A group of veterans was among the invited guests at President Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address Tuesday in Washington, D.C.
Army Reserve Capt. LeRoy Torres co-founder of Burn Pits 360, a non-profit that advocates for veterans exposed to toxins during their military service, was the invited guest of Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX). Torres has a debilitating lung condition after being exposed to burn pits while in Iraq.
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Army veteran Charles Hamberger, who serves as the commander of American Legion Post 903 in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, was the invited guest of Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa). Hamberger is a veteran of both Korea and Vietnam.
Korean War veteran Marvel Stalcap was the invited guest of Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ).
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Army National Guard veteran Anna Thomas, the director of Manchester Public Health in New Hampshire, was the invited guest of Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH).
Navy Reservist Luke Bronin, who is also the mayor of Hartford, Connecticut, was the invited guest of Rep. John Larson (D-CT).
Navy veteran Shawn VanDiver, president and founder of #AfghanEvac, a volunteer coalition that is focused on helping Afghan allies evacuate Afghanistan, was the invited guest of Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif).
During the speech, Biden expressed strong support for Ukraine amid the Russian invasion of that country. He also addressed soaring inflation rates while focusing on his American Rescue Plan and lowering prices.
“I get it,” Biden said. “That’s why my top priority is getting prices under control.”
He also spoke in favor of increased funding for law enforcement.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.