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Pa. senators celebrate Veterans Day with a call to action

Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat, and Sen. Pat Toomey, a Republican, celebrated Veterans Day together in Malvern, Chester County, on Tuesday, and both said the federal government needs to help veterans more.

Gordon Weith, a retired Army officer and board member of the Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors, holds up an oversized check for $20,000, a donation from Rajant Corp. and its president and CEO Bob Schena (left) and the Carmen Danella Foundation, represented by trustee Rick Hevner (second from left). Brig. Gen. Anthony Carrelli of the Pennsylvania National Guard (right) spoke at the event at the Rajant office in Malvern on Nov. 11, 2014. ( CLEM MURRAY / Staff Photographer )
Gordon Weith, a retired Army officer and board member of the Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors, holds up an oversized check for $20,000, a donation from Rajant Corp. and its president and CEO Bob Schena (left) and the Carmen Danella Foundation, represented by trustee Rick Hevner (second from left). Brig. Gen. Anthony Carrelli of the Pennsylvania National Guard (right) spoke at the event at the Rajant office in Malvern on Nov. 11, 2014. ( CLEM MURRAY / Staff Photographer )Read more
    by Justine McDaniel, Inquirer Staff Writer
    Published 

Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat, and Sen. Pat Toomey, a Republican, celebrated Veterans Day together in Malvern, Chester County, on Tuesday, and both said the federal government needs to help veterans more.

Alluding to the recent scandal at the Department of Veterans Affairs involving long delays in health care for veterans, Toomey said, "We have a profound obligation as a federal government to make sure that we are serving the people who served us. We've fallen down on that job in recent years. I think that's pretty clear."

Toomey said he thought progress was being made through recent legislation and the restructuring of the VA. VA Secretary Robert McDonald announced an overhaul of the department on Monday.

"All of this effort to help our veterans can't simply be reliant upon what the VA does," Casey said. "I'm a great believer in the public sector and the private sector and nonprofit and volunteer efforts being part of the solution."

After the senators' speeches, Rajant Corp., a Malvern-based mobile network technology provider, and the Carmen Danella Foundation donated $20,000 to Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors, a nonprofit that gives emergency financial assistance to veterans and their families.

"I can't think of a better organization to support and a better organization to talk about on Veterans Day than Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors," said Brig. Gen. Anthony J. Carrelli, the Pennsylvania Air National Guard Deputy Adjutant General.

The volunteer organization has distributed more than $500,000 to more than 500 veterans and their families in Pennsylvania so far this year, said Lt. Col. Gordon Weith, a Pennsylvania Wounded Warriors board member.

The money goes toward rent, mortgage, auto expenses, food, gas, and other basic needs. The group relies solely on donations and is not affiliated with any other wounded warriors organizations.

jmcdaniel@philly.com

@McDanielJustine