Special Veterans Update from U.S. Congressman Andy Barr
Honoring our Nation’s Veterans
 
This week, we honored all the patriotic Americans who have served our country in uniform. I spoke at Veteran’s Park at the annual Veterans Day event in Lexington. It was great to see Retired Army General Ben Adams, and other heroes like Mr. Bennett, a WWII veteran, at the event.
I also participated in the Veterans Day ceremony at Fleming County High School. We celebrated a new mural for WWII hero and Kentucky native Marine Corps Private First-Class Franklin Sousley, who heroically raised the American flag at the Battle of Iwo Jima in WWII. I was proud to lead the Congressional effort in 2018 to rename one of the Lexington VA Medical Centers after Private Sousley.
Awarding Congressional Gold Medal to Servicemembers Killed at HKIA
Recently, I cosponsored and voted for legislation awarding a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal to each of the thirteen fallen U.S. military servicemembers killed in a terrorist attack at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan on August 26, 2021. The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed this bill. These American heroes died protecting American citizens and our Afghan allies fleeing the terrorist Taliban government and other terrorist actors in Afghanistan.
Global War on Terrorism Memorial Location Act
I am proud to announce that I am cosponsoring and pushing bipartisan legislation in Congress to establish a memorial to honor veterans who served in the Global War on Terror in Washington, D.C.
For over two decades, Americans have deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and other countries throughout the world to fight terrorism and keep our country safe. These heroes deserve a memorial in Washington that will be a tribute to their extraordinary service and sacrifices that have preserved our freedoms, civil liberties and way of life. May God bless all of our veterans and servicemembers who continue to serve our nation in uniform.
Sincerely,
Congressman Andy Barr
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