For Immediate Release

Senator John Kerry issued the following statement on the passing of veterans advocate and former Rep. Gillespie V. "Sonny" Montgomery:

"Sonny Montgomery's commitment to his fellow veterans was remarkable. He never forgot the bond he shared with his brothers in arms and with veterans of the wars that followed his own service. He was dogged and relentless getting Congress and the Administration to act on the G.I. Bill, which bears his imprint just as much as the Veterans Hospital in Jackson bears his name. This was a man who loved his country first and foremost and lived the real meaning of patriotism every day. Sonny Montgomery will be missed, but his legacy of keeping faith with veterans lives on, and must be given new life by all who are in positions of responsibility today."