Supporting Ohio Veterans
Jackson County Daily – Joe Halicker, a WWII Veteran from Northwest Ohio, recently participated in an Honor Flight visit to the WWII Memorial in the nation’s capitol. After liberating Lorient, France from Nazi occupation, Mr. Halicker returned home to a grateful nation with the resources needed to provide for his three children.
Today, young veterans often return to their communities and struggle to access the benefits they’ve earned. Whether it’s mental health services, assistance with obtaining disability benefits, vocational rehabilitation, or employment support, too many veterans encounter excessive delays in getting a response from the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA).
After hearing of wait times in excess of more than an hour, I tasked my staff with calling the Veterans Support Hotline at 1-800-827-1000. The wait times my staff experienced ranged from a minimum of 28 minutes to nearly an hour. Ohio veterans should not be put on hold when calling the Veterans’ service hotline. These men and women put their lives on hold to protect our country; and they should have been stuck on hold when they try to access the resources they need to meet their needs. That’s why I recently sent a letter to VA Secretary Eric Shinseki to make sure veterans can get the help they need – when they need it.
