Darin LaHood holds quarterly Veteran’s Affairs Committee meeting in Lincoln

 

[August 25, 2018] 

LINCOLN 

On Saturday, August 18th the Logan County Veterans Assistance Commission hosted the quarterly meeting of United States Congressman Darin LaHood’s Veteran Affairs Committee. Local VAC Director Dan Benedict sat at the head table with LaHood and was joined by LaHood’s Veteran Advisors Mike Gilmore and Retired Colonel Dave Leckrone.

Those attending the meeting included representatives from other VAC units across LaHood’s district as well as representatives from other veteran assistance projects.

The first hour, which included a luncheon, was closed to the public. But at noon guests were invited to join the meeting, including local media. From the noon hour on through the conclusion of the meeting, guests shared what they are doing in their respective programs to assist veterans in Illinois, and spoke about the concerns they have for local veterans.

The biggest concerns voiced were a lack of quality, local healthcare, lack of affordable housing, need for education and need for jobs.

Among those in the room were local representatives who asked LaHood to get on board on the federal level to develop a program for veterans suffering with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. A suggestion was given to LaHood that the former Lincoln Developmental Center has buildings and acreage available that could be utilized to create a residential care facility for veterans suffering from PTSD.

The group discussed the fact that there are at least four usable buildings at LDC that could be converted into long and short term care facilities specifically for the treatment of PTSD. It was also mentioned that there are 18 “buildable acres” at LDC where affordable housing could be constructed specifically for veterans.

Chris Collins of Housing Our People Everywhere (HOPE) was present and spoke about a program he is implementing that would be perfect for the LDC’s buildable acres. Collins’ group is building homes from recycled materials. He described the plan for veterans as constructing a 300 square feet home (commonly called a tiny house) that could be placed on the acreage. The houses would be “green” in that they use all recycled materials, and would be very affordable for veterans.

The group expressed likes and dislikes of the Veterans hospital in Danville, with one guest noting that the care can be good, depending on the doctor that a veteran is assigned to, but there is also at least one doctor that is almost impossible to work with. It was noted by the group that paperwork to get medical attention is cumbersome, and that the “exam” requirement for VA medical assistance is unreasonable.

Also waiting times for local doctors that are approved by the VA is too long. Mike Irwin, a veteran from Logan County noted that he is having a health issue that needs attention. He went through the VA to see a specialist, and the closest specialist was in Peoria, and the doctor could not see him until November. He said that is too long to wait, but he is going to have to in order to see a VA approved doctor.

Another guest said that veterans are sometimes sent to local doctors for their preliminary exams, only to find out that the doctor is not qualified to conduct the type of exam needed.

In addition, there is a “means test” that qualifies veterans for VA assistance based on income. One guest said that when veterans don’t fall inside the income guideline, then they are denied assistance. The guest said this was a terrible thing, and that veterans should not be denied medical services because they make an amount the government has decided is too high.

Representatives from higher education were also on hand Saturday including one from SIU Springfield. The college has a veteran commission on site, but the representative said the meetings are not well attended. She said she believed that the reason was that many of the veterans are not full time students. They are working during the day and attending night classes. Therefore they don’t have time to participate in Veteran focused meetings.

It was also mentioned that Heartland Community College is doing a good job attracting veterans at the Normal campus, and currently have 357 veterans enrolled in classes.

Michelle Ramlow, who is the commander at the Cronin Brothers VFW in Lincoln, spoke on another health concern. She told the group that her full time job is with the Alzheimer’s Association. She said that due to traumatic brain injuries and stress, veterans are six times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than other aging adults. She explained this is a little known fact, and she is working to get the word out that Alzheimer’s should be a concern for veterans.

In addition, Ramlow said that many who do suffer from the disease don’t know that there is free help available through the Alzheimer’s Association. She said that she wanted to share that information with those in the room and give everyone a heads up that help is available.

Jim Harnacke is the head of the local Marine Corp League and talked about an injury he sustained while in the service. He was hurt in 1988, but didn’t claim his injury until 2014. He noted that he received good treatment at the VA hospital in Danville. But, he said that last spring he was sent to a Chiropractor by the VA, and when he got there, that doctor didn’t have the ability to examine Harnacke. He said that was an example of what was mentioned earlier, that the doctors who are certified to provide services to veterans are not always qualified.

Harnacke went on to talk about his claim, saying that some had asked why he waited so very long to seek medical assistance. He said it was simple. Most veterans don’t like to ask for help.

He said because they don’t ask and are not asked, many suffer through their issues alone, including PTSD. He noted that statistics show that 18 veterans commit suicide every day, and half of those are Vietnam Veterans. And, he said there is a new generation of veterans who are having issues, those who fought in Dessert Storm.

There were a number of other people who spoke including one veteran who was 94 years old and had participated in an Illinois history project led by a group within LaHood’s district. The group is doing video interviews with veterans, asking them to talk about their military experiences. A spokesman for the group said that often times when veterans return from war they don’t want to talk about their experiences. But with time, they are willing to tell their stories. He said having the stories is important to our history and allowing veterans to share is important to them.

Near to the end of the meeting, the group heard from a veteran who had experienced PTSD and had found help through a service dog. Jeff Sykes explained that he was a special mission’s person. He was on a team that was deployed to “go after” certain people. He was sent on 150 such missions while in the military. Then, his group was hit by a roadside bomb and he was the only survivor. Both his missions and losing his team took its toll on Sykes. Plus he had physical injuries. When he got out of the service, his physical issues were addressed through pain killers. He said that he was over medicated with opioids and various pain killers and living life as a zombie in a state of depression. He had even considered suicide.

Sykes said there were two things that saved his life. He found out about a program in Indiana and enrolled. It was called a “Med-wash” where that he was taken off of all the opioid pain killers and then taught how to manage his pain through the use of medical marijuana. He explained that his pain was real and chronic, but the use of opioids was making it impossible for him to function. Doctors worked with him on how to utilize the medical marijuana so that he could control his pain without being heavily drugged. He said it worked wonders for him. He says that he manages his pain and uses the drug lightly. He says his use dulls the pain without dulling his ability to function as a human being.

The second big turning point for Sykes was his service dog, a comfort dog named Kojak that is a companion and friend. He said it was a two-way street in that the dog cares for him and he cares for the dog, giving him something worthwhile in his life.

Sykes took the opportunity to promote the use of service dogs and also encourage LaHood that medical marijuana should be legal on a national level. He said it bothered him a lot to use the drug when he knew he was breaking the law. He was really happy when the state of Illinois recognized marijuana as an important medication.

As the hour was going long LaHood started wrapping up, calling attention to members of the Gold Star Family program in the room including a Gold Star volunteer who lost his son in a training accident state side.

LaHood said that the meetings he holds quarterly give him valuable insight to what the people in his district are accomplishing to assist veterans and also what the struggles are. He said that he holds the meetings quarterly in Illinois and will be back in three months for a meeting at another location within his district.

LaHood then asked that everyone meet outside the American Legion building for a picture group photo, and that would signify the official close of the meeting.

[Nila Smith]