Loudoun County, Legion reach out to local veterans

Last April, a few Legionnaires from Loudoun County, Va., talked about how difficult it was to get contact information for veterans in the area who needed help, especially those who wanted to file disability claims.

“The question kept coming up among us – where do we find these veterans that are in need of help?” said Charlie McKinney, commander of American Legion Post 2001 in Ashburn, Va. “It’s been a habitual, long-term problem” because federal, state and county agencies that may be dealing with veterans in need can’t release their contact information to third parties, under provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974.

McKinney said that he, his post service officer Bob O’Such, and a few others came up with the idea of holding a large-scale event that would attract veterans. “If we can’t find them, maybe we can have an event and they can find us.” That discussion evolved into “A Salute to Military, Veterans and Families” event on Sept. 27 in Ashburn, Va., that will offer help for veterans who want to file benefits claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the auditorium of Stone Bridge High School on 43100 Hay Road.

When the Legionnaires approached the Loudoun County government about sponsoring the “Salute” event, it agreed to do so immediately. Bob O’Such, Post 2001’s service officer, said that kind of commitment “demonstrates the county government’s appreciation for and willingness to support America’s soldiers, veterans, and their families in a tangible way. It also allows the county’s citizens to learn more about their neighbors and friends who have sacrificed so much on their behalf.”

In fact, the Loudoun County government issued a proclamation on Sept. 3, declaring that Sept. 27 will be the county’s “Military Appreciation Day.”

McKinney said 15 service officers from The American Legion and other veterans service organizations will be at the event to help veterans navigate through the VA system for filing benefits claims, or educate them on what benefits are available.

“We have a lot of veterans out there, quite frankly, who may well not know that they have veterans benefits,” McKinney said. “They might not even know how to go about filing a claim. I’m surprised by the number of them who don’t understand what the GI Bill is all about. What we want to do is find these people so we can help them.”

The veterans outreach event has also received support from the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce. O’Such said the private sector has also stepped up. “We were pleasantly surprised that a number of corporations and small businesses have chipped in with donations, some of them financial, some of them in-kind contributions.

“And every bit of that will go directly to service organizations and directly support the neediest veterans that we have,” he said. Donations will be shared with “low-overhead organizations within the county” that have a proven track record of direct funding assistance to veterans with immediate needs.

McKinney wants to make “Salute” an annual event and bring in more organizations that provide services for veterans. “The whole theme behind this is to be inclusive, not exclusive. We’re not looking for credit," McKinney said. "We just want to make some progress on this issue. We wanted to spread the word and have this event because it’s really an opportunity to move ahead. Yes, there are problems at VA but there’s a lot of things that other organizations can do to help, and we’re here to do that.”

The "Salute" event will feature several breakout sessions that will provide information on VA benefits, support programs and answer questions from attendees. Veterans will also get help in filing their VA benefits claims. Featured speakers include Bill Bryant, national vice commander for The American Legion.

For more information, contact Bob O’Such at (703) 723-5839/(571) 422-3993 or bobbyosuch@gmail.com, and Charlie McKinney at (703) 729-1529/(703) 975-6422 or vavets4victory@aol.com.

Contributors to this event may contact Post 2001 through its website: www.ashburnlegion.org.