Thank you so much, Chair
A special thanks to both Harold and Mike. I'm really delighted that you're here, and I'm sorry that I'm not able to be there with you.
I see that behind you there are a few members who have also served. I want to thank not only you for your service, but also the folks behind you for their service as well. Thank you for being here to stand in solidarity.
My grandfather was a veteran of the Korea War, and I remember you, Mike—educating me about the fight that the Korean veterans took on to get their service recognized, and it's unfortunate that it seems as if every new generation has to do this fight now.
I'm wondering if either of you could talk about what this fight has felt like for you. I think what I've heard clearly from you is that it's both about the benefits and about the acknowledgement part. I'm just wondering if you could tell us what those two things are. What would be the fundamental change that would make this right for you, and what change needs to happen to make sure that there are never veterans fighting this fight again?