A national veterans organization leader said Congress should prioritize accountability for missing service members, toxic exposure research and bipartisan cooperation on veterans policy during congressional testimony this week.
“We learned quickly that if veterans did not fight for each other, no one else would,” said Vietnam Veterans of America National President Tom Burke during testimony before a joint hearing of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees. “So we fought. We fought for ourselves when no one else would. And we won battles many said could not be won.”
“Although our name reflects one generation, our mission has never been confined to one,” Burke said. “We speak today not only for Vietnam veterans, but for all veterans. Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.”
Addressing POW/MIA recovery efforts, Burke said, “The promise that no one would be left behind did not end when the shooting stopped. And it does not weaken with time,” calling full accountability “a sacred obligation, not a discretionary program.”
Burke told lawmakers that Vietnam Veterans of America continues to press for full accounting of prisoners of war and those missing in action from all conflicts, arguing that recovery efforts remain a core obligation to service members and their families.
He also outlined the organization’s focus on veterans exposed to toxic substances during military service, including continued advocacy for research into long-term health effects and potential impacts on spouses and biological descendants.
Burke emphasized the group’s commitment to working with lawmakers from both parties on veterans legislation, saying the organization prioritizes policy outcomes and cooperation across the aisle to advance veterans services and benefits.
He further warned that delays, bureaucratic complexity and gaps in coordination continue to contribute to challenges facing veterans, including suicide, homelessness and difficulties transitioning to civilian life.
Vietnam Veterans of America is a congressionally chartered veterans service organization representing Vietnam-era veterans and their families while advocating on issues affecting veterans of all generations, according to a Feb. 24 release announcing Burke’s testimony.
