fudge.

"Let us also remember the millions of veterans who returned from the battlefield physically or emotionally injured.  It's not enough to express our thanks in words. I believe our nation has a sacred duty to provide for their medical care and address their needs as they return to our communities."

Congresswoman Fudge has supported various initiatives to assist returning veterans in finding jobs, including the VOW to Hire Heroes Act (signed into law, November, 2011). This legislation provides a tax credit of up to $5,600 for veterans who have been unemployed six months or longer and doubles the Wounded Warriors Tax Credit to $9,600 for firms that hire veterans with service-connected disabilities who have been unemployed six months or longer. It also provides nearly 100,000 unemployed veterans of past eras and wars with up to 1 year of additional Montgomery GI Bill benefits to qualify for jobs in high-demand sectors, from trucking to technology.

Our fallen warriors have given so much to America.  Let us salute them and their families this Memorial Day weekend.

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