TESTIMONY
Ryan Graham, Vice Chairman of the Legislative Committee, Veteran of Foreign Wars (VFW), Department of New York on Veterans' Needs and Organizational Support
1:52:56
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7 min
Ryan Graham raises concerns over inadequate support and funding for veterans and veterans' service organizations (VSOs), highlighting the importance of recognizing lesser-known conflicts.
- Graham emphasizes the broad scope of Veterans of Foreign Wars, covering conflicts from World War II to the Global War on Terrorism, and the need to remember veterans of lesser-known wars.
- He criticizes the insufficient budget for veterans' services and contrasts it with higher funding for other sectors, suggesting a disparity in support.
- Personal anecdotes about Graham's family military service history underscore the personal impact of military service and the importance of honoring veterans.
- Graham calls attention to high veteran suicide rates as an urgent issue requiring more support and resources.
- While appreciative of current efforts, he urges more substantial support from the city council and mayor's office for veterans' initiatives.
Ryan Graham
1:52:56
Good morning or good afternoon, everyone.
1:53:00
Thank you to the members of the committee on the veteran committee on veterans and chairman Bob hold the foldings here and to discuss resolution 0010157 and 0279.
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Many of you already know me.
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Some of you, I don't.
1:53:17
I'm rang Graham.
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I wear different caps, but obviously today.
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I'm where I'm at a cap under as the vice chairman of the sheriff's committee for the Department of New York, PFFW.
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And I'm also the chairman for district 1, so legislative committee is subordinate to the Department of New York.
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The Department of New York encompasses the entire state of New York with over 300 posts to nearly 40,000 members.
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Having served in conflicts ranging from World War 2 to Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm, operation during freedom, and Iraqi freedom as well as smaller combat operations over the prior years, including operations under Korean Defense And the Cold War.
1:54:01
While a major conflict such as World War 2, Vietnam and the most recent global war on terror operations of Afghanistan Iraq tends to receive high profile We cannot forget those who have served under the banners of least known wars and conflicts.
1:54:17
The Korean war, otherwise known as a forgotten war, operations including Korean Defense following Korean War armistice, and the Cold War lasting for over 40 years are a conflict state.
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Should.
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They remembered not only for the purpose of history, but for those who served and sacrificed into those engagements.
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Personally, my own service is intrinsically linked to my uncle William, a veteran of the Korean war, having served as power troop under the 1st cavalry division.
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And his younger brother, my father, Donald Graham serving the United States Air Force as a military policeman and patrolling south of the DNC following armacist during the service years between 195660.
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Although both of them are a long gone, their service to their country and community when they came back home is one of the primary drivers for my own service.
1:55:13
And the reason why we shall not forget, there's there's service away and back at Home University.
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While we strive to support those that have served through fiscal and other means, veterans and VSOs alike, we must not forget to remember those conflicts these conflicts from the Korean War and Korean Defense following the armistice.
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And those quite professional serving on the front lines of the Cold War.
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Besides supporting our veterans in vehicles through tangible means, it is also also the responsibility of those that have served and those that have not to remember and become teachers to those important bones in history.
1:55:54
In conclusion, we supported these resolutions and speaking a little bit off of these resolutions.
1:56:03
Things that were touched upon.
1:56:05
Thank you, Jeremy Holden, for bringing up the the issue with VSOs as far as the fines.
1:56:11
One of the things we've been saying for years is is outreach instead of finding BSOOs out of existence and, obviously, we don't have too many advocates on the legislature.
1:56:24
Whether city council or or the state and obviously Senator Davo.
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He's he's pushed to a 120 day bill.
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I just had to mention that.
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So, hopefully, eventually, we get this this pushed through.
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And a few other things, and and I and I love counselman, areola, and Palbino because They they may be brief on what they say.
1:56:45
It's but it's but it's very powerful.
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And I know Joanne, I'm sorry, counsel and herriola.
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She mentioned the the founding part.
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I've been dealing with policy for over a decade for veterans under the banner of the BMW.
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And, unfortunately, it's it's it's a little hanging fruit.
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To be honest.
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And metrics is something I believe in.
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One of the key indicators is the budget for the city council's for DBS.
1:57:16
5.11000000 or $272,000,000 budget.
1:57:20
That is a fraction of a fraction of a percent.
1:57:23
That, honestly, I'm gonna be frank, it's pitiful.
1:57:27
And like I said, I I I you know, thank you so much, you know, for, you know, chairman Holden and the other counsel accountants members on the committee.
1:57:39
I know you guys push a lot to get funding whether for veterans in general or VSOs.
1:57:45
And I just wanna throw out a metric, you know, a few more numbers.
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5.11000000.
1:57:52
That's that's not a lot.
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I saw recently, I think it's sitting in the queue, a couple of council members pushing for a $15,000,000 budget.
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In the budget towards for migrants when it comes to mental health.
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That's three times in the amount for an entire agency.
1:58:13
And that shameful.
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And I know there's there's been some other speakers.
1:58:17
I'll I'll be quick, but another number.
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Now this is most recent with Iraq and Afghanistan.
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We unfortunately had 7000 casualties tickets.
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Give or take a few numbers.
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Up till today, Nava, granted I'm part of the 1st part of the global war, the terror I served in Iraq, I I enlisted right after 911.
1:58:43
And most of us were hitting our forties now.
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And the suicide numbers are at 30,000.
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Over 30,000 rates.
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So that's one of the four times the number of people had died under battlefield.
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So you can only imagine previous generations.
1:58:57
And I'm I'm just gonna throw out one last thing in intangibles.
1:59:01
March 5th, So about a month ago, good friend of mine, we know what we actually really good friends from high school.
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I know councilwoman Ariola knows that she represents the part of the district from the month from high school, John Adams.
1:59:18
He he also enlisted in the military around the time I did became a senior a senior and CEO, got out.
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His degree went back in and commissioned as an officer.
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Kyle Luciano, knows I'm part native.
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He unfortunately took his own life on March 5th.
1:59:37
So, honestly and then just to cap this off, I've said it already, but thank you again, chairman Holden and the council members on on this committee.
1:59:49
You guys you you push a lot.
1:59:52
We need more support from the rest of the council and the mayor's office to to to really support initiatives.
1:59:59
I mean, it's been too long we are the low hanging fruit, and there we we see a lot of money being pushed towards other things.
2:00:09
But veterans are always kinda left at the wayside.
2:00:12
Thank you.
2:00:13
And I apologize for going over the time, chairman Holden.
2:00:17
In the committee.
2:00:18
That's it.
2:00:18
Thank you.
