The 16th annual 'Veterans Salute to the Legislature' was more like a dignitaries salute to our veterans.
Military veterans statewide take the opportunity once a year to gather with other veterans, and to meet with their legislative officials to talk about issues important to them, like education and healthcare.
Governor Jim Doyle says maybe we spend a little too much time honoring veterans solely for their service in the military.
“Clearly people deserve all the honor they can for that time of their lives, but I get to see veterans in communities all across this state having returned home providing that same service day after day, week after week, year after year.”
One of those veterans is Department head, Secretary John Scocos .
“You know, in John Scocos ( pronounce ), we not only have a strong leader of the department but we're a unique state in that we have a secretary who's actually gone on to active duty and has come back and we thank him for not only his service here in the state of Wisconsin but his service in Iraq. Thank you John.”
On the heels of Wisconsin's primary election, Doyle thanks our veterans for giving us the opportunity to vote, and says we need to continue the tradition of taking care of the men and women in uniform.
“You know to me, how a state treats its veterans is the best measure of the quality of the people of a state of the commitment to basic values.”
Doyle also stresses the importance of supporting the Wisconsin Veterans Museum , saying it should not be funded solely by veterans by way of the Veterans Trust Fund.
“This museum is not a museum of veterans for veterans. This is a museum about Wisconsin veterans for all of the citizens of the state of Wisconsin. And it is important that all of our citizens, but particularly our young citizens, have a chance to come and go through that museum to appreciate who we are, where we came from, and who we have to thank.”
Many state lawmakers jumped at the chance to meet with veterans at the Monona Terrace in the capitol city, and US Representative Ron Kind (D-La Crosse) spoke about his Veterans History Project and the importance of recording one's military history.