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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 Man makes mission of helping veterans By Linda Bryant Smith Herald Columnist In mid-20th century, a red, white and blue poster starring Uncle Sam was a familiar sight. "I want you," was emblazoned across the top, and Sam's finger pointed straight at the viewer. Hundreds of thousands of American men and women responded to his message, enlisting in the armed forces of this country to serve in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, peacetime and all the years that followed. A few days ago, I had an interesting discussion with a man who answered Uncle Sam's call. John E. Lee, a Vietnam War veteran and retired command sergeant major of the U.S. Army, heads the Washington state Department of Veteran Affairs. He is passionate about his work and his commitment to the men and women who have served this country in peacetime and in war. This is the message he asked me to pass along to those of you who served, as he did: "Contact us. We are here to help you in so many different ways. We can answer your questions about benefits. We can help you access services." "I tell everyone who'll listen that we have the best VA system in the world," he said. "No country treats its veterans with an array of benefits better than this country, but it's complicated. I'm trying to get them to call us and we'll talk about what their needs are and help them work through the process." For many, many years I've been arguing with my friend, Anna, about veterans' benefits. She served two years in the Army right out of high school in the late 1950s. It was after the Korean War and before Vietnam. She has always insisted she had no VA benefits because she served in peacetime. That's a common misconception, Lee said. "Veterans who guarded our freedoms in peacetime have a full range of benefits they're entitled to just as those who served in times of war. "Don't judge for yourself. Call us. That's the very reason we exist and the state invests in funding these programs ... to make sure that their service is honored," he said. Widows of men who retired from the military also have benefits and services of which they may be unaware. A phone call will start the process to answers, Lee said. "I'm on a mission to sort of change the way we provide outreach to people. I have a toll-free number (800-562-2308), we have contact people in Snohomish County," Lee said. If vets call in, he promised they will be linked to a real voice, a real person, ready to help them. If they're shut-in, Lee says he's prepared to send someone to their home. "They might need VA health care or a better pension. Let us talk to them. Let us figure out how we can help." It is important to understand that a division of turf exists between the federal Department of Veterans Affairs and Washington state's Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA dispenses money directly to veterans in the form of pensions and disability pensions. It also provides free health care services through hospitals and clinics. Finally, it supports and maintains national veterans cemeteries such as the one in Maple Valley. Most of the 250 VA employees in Seattle focus their efforts on making decisions on veterans' claims for financial benefits. Recently, the VA opened a "vet center" in Everett. The center will be at Holiday Inn until a larger facility is found. The WDVA's focus is to be an advocate in this process for veterans and their families and to ensure they receive all the benefits that are available to them, Lee said. In addition, the WDVA provides counseling services, including a special program for veterans and their families who are coping with post-traumatic stress. There are more benefits and services, as well. "On any one day, we may see 1,500 vets and family members around the state," Lee said. The VA funds five medical centers in Washington: Spokane, Walla Walla, Vancouver, Seattle and Tacoma. Yet, despite the thousands of men and women these facilities serve, it still only amounts to about 10 percent of the 672,000 veterans in this state. That is why, Lee said, it is critical that all veterans register with the WDVA. "If we really want to make sure the dollars flow into this state, we need to get everyone enrolled," he said. He is especially concerned about men and women who served in Vietnam and have developed cancer or diabetes. Health benefits are available for these folks, now that the lengthy debate on effects of Agent Orange has ended. Several forms of cancer as well as diabetes have now been linked to exposure to those herbicides, Lee says. His agency has mounted a vigorous campaign to reach Vietnam veterans who may have these conditions. "We've been working on this for two months and already identified 60 Vietnam veterans who did not know about their benefits," he said. "I'm going to be even more aggressive about making sure those who served this country receive the services we have for them." He even offered to call my friend Anna as soon as we finished. I told him that a call from an Army officer, even the retired kind, might be too much of a shock for a 70-year-old woman critically ill with cancer ... but I'd be sure to pass along the message and his number. If you are among the thousands of vets in our state who haven't checked in with the WDVA, especially if you served in Vietnam, I hope you'll take John Lee at his word and make that call. You served this country with honor. You deserve honorable treatment in return. Linda Bryant Smith writes about life as a senior citizen and the issues that concern, annoy and often irritate the heck out of her now that she lives in a world where nothing is ever truly fixed but her income. You can e-mail her at ljbryantsmith@yahoo.com.

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