POCATELLO — Senator Mike Crapo referred to the Idaho Field of Heroes closing ceremony Monday evening at Century High School as the best Memorial Day program in the country.

    He received a standing ovation at the end of his speech.

    “I got here early so I could walk through the field. We visited each section,” Crapo said. “I can’t think of a more touching experience.”

    Hailey native Bowe Bergdahl was mentioned by Crapo. Bergdahl is a United States Army soldier who has been in the captivity of the Taliban-aligned Afghanistan Haqqani network since June of 2009.

    “He has not been forgotten,” Crapo stated. “The delegation is committed to find and safely return Bowe home.”

    The Idaho senator also brought up a very timely issue — the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs backlog. The VA is currently experiencing a backlog affecting more than 600,000 veterans with regards to their disability claims.

    Crapo has indicated that the problem has only been exacerbated by an increasing number of service members who are returning home from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    The VA informed members of the Congress that technology improvements are key to addressing the backlog. VA representatives have requested a subsequent 13.4 percent budget increase for the Veterans Benefit Administration.

    Unfortunately, Crapo said the VA has been unable to note specific benchmarks that would allow Congress to measure the effect of increased funding on the backlog. 

    Currently, 48.8 percent of Idaho’s claims are over 125 days old, which translates to 1,892 Idahoans who have been waiting more than 125 days to get the help they need.

    “We have to increase the rate and speed of which these claims are being processed,” Crapo said.

    As of March 7, 2013, 4,409 service men and women have given their lives in Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2,167 service members have died in Operation Enduring Freedom and 66 have been lost in Operation New Dawn.

    On Memorial Day weekend each year, the soccer fields at CHS transform into a temporary memorial where wooden crosses with the name, rank and date of death is marked.

    “I’m proud to be an American, and I know you are too,” Crapo said. “We are here to honor our Armed Forces who put their life and liberty on the line for us. I know that’s why you’re here today.”

    Also in attendance was Bannock County Commissioner Howard Manwaring who shared a personal story associated with the unique Idaho memorial.

    “Last year, the day before the opening ceremony of the Field of Heroes, we had just learned that our son, Jared, had been injured in a mortar attack in Afghanistan,” Manwaring said. “He’d had some really tough experiences while he was there. His best friend died in his arms. They had been together since basic training.”

    The Field of Heroes Memorial is a grassroots effort meant to pay tribute to every service member who has died in Iraq or Afghanistan since the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom, now titled Operation New Dawn, and Operation Enduring Freedom.

    For more information, visit www.idahofieldofheroes.org.