Legion benefits center brings hope to Philadelphia vets

For more than 50 years, Oswald Nance has dealt with an issue with his medical discharge from the U.S. Army. After one trip to The American Legion’s Veterans Benefits Center (VBC) in Philadelphia, a friend of Nance’s remarked that the Korean War veteran had gotten more answers in one day that he had in the previous 50 years.

Nance was one of 237 veterans who came to the VBC set up at the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Philadelphia VA Medical Center March 17-19. Traffic was especially busy on March 19, when more than 140 veterans came to the center wanting to file benefits claims, check on an existing claim, enroll in the VA health-care system or learn about other VA programs.

Accredited Legion claims representatives set up shop at the center, as did staff from both the Veterans Benefits Administration and Veterans Health Administration. Having both together made a difference for veterans like Nance.

“They told me a lot of things I didn’t know, and they’re going to send me some paperwork to fill out,” Nance said. “I’m unemployable. It’s been frustrating through the years. Very frustrating. I feel as though I can’t work to try to earn a living for me and my family. The VA’s giving me a minimal amount, which isn’t sufficient. But I’ve managed to find some hope here today.”

A common theme from all of the Legion’s outreach efforts since last June has been the ability to sit across from someone to get answers. That resonated with Nance. “It’s better one on one than talking to someone over the phone,” he said. “Over the phone they might not have all the information, or they may not have the time. I’ve been here for almost two hours, and they were talking to me about my record in a personal way. It was very enlightening.”

That same one-on-one contact meant something to Jennings J. Black, Jr., a Vietnam War Army veteran. Black was already at the Philly VAMC for a regular visit to its audiology clinic when his wife happened to see the Legion table advertising the VBC in the hospital’s lobby. That gave him the opportunity to look into a claim that’s been pending “for years.”

Black was glad he made the trip upstairs to the VBC, getting, “maybe some relief from frustration, anger.” He found out his claim is being reviewed. “It was well worth it, coming in here,” he said. “My wife and I both feel it was worth it. It was the best thing we could have done today.”

Talking with someone in person was a relief to the Blacks. “It’s getting to talk to the person,” said Carole, Black’s wife. “You get the VA number that says go to the website. That doesn’t tell you anything.”

George Hancock, a member of Busleton Memorial Post 810 – the site of the Legion’s town hall meeting March 16 – came to the VBC seeking info on possible benefits. He’d been trying to figure it out on his own for more than a year but said he’d dealt with, “getting turned down. Not getting the right answers,” he said. “Telling me that the forms I turned out have to have an attachment of another form, and once I get the attachment to the other form and send it in, they go ‘Well, you’ve got to send both of those forms in together.”

But he got answers at the VBC.

“It was all taken care of today,” Hancock said. “I made a lot of progress today. There are a lot of things I didn’t understand about pension or benefits through the VA. I found out that I was eligible. I’m very pleased. The gentleman I talked to – very informative. He had all the answers.”

Michael Boiselle, who served in the Army from 2008-2013, also wanted help in looking at possible disability benefits he earned during his service. “I got a lot of assistance,” he said. “This is my first time filing for a claim. I was like, ‘I need help.’ “(Coming here) helped out a lot.”

A setting like the VBC, where Legion service representatives work in the same room with VA staff, allows VA to better perform its job, said Philadelphia VAMC Director Daniel Hendee. “It’s important that we work together with our partners like The American Legion to ensure that veterans receive all the benefits and services that they have earned,” he said. “Opportunities like the Veterans Benefits Center allow us to expand access points for health care and other benefits.

“We would not be able to provide the breadth and scope of services to veterans without the human and financial support of The American Legion and other stakeholders.”

The Legion also had staff specializing in veterans homelessness – Mark Walker, deputy director of the Legion’s Veterans Employment & Education Division – on hand at the center. One veteran, who came in looking for housing, spent time talking with Walker and was given several options for finding help. “You could be a life saver for me,” the veteran told Walker.

For Hancock, the VBC was one more example of the Legion making an impact on the lives of veterans – and another reason to keep being a member of the organization. “I’ve been with The American Legion over 23 years,” he said. “Any veteran out there that does not belong to The American Legion – shame on them.”