Choosing to serve my country as a member of the Army was one of the greatest decisions I ever made. It also was a daunting commitment, but I knew that whatever happened to me, in return for my service, my country would take care of me. It's a promise the military makes to its soldiers.
It has been upsetting to see some of our elected officials wobble on their commitment to that promise. I wish we had more real advocates for veterans in Washington like U.S. Sen. Al Franken. Franken's very first bill helped give service dogs to veterans suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder. Here in Duluth, he personally fought to help the Minnesota National Guard's 148th Fighter Wing become an active unit, and he worked to keep our base open. He introduced a bill to improve access to health care for veterans in greater Minnesota, and he cracked down on the Veterans Administration backlog so men and women coming home don't have to wait to receive the benefits they earned.
It's a long list, but it's not even everything he's done or everything I think he will do for our veterans.
Joshua Williams
Duluth
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The writer is a member of the UMD Veterans Club at the University of Minnesota Duluth.
