Western Pa. lawmakers seek to honor last surviving Black soldier from D-Day
Plus, how Pennsylvanians benefited from the Consumer Financial Protection Board, and Fetterman wants to help urban and suburban farmers
WASHINGTON — U.S. Army veteran Henry Parkham, who died two years ago at age 99, was believed to be the last surviving Black soldier who participated in the D-Day invasion during World War II.
Now his name may adorn the new Veterans Affairs facility in Monroeville.
U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and John Fetterman, D-Pa., and U.S. Reps. Summer Lee, D-Swissvale, and Guy Reschenthaler, R-Peters, have introduced legislation to name the new community-based outpatient clinic after Mr. Parham.
“When he stormed the beaches of Normandy as part of the only allBlack combat unit to land on DDay, Henry Parham believed he was simply doing what he was ‘supposed to do as an American,’’ Mr. Casey said. “To call Henry a hero only begins to describe his selflessness and commitment to serving others, and renaming the VA clinic in Monroeville in his honor is one small way to ensure his actions are never forgotten.”
Mr. Parham was part of the allBlack 320th Barrage Balloon Battalion, a segregated Army unit of approximately 700 African American soldiers, that landed at Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. The segregated unit remained there until September of that year.
“This historic battalion, the only Black combat unit to take part in the D-Day invasion and the sole barrage balloon battalion to land on the beaches, played a pivotal role in securing Omaha Beach on that fateful June day in 1944,” Ms. Lee said. “This bill represents a solemn commitment to ensuring that their service and dedication are forever remembered and appreciated.
Later, Mr. Parham volunteered with his wife, Ethel, at the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center.
“The longtime Pennsylvanian’s courage and strength in the face of adversity should live on as a shining example for future generations,” Mr. Reschenthaler said.
In other Washington news: How the Consumer Financial Protection Board has helped Pennsylvanians
A new study by the advocacy group Accountable. US found that 68,671 Pennsylvanians received more than $28.2 million from 2012 to 2022, thanks to the Consumer Financial Protection Board.
Congress created the CFPB after the Great Recession of 2008, which a bipartisan independent national commission blamed in part on “widespread failures in financial regulation and supervision.”
“The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has recouped billions of dollars for families who’ve been ripped off by bad actors in the financial industry,” said Liz Zelnick, director of Accountable.US’ economic security and corporate power.
The board draws its funding from the Federal Reserve, not a congressional spending bill. The U.S. Supreme Court is to hear arguments on whether that’s constitutional in its next term. Mr. Reschenthaler is one of 231 congressional Republicans who filed a brief urging the court to strike down the funding mechanism.
Fetterman presses Congress to help urban and suburban farmers
Mr. Fetterman is taking his push to support farmers beyond rural areas to the cities and suburbs.
Mr. Fetterman, along with Mr. Casey and other lawmakers, recently introduced a bill to support urban and suburban farmers with research grants and programs. The law would provide the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production with at least $50 million annually — reversing cuts by the House and Senate appropriations committees that eliminated “crucial funding to bolster local food supply chains in urban communities,” Mr. Fetterman’s office said.
“I came to Washington to fight
for forgotten communities and urban areas are notably underserved when it comes to food security and nutrition,” Mr. Fetterman said. “As chair of the Nutrition Subcommittee, I am proud to introduce this bill that will combat food deserts and malnutrition in urban areas and support small, beginning, and underserved farmers.”
The senator said U.S. Department of Agriculture service centers are opening for the first time in cities across the country. Pittsburgh is among a handful of cities to recently establish a Farm Service Agency Urban County Committee, according to USDA.
On top of increasing direct grant funding available to farmers, the legislation would help USDA service centers provide urban and suburban food producers more technical assistance, and boost cooperative agreements and composting
and food waste initiatives.
“As urban agriculture grows across Pennsylvania and the nation, it’s critical we support urban farmers with the resources they need to thrive,” said Mr. Casey, DPa.
Mark Edwards, CEO of The Food Trust, a nonprofit group, said in a statement that the bill would support farmers, retailers and families alike by improving access to healthy food.
“No one should have to choose between eating healthy and eating enough — but many families living in urban areas simply do not have any convenient, safe places to shop for fresh food in their communities,” he said.