Veterans’ needs in spotlight

Veterans’ needs in spotlight
U.S. Army Col. David W. Sutherland of the Pentagon was in Duluth to help veterans agencies unite to improve services
By: Jana Hollingsworth, Duluth News Tribune

Chuck Smith has walked through the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Minneapolis and seen what improvised explosive devices have done to men and women who served in Afghanistan and Iraq.

He’s upset with how long it can take for benefits to reach some of the people who have lost limbs or experienced other life-changing injuries while at war.

“When someone’s legs are blown off and they can’t return to work and they’ve answered the call to defend their country, there should be a way to fast-track (help),” Smith said. “No one should have to wait six months to a year and a half.”

Smith is head of the veterans service office for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, who was a “grunt” in the Vietnam War. He was one of several area veterans who met Friday for a picnic at the Duluth Veterans Place in West Duluth with U.S. Army Col. David W. Sutherland.
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Veterans’ needs in spotlight