Veterans have many needs in their everyday lives, and fortunately many organizations exist to help them in this way. That is certainly the case for a VFW auxiliary group in Chicago, which helps to connect veterans with dentists who can provide them with free dental work.
The group, known as Smiles for Veterans, has only gotten off the ground in the last few years, but has already helped a number of veterans gain access to free dental care that is not covered by the VA, according to a report from Fox 32 Chicago. The group was started by Patricia DeVore, who was inspired to help with this issue by the problems her own brother – also a veteran – faced in getting quality dental care after he left the service. Specifically, DeVore said her brother talked about wanting to be able to confidently smile at people once again.
"You deal with what you get," Charles Medalis, a Vietnam War veteran who was recently helped by the group, told the station. "The same thing in the service, you deal with what you get. I had several infections in my mouth, so they said they could pull my teeth, but they wouldn't give me dentures. [Getting this help] gives you more confidence. Now I can smile. Before, I'd never let my mouth be open wide enough to be seen."
Groups that help veterans deal with everyday financial or medical needs provide an invaluable service to these men and women, and are likewise important to support themselves. Veterans who need any type of assistance should always be on the lookout for such organizations, as the groups' help could go a long way toward helping to improve the veteran's lives.
Veterans entering their life after service often have a whole lot of questions about using their military benefits. They don't know who to ask, they're too embarrassed to ask, or they did ask and never received a good answer.
It is for all of these scenarios that this blog exists. Veterans can use this collection of some of the most frequently asked questions as a guide to navigating the Department of Veterans Affairs Disability process and utilizing the veterans benefits they deserve.
How long until the process is complete?
This is typically one of the first questions veterans ask, and unfortunately, the answer can be quite a shock. According the VA's official website, the amount of time it takes to reach a decision on a compensation claim varies depending on a host of factors, including the complexity of the disability, the number of disabilities claimed, and the amount of evidence required to verify a claim.
A veteran will typically receive a decision within six to eight months, but it has been known to take longer. This is only a partial answer, however. To be completely satisfied with their VA claim, most veterans will be in for a period of years, not months. In order to receive all the benefits they're due, most veterans are in for a two-to-four-year haul.
Is there any surefire method for approval?
Yes, actually, but some veterans may not like it. The easiest way to get VA approval is to seek treatment. A disturbing number of veterans have been turned down in the past because they either never sought treatment or there were inexplicable gaps in their treatment histories.
Veterans must be able to prove that their condition is chronic and seriously in need of treatment. For example – say you want to file a claim for a shoulder injury, but you were discharged in 1982 and didn't ever visit a doctor about your shoulder until only a few years ago. It's unlikely that the VA will grant service because there's no record of your shoulder being a chronic problem.
Why are some veterans connected for a specific claim, but others denied on it?
This is another one of those questions without a cheery answer, but the simple explanation is that every veteran has a different medical history and unique medical claim. Veterans who are turned down on the same type of claim their friend was connected on are rarely happy about it, however, unless the two experiences were identical it's impossible to truly compare them.
Can you receive VA Disability and still work?
Even if a veteran is totally, 100 percent connected to VA Disability, they are allowed to be employed in both full- and part-time positions. There is only one real exception to this, and that is for veterans receiving Individual Unemployability.
This, according to the VA's website, is a special benefit payable only to those veterans whose service-connected disabilities render them incapable of holding down a job consistently. The only other possible exception is those former servicemembers receiving a pension. Depending on how much they are paid, they may not be able to work.
Matthew and Cori Maple had long dreamed of establishing a nonprofit organization to help veterans. An Army veteran himself, Matthew finally got the opportunity to do so this holiday season. News Channel 11 of Fort Wayne, Indiana reported that the Maples' "Clothes for Joes," though new, has already made a big impact of local veterans.
"I've had a few friends that I served with that ended up being homeless throughout the years," Matthew told the news station. "Being around the homeless population, knowing what's out there, knowing how many of those guys are actually veterans – it breaks my heart to see guys who gave their life for our country have nothing."
Rather than sit around and do nothing, Matthew and Cori took action. They put a flyer for donations up on Facebook, and before long their local Texas Roadhouse pledged its support. According to News Channel 11, two trucks were required to transport nearly 100 coats to the local shelter.
"The day we took it over there, it was probably five or 10 vets outside," Matthew recalled. "Just some of their reactions … to see guys break down in tears and overwhelmed with happiness and joy. To see these guys get the gratification of knowing that someone is doing this for [them], made it all worthwhile."
The Maples weren't the only ones who made collecting coats for veterans their mission. In Reading, Massachusetts, the Reading Fire Fighters Association made sure that Alex Reinoso of the Veterans Northeast Outreach Center had plenty of winter gear to carry back to the men and women he serves after dropping by the fire station on Dec. 22.
Altogether, Reading Patch reported, the firefighters delivered 47 coats – both brand new and very lightly used – as well as 57 new hats and 23 new pairs of gloves. Not to exclude the veterans' children, more than 20 toys were also delivered to the outreach center.
Those who make a living working with their hands, or who build for a hobby, know well the unique feeling of focus and relaxation it can create. The staff behind Backyard Farm and Garden USA in Brazil, Indiana certainly know how it goes. It's a big part of the reason they've brought veterans to work in the shop.
The Tribune-Star reported that the shop specializes in custom metal and wood work, making everything from playhouses to chicken coops.
Shop owner Mark Smith, who served as an Army medic in Iraq, moved from California to Brazil to support his friend, a fellow veteran.
"I got started because I wanted to work with veterans directly," he told the Tribune-Star. "There is a therapeutic quality to using your hands and creating something. I feel that woodworking works for veterans. It seems to be a good fit."
According to Backyard Farm and Garden USA's website, the company seeks to help veterans adjust to their life after service through good, meaningful work. Patriotism isn't the only reason they've caught on, however. The projects they custom-build have become quite popular, with local businesses requesting special items, families relying on Smith's shop for playgrounds for their children and farmers trusting nothing but Smith's chicken coops.
In Santa Cruz, California on Wednesday night, veterans and their families were treated to the very first Operation Love Our Vets Christmas dinner. According to KSBW, the event's organizers thought of the night as no more than the kind of thank you these men and women deserve in their life after service.
Nearly 300 pounds of piping hot brisket – provided, at least in part, by Freedom Meat Lockers, the Register-Pajaronian reported – were on the menu as veterans and their spouses and children sat down at long tables in Santa Cruz's Veterans Memorial Building.
"We're simply doing what needs to be done. And we have a dual message: To civilians, get up and do something; and to veterans, know you're loved, thank you for your service," Operation Love Our Vets founder Lisa Tkoch told KSBW. "We are just doing what needs to be done. It's a damn shame that it's not done, but we're happy to fill that gap until otherwise."
Great food wasn't the only gift Tkoch's organization extended. Around $16,000 in donations assured that veterans were also presented with warm winter gear, as well as sleeping bags and other small essentials. Not to leave the kids out, Operation Love Our Vets made sure to provide plenty of toys.
All of this generosity didn't go unappreciated.
"The VA has a lot of shortcomings right now," said Army veteran Justin Baker. "They're leaving a lot of holes that need to be filled. The money seems to just disappear and so it's important for the civilians to fight for the veterans like we fight for them."
Wednesday night's dinner gave veterans the chance to reconnect and swap war stories like the good old days. With its success, Operation Love Our Vets is sure to seek a repeat next Christmas.
Sometimes a person's last moments can be among their best. As Staff Sgt. Matthew James Whalen was wheeled on a gurney down the halls of the Plaza Fort Worth Medical Center in Texas, family, friends and, according to a blog on KTVU, a full honor guard, were there to commemorate his passing and the good he was doing.
On Saturday, Dec. 19, Whalen was diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage from which he could not possibly recover. Fox 59 reported that on Monday, his family decided to take the 35-year-old Army veteran off life support and donate his organs to two fellow veterans who desperately needed them.
Whalen's friend Sean Hatton posted a video on Facebook that captured his emotional final moments. Hatton wrote that "In his final act on this Earth, it's only fitting that he gave his life and in return saved two others. And it's almost as if it were meant to be that the two donor recipients happened to be veterans."
"There is no SOP or protocol for this type of ceremony, but with the help of Matt's wife Hannah, all of his family, the nursing staff, and an Honor Guard we were able to show our love and appreciation in the best way we could," Hatton continued. "All of you out there scattered throughout our country this close to Christmas can rest assured tonight. Your prayers and kind words these last couple days have carried the Whalen family and the support was truly felt."
Whalen and his wife Hannah both served in multiple deployments as STRIKE soldiers in the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. The father of three will undoubtedly be missed, especially at this usually jovial time of year, but there's no question that Whalen did something incredibly honorable for his fellow veterans.
Children, adults, veterans – no matter age or occupation, getting the gift you asked for at Christmas is enough to fill anyone with joy. Harriet Simmons, a resident of the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, was among the 11 veterans included on the Military Wishes 2015 list from The Grand Rapids Press. Michigan Live reported that Simmons asked for a five-disc CD changer so she could listen to her favorite music for longer without having to move in her wheelchair.
Tiffany Carr, the home's director of community relations, told MLive that 25 people responded to Simmons' wish. But that wasn't all. More than 80 people telephoned Carr in the weeks after the list was published on Thanksgiving Day. Within a short time, every veteran's request was fulfilled.
One of the West Michigan community members, Rick Mead, saw the list and brought it to his daughter Moleigh Hardy's attention. Hardy called Carr and made sure that the five remaining veterans whose wishes had not yet been answered were taken care of.
"I'm humbled and honored because of these veterans," Mead told MLive.
On Monday, Dec. 21, the veterans received their gifts. They were overjoyed to see tablets, laptops and, for one veteran disabled by a stroke, the technology necessary to help him communicate once again. These gifts were meant to help the former servicemembers keep in touch with their friends and families, some of whom live far away.
"I'm very grateful," said James Jennings, an Air Force veteran who received a laptop. "(It will) make it easier to keep in contact."
Elsewhere in the country, a veteran saw a slightly bigger present. According to My Suburban Life, one lucky veteran was gifted a two-bedroom condo that was just recently renovated by the Illinois Housing Development Authority.
Alma Vega, manager of the furniture store which helped to furnish the condo, said that "We wanted to help as much as we could, and it's a feeling you can't explain when you help someone you don't even know."
The holiday season has finally arrived. Many families participate in the tradition of sending out Christmas cards featuring a photo and a warm message, and the British Royal Family is no different. Though the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge choose to send out a photograph of themselves with their young children, Prince Harry opted for a more patriotic theme.
The prince selected a photo of himself in front of a Spitfire plane, clasping hands with a 95-year-old veteran from the United Kingdom who served in World War II.
"Merry Christmas from Prince Harry," Kensington Palace wrote on its Twitter account. "Here's his Christmas card photo showing one of his favorite moments from 2015."
Prince Harry, who served in the British Armed Forces for ten years and retired as a Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps, is no stranger to drawing attention to the troops. He and Tom Neil, the veteran featured in the photo, met during the 75th commemorative flypast of the Battle of Britain, as reported by Us Weekly.
Harry is known as being one of the most veteran-focused royals in his lineage, and his Christmas card further cements his commitment to the servicemembers of his country.
It's the holiday season, and all over Ohio people are getting in on the giving spirit. The Newark Advocate reported that in Granville, kids have been working since Veterans Day on a big care package project that's taken on the weight of an important mission seemingly beyond the young years of the students of Debbie Vitchner's class.
"It was supposed to just a Veterans Day lesson plan, but after seeing how much the kids enjoyed it, we decided to make it into a month long activity," Vitchner told the Advocate. "This definitely could not have happened without the help of the community."
For more than a month, Vitchner's students have reached out to Granville businesses asking for donations to the care packages. They received everything from toilet paper to soap and hair brushes. Many contributors also included a personalized holiday card.
The students turned out an impressive 124 care packages, 100 of which are on their way to veterans living in Franklin County, with the rest reserved for those in Licking County. One of the students, Tanner Riley, was proud of what he and his classmates accomplished.
"It meant a lot to help the veterans out," he told the Advocate. "We did a lot of bags in a really short period of time."
Vitchner's class wasn't the only group of Ohio residents dedicating their time help veterans in their life after service. In Eaton, the local chapter of the Blue Star Mothers of America were busy making care packages all day on Saturday, Dec. 5. According to Pal-Item, every woman in attendance had a child currently serving in the military.
The mothers collected small Christmas gifts, snacks and practical items.
"We have set a goal for ourselves of 200 boxes and 50 homeless veterans bags," chapter president Linda Samuels told Pal-Item. "This is just our small way of showing them how much we appreciate them and all they do."
More than one veteran motor head has found that what they miss most in their life after service are the military-grade vehicles they got to work on and ride in daily. The Veterans Garage in the small village of Posen, Illinois seeks to put them back in touch with the engines they loved so much.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the garage is dedicated to two missions. The first is to complete professional restoration projects on classic military vehicles. The second, far more dear mission is to show veterans the kind of brotherly support and companionship that can often go missing in civilian life.
"The physical place is really the smallest part of it," Joe Werner, co-founder and proud owner of a half-dozen or so military vehicles, told the Tribune. "First and foremost, we like to connect with veterans and let them know that they can look at the vehicles we have. They can come to the garage and see what's going on there. If they want to come to an event that we go to, they can ride with us, or in some cases they can come and actually drive a vehicle."
The Veterans Garage official website describes it as a place to swap stories, contribute to a restoration project, watch a movie or just hang out and enjoy the friendly atmosphere. Veterans are free to come and go, moving between the comfortable sitting area, the displays full of military artifacts and, of course, the fully operational motor pool.
At the moment, the Veterans Garage is still a small, relaxing place for veterans and gear heads alike to meet and shoot the breeze. Werner is happy to have a place veterans can call their own.
"It's what I'm really, really proud of," he said to the Tribune. "By being respectful of what (the veterans') interests are and listening, I'm learning to let this thing become bigger than it is."