Veterans Day: After the parade, many still battle for support

Veterans make up about six percent of the U.S. adult population, according to the Census Bureau. Every Veterans Day, the country celebrates their service.

But beyond the parades and proclamations, though, many veterans say the real struggle begins when they return home—and lasts for years after the uniform comes off.

“Veterans feel like the flavor of the month,” said Steven Alonzo of Tuxedo Park, who served in the U.S. Army from 2004 to 2015.

Across the region, veterans and advocates say the biggest barrier to getting help isn’t always a lack of program; it’s a lack of awareness.

Finding help and finding out it exists

Pike County Veterans Affairs Director of Communications Shannon DeVuyst said her office serves about 4,000 veterans. It hosts regular information sessions and outreach events to educate them about benefits and services. The office even assists out-of-state veterans from nearby New Jersey and New York with federal claims.

“Many just don’t know what’s available,” DeVuyst said.

That’s true far beyond Pike County. The New York State Veterans Home in Montrose, for instance, offers nursing and rehabilitative care to Hudson Valley veterans and their dependents. But recreation therapist Shari Burshtyn Wall said many veterans have never heard of the state-run homes at all.

Sean Enright, a case manager with Catholic Charities of Paterson, N.J., works with veterans across seven New Jersey counties. He manages more than 20 clients himself—some as old as World War II vets, most in their 60s, many living on fixed incomes.

Enright said housing insecurity tops the list of concerns. His program follows a “Housing First” approach, getting veterans into stable housing before tackling other needs.

“Most people don’t know what homelessness looks like,” he said. “It’s not someone hanging out on a corner. It could be anyone. Most people are one paycheck or one bad decision away from being at risk.”

‘Red tape’ and roadblocks

Not every veteran feels the system works for them.

Giovanni Batista of Milford, Pa., said he’s spent three years trying to get approval for the VA’s Special Military Compensation (SMC) Type 2 program, which helps veterans with severe traumatic brain injuries who need full-time care. Batista, who also lives with depression and PTSD, said his wife is his paid caregiver but can’t meet all his medical needs.

Despite medical tests confirming his brain injury acknowledged by the VA, he said his request for higher compensation was denied. “I feel disregarded by the VA,” Batista said.

He also described a bureaucracy that delays needed care, such as in-home massage therapy. He said the insurance approval process took forever.

Late realizations and ingering Injuries

For some veterans, health problems don’t surface until years after service.

Fort Montgomery resident John Baglivi injured his back in the Navy but ignored it until middle age. Now in his 50s, he deals with chronic pain, arthritis, sleep apnea and kidney problems. He said the VA denied him care for the latter, claiming it wasn’t service-related.

Still, Baglivi turned his frustration into action. After learning to navigate the VA system himself, he became a certified Veterans Advocate and co-founded SOS Veterans Assistance, which helps veterans file claims.

He said about 98 percent of first-time claims are denied and that only about 11 percent of the federal money allocated for veterans actually reaches them.

Baglivi said a single disability claim packet runs 37 pages—and even a minor mistake can trigger months of delay.

Finding strength in community

Alonzo, the Tuxedo Park veteran, said his own experience with the VA has been mostly positive but not everyone has the same experience.

“Those who plan ahead can get the care they need,” he said. “But most vets don’t have that luxury.”

He’s most critical of mental health care. He said the VA now outsources therapy to centers without prescribing clinicians, which leads to poor continuity of care and long waits. “It’s hard to stay engaged when help feels so far away,” he said.

For Alonzo, community is the antidote. “Community can be the key difference between mental breakdown and resilience,” he said.

After leaving the service, Alonzo found that connection again by volunteering as a firefighter.

Veterans helping veterans

Some veterans are building the support systems they wish they’d had.

In Greenwood Lake, Manny Tirado serves on the board of the Rumshock Veterans Foundation, which is developing a supportive living community for veterans in Port Jervis. Unlike shelters, Tirado said, it’s designed for veterans who want to live among peers.

According to the foundation’s website (rumshockvf.org), the project will build ten one-bedroom, one-bathroom houses for homeless veterans. Veterans will live in the home at a reduced cost, cutting down on housing instability and financial stressors and allowing the veterans to focus on training programs and skill development.

The first two homes are expected to open by years end.

Former State Sen. Jen. Metzger secured a $400,000 state grant for the project several years ago. And then this year, U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan won a $1 million grant.

More funding is needed, though. Tirado hopes the community steps up. He invited residents to a fundraising brunch Nov. 16 at the Landmark Inn, where local elected officials will wait tables.

Tirado also works with the Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Flag Corp, which is pushing to recognize Sept. 22 as a National Day of Remembrance for veteran suicide.

Many veterans say they don’t feel heard by elected officials, regardless of party.

Tirado, who serves as vice chair of the Warwick Democratic Committee, said he hopes to see more Democratic and progressive veterans run for office. “Republicans tend to be better represented at veterans’ events,” he noted.

Baglivi, who didn’t share his party affiliation, said his organization has seen faster results helping veterans in Western states than in New York. He attributed that to the political climate and weaker support systems on the East Coast.

Still, he credited State Sen. Bill Webber and U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler—both Republicans—for championing veterans’ issues. Lawler recently introduced the Heroes Earned Affordable Lifts Act, which would boost mileage reimbursements and expand transportation support for veterans traveling to VA facilities.

After the parades

Veterans Day reminds the nation to thank those who served—but for many veterans, the real recognition they want is access to care, community and respect year-round.

As Alonzo put it: “Community can keep us grounded. It’s what makes the difference.”