Honoring Those Who Served

Maine residents have always answered the call of duty, and today many are serving with honor in Afghanistan and Iraq. We want every Maine soldier to return home safely and to provide them with the care and assistance they deserve when they do get back.

We passed “An Act to Protect the Lives and Health of Members of the Maine National Guard.” It initiates a process to ensure that Maine National Guard members receive the best possible preventive medical care. The Act was championed by Barbara Damon Day, mother of Captain Patrick Damon, a former legislative staffer who died of an apparent heart attack while serving in Afghanistan.

Two measures were passed specifically to make life a little easier for Maine’s older veterans and their families. First, the property tax exemption for disabled veterans and veterans over 62 was raised from $5,000 to $6,000. Additionally, the Legislature appropriated $12,500 per year to support the Disabled American Veterans transportation network, which provides round-trip transportation services to Togus and other Veterans' Administration medical facilities.

When a soldier makes the ultimate sacrifice, one of the most difficult times for those left behind is the soldier’s funeral. Unfortunately, some groups seek to use the event as a means to get attention. LD 246 makes it a crime to disrupt funerals in this manner. Additionally, a bill was passed to provide the parents and spouses of fallen soldiers with a special “gold star” medal from the state.

Finally, Maine’s women have provided active, but generally unsung, roles in all our nation’s wars. To provide them with the recognition they deserve, the Legislature commissioned a monument to honor Maine’s Women Veterans.

Updated August 2007

Maine Senate Democrats

Honoring Those Who Served

Veterans Links

Veterans Benefits