Peace Garden News

As part of the annual Veterans Day observance, a ceremony was held at the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck to honor veterans from North Dakota and across the nation. The event aimed to recognize those who have served in defense of the country.

U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, attended the ceremony. He paid tribute to veterans for their service and sacrifice, acknowledging both past and present service members from North Dakota. The state is noted for having one of the highest concentrations of military personnel and veterans per capita, with more than 56,000 veterans residing there.

"Today, we honor veterans across our state and nation for their incredible service and contributions to the security of the world," said Cramer. "It is easy to take their service for granted because we live so well and have the luxury of peace every single day. We will never forget the heroic sacrifice of our veterans and will work to ensure their legacy of excellence and North Dakota’s culture of readiness translate into policy that supports and advances our military dominance across the globe."

The event received support from several North Dakota veterans service organizations including American Legion, AMVETS, Dakota Leathernecks, Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vietnam Veterans of America, and the Dakota Sisterhood of Women Veterans.

Senator Cramer has been active in sponsoring legislation aimed at improving healthcare access for veterans. In February, he introduced a bill titled Supporting Rural Veterans Access to Healthcare Services Act which would provide travel assistance for rural-dwelling veterans attending VA-authorized healthcare appointments. Additionally, he supported various acts such as TAP Promotion Act, Combat Veterans Pre-Enrollment Act of 2023, and Keeping Military Families Together Act of 2023.

During his tenure in the 117th Congress, Cramer led several legislative efforts benefiting veterans that were signed into law. These include REMOVE Copays Act allowing up to three copay-free mental health visits annually and Burial Equity for Guards and Reserves Act permitting any honorably discharged veteran burial rights in state cemeteries regardless of duty status.