Story Created:
Jul 24, 2009 at 11:01 AM AKDT
Story Updated:
Jul 24, 2009 at 11:01 AM AKDT
The U.S. Senate has approved a bill that would restore military pensions to 26 elderly members of the Alaska Territorial Guard who were assigned to guard Alaska during World War II.
U.S. Sens. Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski say the benefits were part of a defense spending bill passed Thursday.
Pensions for the Guard were decreased after the military no longer recognized their service guarding Alaska from the threat of Japanese attack. State lawmakers passed a bill this year to fill the pay gap until Congress finds a permanent fix.
The federal action would count the Guard's service as part of active military duty and reinstate the payments.
Begich says if the bill stays intact and goes to the president, the payments could be restored by the fall.
