By Samantha Daggett, Beca Delvaux, and Josh Buntin
Veterans Day is a day of remembrance and appreciation of those who have served in the United States Military. It is observed every year on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the armistice, which ended World War I in 1918. Veterans Day is commemorated with events around the country and discounts and specials made available for veterans. But Veterans Day is not the end of recognition for veterans, and there are many services available to veterans once they leave the service.
There are a multitude of resources available to veterans in Green Bay and the surrounding Brown County area. One resource is the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in Green Bay, Wisconsin. There is a resource on the Brown County website called “Brown County Veterans – Core VA Benefits List “The Golden Ticket.” This page shows all the benefits available to Veterans, such as free counseling, national park passes, income-based grants, health insurance, and education. This list goes on.
One resource that may be overlooked is burial benefits. According to the “Golden Ticket,” eligible veterans can receive a free bronze marker, flag, Presidential Memorial Certificate, and military rites. Along with that, service-connected veterans, those receiving VA Pension, or death in a VA facility grants veterans access to a military veteran plot.
There is a department in the VA called “Health Eligibility Center,” which is an extensive process for veterans to go through to see if they are eligible for benefits and which ones they are eligible for. Ken Corry, a Training Specialist at the Green Bay VA and UWGB alumni, shared the services available in Brown County. According to Corry, four out of every 10 veterans will be eligible for benefits. He explains some of the reasons why.
Individuals who served in the National Guard or just the Reserves without going into active duty may not be eligible for benefits. Corry said, “I don’t like that because the recruiters are put under pressure [to get people,] and they do not tell them the complete truth about how the benefits work.” Another reason people don’t get benefits is if they were dishonorably discharged. According to the government, those individuals are not considered veterans.
Some veterans have frustrations with trying to receive benefits. Corry explains that people are frustrated because they do not know what steps to take to get their benefits or the VA does not have the speciality resources at their specific location. The VA has a Community Care Act, which states veterans can receive a referral to seek care in the community if they are not seen at the VA within 30 days or if the VA does not have a specific service that the veteran needs.
Corry said, “We can’t pay our providers enough to help serve our veterans because they can’t make more than the President of the United States. That means specialty providers seek employment with organizations that can pay them more. We can’t pay to have [experienced] mental health providers, so we pay residents at the local universities who are training to become counselors to counsel our veterans who may have severe PTSD.”
Another reason veterans can become frustrated with not being eligible for certain benefits is due to not being a service-connected veteran. To be eligible for being service-connected, the veteran must have a long-lasting injury or disease that occurred while on active duty. This can be both physical and mental. Corry is a service-connected veteran.
A number of veterans go on to pursue education after they are discharged from service, and they receive special benefits for their service. In Wisconsin, the Wisconsin GI Bill entitles veterans to receive a tuition reimbursement for up to 128 credits or eight semesters, whichever comes first. Both eligible veterans and their dependents could receive this benefit. At the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB), about 500 military veterans and their dependents receive education benefits. Around 300 of them are veterans or are currently serving while attending classes as UWGB students, according to the page for UWGB’s Veterans Services. UWGB has received the UW VETS Certification from the University of Wisconsin System, which recognizes schools for their commitment to helping student veterans succeed. UWGB also has a campus community called Vets 4 Vets, which offers support to student veterans and connects them with other veterans. As part of their mission statement, they say, “Through our organization, we strive to ensure your return to a better society by service to our region while building camaraderie.”
On November 10, the day Veterans Day was observed nationally, UWGB honored veterans at its 18th Annual Chancellor’s Veterans Reception. The event, held at the STEM Innovation Center, recognized current students who are on active duty, on reserves, veterans, or the spouse or child of a veteran. UWGB Chancellor Michael Alexander and UWGB Veteran’s Services Coordinator Nicole Stockman spoke at the event. On November 11, the Neville Public Museum in Green Bay held a Veterans Day ceremony, put on by the United Patriotic Society of Green Bay, featuring musical performances by students from Green Bay East High School in honor of each branch of the military. On November 12, a Salute to Service event was held at Stadium View in Ashwaubenon during a Packer game, which highlighted a number of the resources available to veterans. On November 14, another event showcasing veterans’ services in Brown County was held at the Brown County Library’s Central Branch in downtown Green Bay. The County Veterans Service Office provided information to veterans on how to access their benefits, not just for them but for their dependents as well. Joe Aulik, the Director of Brown County Veterans Services, spoke about how benefits have been improved and expanded over time, citing the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022, which was signed into law in August 2022 by President Joe Biden, as an example of benefits being expanded. This expansion meant veterans of recent conflicts, such as the war in Afghanistan, were given better benefits. The act also recognized those who experienced complications due to exposure to Agent Orange, a deadly chemical weapon used during the Vietnam War in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as those exposed to burn pits and other chemical weapons.
Aulik himself served in the Air Force in the early 1990s and became involved with veteran’s affairs services in June 1999, working in Kewanee, Winnebago, and Brown counties. During his time between three counties, he saw benefits increase for millions of veterans. His office processes 5.7 claims per day and helps connect veterans with the resources they deserve, as many veterans are unaware of the full extent of the benefits they receive. “These aren’t handouts. They served our country. They’re entitled to these benefits, which can greatly improve the quality of their lives even if they get VA healthcare and a new set of glasses or hearing aids. They may get small stuff on a rewards program. You got your discounts. The small stuff even counts, right?” Aulik said of the importance of benefits. He said benefits can sometimes be difficult to fully take advantage of, which is why organizations like Brown County Veterans Services exist to help veterans receive the entitlements they deserve.
Hunter Hamilton, who is a younger disabled Marine veteran, talked about how he observes Veterans Day. Hamilton said, “One of the things that I do every year is I pour a drink for my brothers who aren’t here anymore. I have a flag with all my brothers’ signatures on it.”
Providing services for veterans is important because, according to Corry, “Serving my country has given me the perspective of not taking anything for granted and fighting for our freedom so that we can all live free and not have to worry about carrying a gun, getting shot at, blown up, or not having electricity, or [drinkable] water. This country is so free, and I feel like most Americans take it for granted because they don’t realize how good they have it [compared to other war-torn countries]. It made me realize that freedom isn’t free. I earned those rights so that you (U.S. citizens) can all be free.”
Another reason why providing services to veterans is important is so that veterans can have a fulfilling life after war, with their health and well-being taken care of, so they can continue to serve as valuable members of their communities. Not all veterans are treated equally. After the Vietnam War, combat veterans and non-combat veterans did not have the same benefits. “[I would really like to see] [f]air and equal treatment care, as well as benefits for pre-9/11 veterans,” said Thom, who was an army sergeant.
Veteran’s services are always being expanded to cover larger demographics of veterans, including those who have served in recent conflicts and those in the reserves or who didn’t see combat. Aulik praised the passage of the PACT Act as an example of benefits being expanded and the recognition of exposure to Agent Orange and other chemicals as a further step in the right direction. “And really, that compensation or the pension changes your life forever. And especially if you get that 100% that changes the spouse’s life and the children’s life rate changes their trajectory, totally improve the quality of life for all veterans, young veterans, and suicidal veterans. I’ve had veterans literally come up to me and say, ‘You’ve saved my life.’” Corry would like to see the “services we fought for continue to be there for future veterans and that our country will realize when they are putting us in danger/toxic areas and compensate us for using us to defend our country.”
Resources
Brown County Veterans’ Services.
