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Memorial Day is fast approaching; a day of parades and ceremonies to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. If you are taking part in these events, take a close look at the flag. In the morning, it should be lowered to half-staff to honor the men and women who gave their lives to protect this nation. In the afternoon, it should be fully raised to remind us that we all must ensure those sacrifices are never in vain.

The solemn responsibility to protect our nation falls to each and every one of us, but none more so than our service men and women. This is why it is so important for our country to uphold our commitments to our veterans.

As your representative, I hold this commitment to our troops, past, present and future, very dear. Unfortunately, issues at the Veterans Administration (VA) are delaying opportunities for our service men and women to get the treatment they deserve. I recently visited the VA Regional Office in Cleveland to bring the cases of 40 southern Ohio veterans to their direct attention. Each veteran had fallen into the claims backlog, meaning they have been waiting 125 days or more for a decision.

On average, Ohio veterans wait 368 days to have their initial claims adjudicated. Since my visit, these 40 veterans have been able to receive updates and their claims are getting closer to completion. While this progress represents drastic improvement for local veterans and their families, the problem is much larger than just these 40 cases.

The VA claims process has fallen into such a state that nearly 70 percent of all cases slip into the backlog. Part of the reason this backlog exists is because the VA has not taken advantage of advances in technology. For example, instead of automatically transferring military records to the VA, new veterans are asked to track down their files and transfer them to the VA independently. This process is time-consuming, expensive and unnecessary in this era of technology.

VA Secretary Eric Shinseki and Director of Ohio's Department of Veterans Services Colonel Tom Moe also visited the Cleveland VA Regional Office during my time there. We met with local staff and evaluated the improvements being made. Secretary Shinseki assured me that reducing the backlog is his highest priority and he is keeping a close watch on the progress being made for Ohio veterans.

He has overseen significant improvements, including procedural changes implemented to speed up the process, but there is still a long way to go before our veterans get the treatment they deserve. As a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, I will work with him for as long as it takes to fix this broken system.

As the flag goes back up on Memorial Day, the torch is passed from those who gave their lives to those who continue the fight. Our treatment of the men and women who serve reflects our values as a nation, which is why it is time to hold the VA accountable for their shortcomings. I assure you that I go to work every day with this mission in mind.

Until then, keep this in mind - if you are having problems with a federal agency, such as the VA, you can call my office to determine how we can help you. You can also email me through my website at www.Wenstrup.house.gov. As your representative, it is both my job and my honor to serve you.

U.S. Rep. Brad Wenstrup represents Ohio's 2nd Congressional District, which includes all of Clermont County. His local office number is 513-474-7777.