The Socorro Disabled Veterans of America Chapter will have more services available soon.

Veterans will soon be able to come to Socorro for assistance with filling out paperwork to apply for Veteran’s benefits.

Certified officers are trained to help veterans fill out their VA paperwork for VA claims and other services, including transportation. Filling out the paperwork can be a difficult process.

“We’re trying to be a lighthouse for those veterans trying to get those services, trying to get any of their rights and benefits through the VA,” said Chapter Commander Daun Medaris.

There were only a handful of certified service officers to help veterans with filling out claim forms and follow-up forms in the state of New Mexico, and none in the southern portion, said Medaris. Now there will be three right in Socorro available to help. They will meet with people by appointment on the second Tuesdays of the month by appointment, beginning Tuesday, May 10.

“We’ve already had people come as far away as Ruidoso trying to find a service officer who can help them file claims,” he said.

The service officers are volunteers. Two of those volunteers are John Chavez and his wife Diane.

“There’s quite a few women veterans that feel intimidated by going to a male person to file a claim and we understand that, so we’re fortunate that Diane, she’s been working along with me for all these years also. She’s certified level 1 and 2,” said Chavez.

Chavez said being a combat-wounded Vietnam veteran makes it easier to connect with other Vietnam veterans, who can be difficult to contact.

“Now we have the younger veterans coming out because all of us Vietnam veterans are in our 70s and above. Now the younger people are coming up, the 9/11 on and they have lots and lots of problems and working with their PTSD, some of these veterans have had three and four tours. Vietnam, we had one tour, maybe two tours. There were some volunteers that volunteered more. These younger veterans were employed two or three times. Their PTSD is significant I’ll tell you that.”

The service officers are already available to start taking appointments. They can be reached at the DAV chapter office, which is open 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., or by cell phone at 505-220-9883 or 505-859-2809.

While veterans from anywhere in the state are welcome to make an appointment, in the future, they also hope to do outreach to Alamo and Magdalena and go help veterans in those areas who can’t make the trip to Socorro.

 

Cathy Cook | El Defensor Chieftain Editor