General Assembly Hosts Vietnam Veterans Of America
Monday night, Representative Timothy Hill (R-Blountville) and the House of Representatives hosted members of the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Chapter 995 from Jackson, Tennessee.
During their visit to the House chamber, VVA members conducted the 13 Folds of the U.S. Flag Ceremony — a flag folding ceremony performed at funeral services of the men and women who have served our country. They also played Taps, which is a bugle call played at dusk, during flag ceremonies, and at military funerals by members of the United States armed forces.
The VVA was originally created to serve Vietnam veterans. They now preside at any funeral service involving our nation’s heroes, offering their skills to families who have lost loved ones and who desire to have their loved one buried with full military honors.
At the event, Hill and House Republicans expressed their gratitude to the VVA, along with all of the organizations across the state that support Tennessee’s military families.
For more information about VVA Chapter 995, please click here.
Representative Hill, House Republicans Cut Taxes On Automobiles For Tennessee’s Disabled Military Heroes
Representative Hill and his Republican colleagues also unanimously passed legislation aimed at reducing taxes on automobiles for Tennessee’s disabled veterans earlier this week.
House Bill 15 — sponsored by Hill — exempts a new or used vehicle that is sold, given, or donated to a disabled veteran or service member from the sales and use tax.
This initiative is the latest in a series of Republican-led initiatives designed to support Tennessee veterans and military families. During the 2017 legislative session, Representative Hill led the successful efforts of House Republicans as they fought to reduce the amount of property tax owed by veterans, elderly, and disabled homeowners.
Additionally, Hill and his colleagues have recently supported several key pieces of legislation that have helped veterans pursue their educational dreams without fear of financial struggle — including the Support, Training, and Renewing Opportunity for National Guardsman (STRONG) Act. The measure provides last dollar-scholarships to our state’s service members who meet eligibility requirements.
House Bill 433 — also a Republican-led initiative — unanimously passed last year. It assists veterans by determining how their military training can count as college credit at Tennessee’s colleges and universities.
Representative Hill’s grandfather was a World War II veteran; their close relationship has always inspired him to find innovative ways to support military families and also honor the brave men and women of Tennessee who fight to protect our freedoms.
Recently, Hill introduced House Bill 2138; this initiative honors America’s Prisoners of War (POW) and those still classified as Missing In Action (MIA) by placing an empty chair on the grounds of the Capitol in Nashville as part of the POW-MIA Chair of Honor program. Last fall, federal lawmakers placed a POW-MIA Chair of Honor at the Capitol in Washington D.C. in order to ensure that these courageous heroes will never be forgotten.
As of 2016, approximately 83,000 American service personnel were still classified as Missing in Action decades after they saw duty in encounters like World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.
