Vets told if they don't ask, they won't receive
County holding forums to familiarize veterans with benefits they're entitled to
BY CHRIS GAETANO
Staff Writer

SOUTH BRUNSWICK - The township hosted representatives from four different organizations to better acquaint local veterans with the benefits available to them.

On May 3 at the senior center, county officials brought together Gary Engler and Joseph Battito of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Mack Harper of Veterans Administration Health Care Systems, William Siebel, a veterans representative from the Middlesex County One-Stop Career Center, and Joseph Brandspiegel, CEO of the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home. The event was preceded by short speeches by Freeholder Camille Fernicola and Mayor Frank Gambatese, a veteran who served in the Korean War.

During his presentation, Engler asked by a show of hands who did not have a VA card. Three people raised their hands. Engler then asked them, "Why not?"

"We owe you. ... You've earned them," said Engler.

According to Engler, the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs manages the various state veterans programs in cooperation with the federal VA, operates three veterans nursing homes, oversees veterans' graveyards, and maintains a network of 17 veterans service offices throughout the state. He said that the department is there to point veterans in the right direction for what they might need.

One man in the audience asked why there were only three veterans nursing homes when waiting times to get into them are intolerably long. Engler said that it was a matter of funding and encouraged those in the audience to write their legislators.

Another man, Stanley Sierakowski, wanted to know why only $300,000 has been budgeted for transportation for veterans throughout the state, which makes the service many rely upon unreliable.

"We can only spend the money we are allocated and provide the services we are allowed to by law," Engler responded.

Battito spoke next, encouraging the audience to apply for the benefits they feel they need. He took time to stress that due to the way many benefit programs work, not everyone is guaranteed to be approved for one, but also pointed out that if one doesn't even try, that chance goes automatically to zero.

"You work with what you have and you do the best you can," Battito said. "Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't."

Harper spoke next and said that "there's good news and bad news." The good news was that the VA has the capacity to attend to more people's health care. The bad news is that they must be enrolled to do so. Harper said that in order to avoid being overwhelmed, the VA has had to administer a means test to those seeking help, mostly based on income.

"We cannot give a veteran a three-, four-, five-month appointment. That is unacceptable," said Harper.

He said that if someone makes enough money, it is assumed by the government that they are able to pay for health care already. The exceptions to this rule are those who were wounded in battle, those who have a service-connected disability, and former prisoners of war. Everyone else is subjected to a means test.

Siebel spoke next, mostly talking about what the One-Stop Career Center can do for veterans. He said that they publish a variety of information on how to find a job, and also direct people to treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. The organization also sets up veterans with jobs.

"We want to make sure you're all employed," said Siebel.

Finally, Brandspiegel spoke about the New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home, "a resource I hope you will never need." He said the home offers services for medical care, available for both veterans and the spouses and children of veterans, that includes room, board, medication and supplies. The cost is supplemented by Medicare and private insurance. He also said that there is a means test for the program but that it did not determine admission, only how much one pays.

Most of those in attendance were World War II veterans. Al Kady, the commander of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post, had a positive reaction to the presentation.

"I think it's very helpful to the veterans; it gives them information they may have neglected before, like VA, the entitlements they can give ... and [that] they can put in for entitlements. In other words, anything that's due to the veterans they'll find here," said Kady.

The forum is the fourth regularly scheduled one since the county Veterans Advisory Commission started the program two years ago. It is part of an overall effort to let veterans know what benefits they are entitled to. According to Danielle Peloquin, who is on the commission, they have also been trying to reach younger veterans who are coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan. Future meetings are in the planning stages, with the next possibly to be held in Woodbridge this fall.