Greetings from the fourth floor of your Missouri Capitol.
A belated happy Fourth of July to all of you. As many of us had the weekend off, barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs, went to parades and watched the spectacular fireworks display at the Capitol, did we also pause to remember the reason behind this national holiday? Like many of our holidays we celebrate in this country, I think that all too often we do not really ponder the true significance of the various holidays we celebrate and this one in particular. The events that led up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 are ones most of us studied in elementary school and were refreshed on through high school, but how often do we reflect on them today? I would encourage you in this coming week to sit down with your children or grandchildren and read the accounts of what our ancestors accomplished so many years ago. It truly is an amazing story of sacrifice, bravery, conviction and a vision of what could be. Let us never forget the true meaning of Independence Day!
I have had a busy two weeks since I last communicated with you. I was invited to attend the first Veterans Court graduation in Camden County. Last year, the Camden County Commission announced the creation of the court and was to be overseen by Judge Aaron Koeppen. Sgt. Carl Russell, U.S. Army veteran, graduated after being in the program for 14 months. They currently have six veterans enrolled, and before the graduation ceremony, I was able to watch the court in action. Koeppen called each man up and talked about what they had been doing since they last met. The judge assigns them tasks to complete prior to their next meeting and listens to successes and challenges each man is facing during this journey. Hearing how many days or months of sobriety they have achieved brings a round of applause from those in attendance and is a proud moment for each veteran. The assistance these veterans receive not only from the support staff but also from their fellow veterans are key aspects in the program's success. During Russell's graduation speech, he offered his help to his fellow veterans to mentor them and offer a listening ear to any struggles they may be facing. I am proud to have sponsored HB 547, which requires every Circuit Court throughout the state to establish a treatment court by August 2021. The veterans courts give those veterans who have found themselves on the wrong side of the law a path to rebuild their lives and gives them a since of hope that society has not given up on them. Number 22 stands for the number of veterans who commit suicide every day and programs like this hopefully will help save the life of veterans in the future.
Last week, the Veteran Affairs St. Louis Regional Office held its quarterly directors stakeholders meeting, and I, along with our congressional delegation representatives, received an overview from their business line of operations and discussed matters of mutual interest. There was a time to hear specific needs concerning the constituents of our districts and hear some of the challenges other districts are facing. In their reports, we heard of the great work they are doing in their response to services during the COVID-19 crisis and just how quickly they are responding to veteran's needs. The VA gets some bad press from time to time, but my experience with their staff has been very positive and always responsive.
Finally, last Saturday, I had the opportunity to attend the 1139th MP Companies deployment ceremony in Kansas City. The original ceremony was to be held at the Swope Park Soccer complex, but due to weather, it was moved inside to the Missouri National Guard Armory on Ozark Road. Brig. Gen. Levon E. Cumpton oversaw the ceremony where approximately 80 soldiers received a message of support from their commander. These soldiers will be heading to Texas for additional training before departing to the Middle East. We have several local soldiers in this unit headed by company commander Capt. Brad Wieberg. Brad's family attended as did almost all of the soldiers' families, and this was a very special sendoff. After the ceremony, many of the family members had a "tailgate" party at their vehicles with their soldier, sharing stories and family time before their departure. In the ceremony, it is tradition for the oldest soldier in the company to carry a U.S. Flag throughout the deployment and the youngest soldier carries the Missouri Flag.
I have had the honor of attending many of these deployment ceremonies, and I'm always impressed with the focus these soldiers have on the mission at hand. We cannot thank these citizen soldiers enough for stepping forward to serve our country and for their employers who support them during their deployment. While I enjoy the deployment ceremonies a lot, I look forward - as do their families - to the welcome home celebration. Their sacrifice of service is not only for the soldier, but it is a sacrifice for their family as well. Please keep these men and women in your thoughts and prayers as they leave to serve our country over the next 10 months.
That is all I have for you for this column, and keep in mind, if you have any questions or concerns with anything in state government, you can reach out to my office, and we will do what we can to help. Remember to shop local and shop Missouri.
State Rep. Dave Griffith, R-Jefferson City, represents the 60th District, and shares his perspective on statehouse issues twice a month.