NEW TOWN – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer, R-ND, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Senate Veterans Affairs committees, attended the morning meeting at the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) North Dakota State Picnic on Saturday.

“It was an honor for Kris and me to spend our Saturday with heroes,” said Cramer. “A highlight for us was to hear AJ tell the incredible story about how Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatments he received in Fargo have restored his body and mind. We can never say thank you enough to the heroes who served in Vietnam.”

Cramer spoke to the group and gave them an update on the USS Frank E. Evans Act, a bill to honor sailors who perished during the Vietnam War aboard the USS Frank E. Evans. The ship collided with the HMAS Melbourne when it was participating in a training exercise in between tours of service, resulting in the death of 74 sailors. Their names have been left off of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., because of a bureaucratic technicality.

“Some of our leaders seem fine with letting the bureaucracy win and allowing these sailors to be forgotten. I find that unacceptable,” said Cramer.“I will never stop fighting to get them the recognition they deserve.”

The bill recently received attention after Cramer announced he would oppose the nominee to be Under Secretary of Defense for Policy if the Defense Department did not change its policy opposing the Act.