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La Feria Legionnaires Host VA Crisis Command Center
- Updated: October 10, 2014
“First of Many to Come” Says Commander Lucas
La Feria’s American Legion Post 439 welcomed top-ranking Veteran’s Administration officials to their facilities for a three-day Crisis Center Seminar September 15-17, 2014. Trained workers patiently helped Valley veterans make VA appointments, provided grief counseling, gave guidance in applying for benefits claims and assisted appreciative veterans with their not-so-easy, proper enrollment in Veterans’ Administration health care programs.
Mobile Veterans’ Counseling Unit during VA Sponsored Seminar – (l-r) Riley Beck, McAllen Team Leader and Counselor; Hilda Szabo, Family Therapist; Pedro Villarrreal, Social Worker.
Post Commander, Harlan Lucas, had announced an American Legion Town Hall meeting September 15th at 7:00 p.m. in order for local veterans and family members to let their voices be heard. Harlan Lucas is the elected Commander for the 15th Legion District. He related that what was expressed at the meeting helped the volunteer workers and visiting Veterans’ Administration officials target the needs of area veterans during the Veterans’ Crisis Command Center event the following two-days.
Heading the list of dignitaries was Zack Hearn from the VA National Headquarters. He is the Deputy Chief of Claims for the U.S. Veterans’ Administration based in Washington, D.C. His presence and participation in the event, it was brought out, shows the degree of the government’s concern to resolve the problems and delays veterans are experiencing all over the country. He was joined by a line-up of other VA Washington-based personnel, American Legion officials from their Indianapolis, Indiana headquarters, and Legionnaires from Texas state headquarters, including Butch Sparks, National Alternative Executive Committee Man (Past State Commander) from South Houston Post 490. His number in Houston is 281-481-1179.
VA Veterans Crisis Seminar officials – (l-r) C.W. “Butch” Sparks, Alternate National Executive Committee Man; Lynn Sparks, State Legion Commander; Harlan Lucas, Post 439 Commander.
This government spokesman said, “Upon the discovery of the systemic failures within the VA health care system, The American Legion called for immediate change within VA leadership. Leading the reformation, former National Commander Dan Dellinger called for the resignations of former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, former Under Secretary for Health Robert Petzel and Under Secretary for Benefits Allison Hickey.”
He continued: “Recognizing that it is simply not enough to bring attention to failures within the VA, but to work towards improving access to VA benefits, The American Legion established Veterans Crisis Command Centers (VCCCs) throughout the nation–like this one you are seeing now in La Feria. “
“These events are designed to bring VA personnel in contact with veterans that have been seeking for years to receive the benefits they earned through their honorable military service,” he added. “Some have been patiently waiting for help with their service-related physical and emotional problems.” A team of counselors was seen working with ex-soldiers and sailors still experiencing emotional and stress-related problems.
Crisis Center Executive Committee – Fred Rogers, Vice Commander of Texas Department of the American Legion; (standing); Lynn Sparks, State Legion Commander; Bill West, Adjutant of the Texas Department of the American Legion (seated, right).
“VCCCs allow for veterans to meet with American Legion accredited representatives and personnel from VA to address any concerns they may have pertaining to VA benefits,” Hearn said, adding, ”these programs already have resulted in the granting of over $500,000 nationwide in retroactive benefits, enrolling veterans in VA health care, and assisting veterans facing homelessness.
Legion Post Commander Harlan Lucas said more of these Veterans Crisis Command Center will be held in the future at the La Feria American Legion Post 439 located at 219 E. Commercial Avenue. For more information, call (797) 3701.
