The Spring Grove Herald tells a great story about how one county veterans service officer made his voice heard.
In Mr. Gross goes to Washington, Craig Moorhead writes:
It all began with a letter. [Rob] Gross' job, in a nutshell, is to be an advocate for veterans. "I had one case that I was working on that was kind of the straw that broke the camel's back," he recalled.
"The incident was, we were trying to get some information (from the Department of Veterans Affairs) and the hoops we had to jump through, the privacy laws, to get that accomplished...
"I sent what I consider a professionally-worded, yet heated, letter to Congressman Tim Walz' office, asking for some assistance on some of the headaches we deal with on a daily basis."
"One thing I can say about my interaction with Walz and his office is that if we ask for assistance veteran-wise, they've really taken care of it," Gross added.
A couple of weeks later, Gross was asked by Walz' office to fly to Washington, D.C., to address a "veteran's roundtable," where around 15 congressman heard concerns from Gross and approximately 30 other veteran service organizations.
Read about Gross's recommendations to the roundtable in the Spring Grove Herald.
The national roundtable followed a discussion Walz hed in Austin, Minnesota in February.The Austin Herald covered the story in Walz, veterans talk economy:
Local veterans weren’t shy about their concerns when they spoke with U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., Thursday afternoon at the Austin VFW.
Many of them agreed they have been put in positions that makes their lives economically challenged.
Perhaps one of the biggest conundrums facing veterans is furthering their careers when they return from service. Walz said Minnesota’s returning veterans have an unemployment rate three times higher than the national average. Several vets spoke about applying for jobs but getting nudged out by applicants who were free of any military ties.
Although the specifics can’t be pinpointed, veterans cited reasons such as disabilities, post traumatic stress and a generally negative attitude toward former military personnel.
Read the rest at the Herald. Kay Fate of the Rochester Post Bulletin reported in Walz hosts roundtable on veterans services:
U.S. Rep. Tim Walz says he hears it all the time: "If you can't get anything else right, do right by our veterans."
Walz heard what would be right for veterans when it comes to employment, education and health care during a roundtable discussion Thursday at VFW Post 1416 in Austin.
"We're fighting two wars, we've experienced the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression, unrest like we've never seen before in the Middle East," Walz said. "The good news is this nation has never turned away from a challenge.
"When you put on that uniform, there's no Republicans, no Democrats, no Independents; there's Americans." . . .
Photo: Walz and veterans, via the Austin Herald.
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