Legion gives hope to veterans

Legion gives hope to veterans

In its effort to continue helping veterans enroll in VA health care, schedule VA medical appointments, file VA disability or pension benefits claims and more, The American Legion kicked off the new year with a Veterans Benefits Center (VBC) in Bay Pines, Fla. Legion staff worked alongside VA employees during the two-day event in January at the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center, providing assistance to 175 veterans.

Michael Rose, a U.S. Navy veteran, had been trying to get a service-connected disability rating since having two replacement surgeries on the same knee. After meeting with American Legion service officer Louis George during the VBC, he was able to get an immediate temporary disability rating of 100 percent. "(It means) everything," Rose said. "I’ve been without for quite a long time now, so this is going to help me a lot. I never had any idea that this is what (the Legion does). It almost feels like I’m back in the military where you have brothers trying to help brothers, sisters trying to help sisters. Receiving help such as I did, it reassures the fact that people care and that The American Legion is truly out to be an organization of help and to be an organization of change for fellow Americans."

Legionnaire James Stewart drove 170 miles to attend the Legion’s town hall meeting, which took place two days prior to the VBC. Stewart, a post and district service officer and member of Post 117 in Palm Bay, told staff at the meeting that he had been waiting on a ruling on an appeal he filed in 2012. The next day, Stewart got a call "like they promised me about my case and suggested I come over (to the VBC) and bring my military records," Stewart said. (Legion service officer Ron Abrams) was a big help. He got everything straightened out, and one of the (VA) rating officers has the statement of claim to clear everything up and hopefully move everything forward."

Stewart said seeing the work the Legion is doing in his home state gave him a great sense of pride. "I’m an advocate for The American Legion because I know at our national level they’re working very hard to protect veterans."

George Ervin, who served in the U.S. Navy from 2001-2004, came to the center to find out about a claim he’d filed relating to a VA Compensation & Pension Exam he underwent last summer. He left the center feeling he’d taken positive steps toward resolving the claim. "It has been frustrating not being able to see someone about my condition in a timely manner and address the issues that I have," Ervin said. "It’s great to actually have that personal contact (at the VBC), to sit down and speak to someone and for someone to seem concerned about your issues that you’re having and actually wanting to do something about it."

Providing that face to face interaction is important, said Suzanne M. Klinker, director of the C.W. Bill Young VAMC.

"This experience in partnership with the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System and The American Legion has opened the door even more for veterans to come in for patient advocacy, whether it be about their health-care claims, perhaps about cemetery administrations – it’s really a wonderful way to partner with an important stakeholder," she said. "Both organizations are all about the veteran. They want to do what’s right for the veteran and honor their service by providing them with the care and benefits they deserve."

The American Legion will be hosting more VBC's throughout the year. Visit www.legion.org for the annoucement of when and where.

Also, during The American Legion’s Veterans Benefits Center in Bay Pines, the Legion’s Operation Comfort Warriors program provided nearly $3,000 worth of items, including tennis shoes, cases of water, sleeping bags, canned food, toiletries and other essentials to 96 homeless veterans invovled with the Bay Pines VA Medical Center’s Homeless Patient Aligned Care Team program.

Legion staff also visited the nearby Society of St. Vincent de Paul homeless shelter, which works with VA to provide housing options for veterans. At the facility, Legion staff handed out 17 backpacks filled with toiletries purchased through OCW.