LANSDOWNE—Retired Army Captain Shannon Meehan, the Democratic candidate for State Representative in the 163rd Legislative District, appeared today with State Rep. Bryan Barbin at a press conference at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, to call for the passage of HR856, a resolution authored by Barbin and designed to increase awareness of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury, disorders that afflict 115,000 veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I applaud Rep. Barbin for taking to task these seldom-discussed disorders so that injured servicemen and servicewomen are properly treated,” Meehan said. “This resolution is a great first step in raising awareness among Pennsylvanians, and Americans, about the physical and mental effects of war on our soldiers.”
The stop is the culmination of Rep. Barbin’s 1,800-mile motorcycle tour of seven state capitals to call for the pass of HR856 and resolutions like it in other state legislatures.
Meehan, himself a veteran of the Iraq war, fell victim to an anti-tank IED explosion in Iraq in September 2007 when the charge detonated three yards behind him, causing severe injuries to his spine and head.
“I have seen first-hand the effects of Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress. While I am making a successful recovery, more can be done to draw attention to the devastating toll war injuries take on soldiers and their families, for possibly years after the fact. HR856 does just that.”
For more information:
Johnstown Tribune-Democrat
http://tribune-democrat.com/local/x961150984/Barbin-rides-for-a-cause
Representative Bryan Barbin’s release
http://www.pahouse.com/PR/071070910.asp
A former Army Captain, Iraq war veteran, and tank platoon leader, Shannon Meehan is medically retired after sustaining severe injuries in war. He was awarded the Bronze Star and the Army Commendation for Valor, as well as a Purple Heart. He is the author of the memoir Beyond Duty: Life on the Frontlines in Iraq. He currently lives in Secane, PA with his wife, Amanda Jane, and their newborn son, Brady Cole.
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