Jones and Kind Help Families Receive Military Medals and Honors of Deceased Veterans | Eastern North Carolina Now

News Release:

    WASHINGTON, DC     Today, Congressmen Walter B. Jones (R-NC) and Ron Kind (D-WI) introduced the bipartisan Honoring Our Heroes Act, a bill that would allow family members within four generations of a veteran to apply for replacement medals, when all next of kin have passed away.

    "One of the most important ways we can honor a deceased veteran is by making his or her relatives a number one priority," said Congressman Jones. "Too often, my office has received requests from family members unable to obtain the heroic awards bestowed upon their departed relatives. The Honoring Our Heroes Act will correct this injustice and ensure that families do not lose the precious awards so courageously earned by their loved ones."

    This legislation, which has affected families in both of their districts, was inspired by Tari Poulda of Eau Claire, WI. Poulda's great uncle, Bruce Bradley, died during the Pearl Harbor attacks on the USS Arizona. Though Bradley (S2.c, USN) and his family received a posthumous Purple Heart, the medal had been misplaced in the early 2000s.

    "I have long said that the best ideas for bills come directly from Wisconsinites and this bill is a great example of that. After hearing Tari's story, I am proud to make sure that no other family is denied their loved one's service medals simply because of an arbitrary rule," said Congressman Kind.

    Click here for the full bill.

    For additional information, please contact Allison Tucker in Congressman Jones' office at (202) 225-3415 or allison.tucker@mail.house.gov.