Our longtime readers know well The Patriot Post’s adjunct mission in support of our nation’s military personnel and Veterans. Our sister service organizations, Patriot Foundation Trust and Liberty Fund, provide sustaining funds for many military and Veteran groups.
Among my duties beyond being publisher The Patriot Post is co-chairing the National Medal of Honor Sustaining Fund with my friend, GEN B.B. Bell, (USA Ret). We are also founding members of The National Medal of Honor Heritage Center.
I have known generations of American Veterans from World War II forward. For years, I have written weekly Profiles of Valor tributes to those Veterans, particularly the most distinguished among them, Medal of Honor recipients. Of the 3,528 MoH awards given since 1863, today there are only 61 recipients who remain among us, most of whom I know.
Some of those recipients, particularly those who were officers, have been able to maintain a decent standard of living over the years. But astoundingly, some of the enlisted recipients are barely making ends meet. We are well aware that the Veterans Administration has, disgracefully, failed some disabled Veterans, and President Donald Trump is striving to right that wrong.
To that end, we have supported legislation backed by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and its President, Navy SEAL recipient Britt Slabinski, to ensure our nation’s most highly decorated military Patriots do not become indigent.
This week, President Trump signed legislation that is long overdue — the Medal of Honor Act — after it unanimously passed both the Senate and House.
In effect, the Medal of Honor Act raised a special pension provided to MoH recipients from $16,880 annually to about $67,500 annually, to provide a safety net for these distinguished Veterans.
The legislation was co-sponsored by Rep. Troy Nehls (R-TX), a former Army officer and Bronze Star (2) recipient who served both in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Nehls noted: “Medal of Honor recipients truly embody the best of our nation. They never ask for special recognition or demand special treatment. … [This bill] ensures they know that America is grateful for all they’ve done to serve our country and defend our freedoms. I am beyond grateful to President Trump, our Commander in Chief, for signing my bill into law. The least we can do is lift the financial burden off of these selfless warriors who continue to serve our great nation.”
Senate co-sponsor Ted Cruz (R-TX) added: “We cannot ever truly repay them. There is no sum, there is no medal, there are no words that can measure up to their sacrifice, but there are ways that we can continue to honor them, by ensuring that they are cared for, respected, and supported. I’m deeply thankful to President Trump for signing the MEDAL Act into law.”
The Trump administration has been the strongest advocate for our military men and women and Veterans since Ronald Reagan. Thank you, President Trump, for being the commander-in-chief they rightly deserve.
Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis
Pro Deo et Libertate — 1776
