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State VA reopens Lawrence service office

Decatur Daily - 9/2/2020

Sep. 2--MOULTON -- The state commissioner of Veterans Affairs said the reopening of the Lawrence County veterans service office provides the county's roughly 1,800 military veterans a place to go to obtain help applying for federal and state benefits.

"A lot of veterans had to travel great distances to get help applying for these services," Kent Davis told a crowd of about 50 people at the opening of the county office Tuesday. "Many older veterans aren't able to do that. It's important to have a community-based office to help all veterans with assistance and a counseling service as well as a referral service."

He said veterans will not be charged for the services.

Some of those services include assistance in applying for disability and pensions, and providing information regarding state veterans homes.

"We have about 1,200 men and women helping the nearly 400,000 military veterans in Alabama," Davis said. "Almost one in 10 people in Alabama are military veterans."

Davis said in 2011 and 2012 the state VA department was forced to close offices in 17 counties including Lawrence because of budget restraints.

Lawrence County Administrator Heather Dyar said the county is providing about a 200-square-foot office and utilities in the annex building at Alabama 157 in a partnership with the state VA.

Davis said salary, benefits, supplies and travel for Veteran Service Officer Nathan Tidwell will cost his department about $50,000 annually. Tidwell also will operate the Winston County office in Double Springs.

Tidwell said the Lawrence County office will be open by appointment only 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. every Tuesday, but he will accept calls throughout the week. He can be reached at 256-974-0663. He said those hours and days may be expanded in six to eight months depending on the demand from Lawrence veterans.

He said National Guard and military reserve personnel who were deployed for about a year will likely be eligible for some benefits.

"We're not the health-care arm of the VA," Tidwell said. "We don't make appointments. We don't make ID cards. We will help them with applications and make sure they get what they qualify for."

Davis said when he took over as commissioner in February 2019, his goal was to try to get an office back open in all 67 counties. "Today, Lawrence marks No. 57 and we hope to have 60 open by the end of December," he said. Earlier Tuesday, Davis reopened the Winston County office.

At the ceremony Tuesday, Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Haleyville, said it took cooperation from county and state officials to reopen the office.

"There's no office we work closer with than the veterans service office," he said. "We'll help track down records in Washington for them. Many veterans are getting up in age and it's hard for them to drive."

Air Force Veteran Bill Cole, 79, of Moulton, applauded Davis' efforts. "It's outstanding for Lawrence to get its office back," he said. "It'll be nice to stay here."

American Legion Auxiliary Post 25 member Susan Letson said the reopening of the office "has been badly needed for years."

"Our biggest complaint was we were having to drive to the Shoals or Decatur," she said. "Our veterans will feel more comfortable here."

County Commission Chairman Bobby Burch said he remembers when the office closed and was thrilled to have it reopened.

"If we can't honor our veterans, shame on us," he said. "Veterans have made this country great and given us the freedom we have."

-- mike.wetzel@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442. Twitter @DD_Wetzel.

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