Hundreds of military vets seek help with benefits in Harnett County
Hundreds of people showed up Wednesday in Harnett County for day one of a three-day event designed to give local military veterans a chance to meet face-to-face with Department of Veterans Affairs representatives to discuss the care and benefits process.
Veterans began lining up for the Veterans Experience Action Center, which is taking place at the Dunn Community Center, located at 205 Jackson Road, before the center opened at 8:30 a.m., organizers said.
North Carolina is the only state on the East Coast to host such a forum, which may explain the high turnout.
During the event, which runs through Friday and closes each day at 3 p.m., counselors are available to help the veterans receive help facilitating and expediting existing claims and appeals, filing new appeals and processing claims-related evidence along with information regarding benefits from related VA programs.
Eligible recipients can also receive free dental care, meet with suicide prevention counselors and talk to PTSD experts.
According to federal data, North Carolina is home to nearly 800,000 veterans, and many of them are not receiving the benefits due them or have questions about the assistance. Most of the people who showed up Wednesday came from North Carolina, although several veterans said they traveled from Florida, Indianapolis, Baltimore and other places along the East Coast to receive help
Dennis Marion, who lives in Garner and was in line about two hours before the center opened Wednesday morning, said he still suffers from foot and ankle injuries he received while serving in the U.S. Marines during the 1970s. He said he was not surprised by the high turnout.
"I don't think people really understand the volume of veterans in this area and all over the United States that the VA has a big responsibility to," he said.
Last year, a similar event in Cary also drew hundreds of veterans in need of help.
Organizers said they expect to see several thousand people seeking assistance before this year's event ends.
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For those considering applying for VA benefits, there are several ways to contact the agency: At their Public Contact Office, 251 N. Main Street in Winston-Salem, N.C., or by phone at 800-827-1000.
