Veterans Affairs office 'Pennsylvania's best-kept secret'

Franklin County Veterans Affairs office 'Pennsylvania's best-kept secret'
Public Opinion
By ANDREA RICH

Bob Harris, Franklin County director of veterans affairs, said one vet told him the county office is "Pennsylvania's best kept secret."

Why is it so hard to reach veterans?

"We try to do a campaign when units return from Reserves or National Guard," Harris explained, but the most recent group returns for Franklin County were in 2004 and 2009.

Since then troops typically separate from their units in Fort Dix, N.J. where representatives from the Disabled American Veterans and Veterans of Foreign Wars give presentations about post-active-duty life and services.

"At that point you are so overwhelmed (with the separation process) and you just want to go home," Harris said. It's a lot for soldiers to take in, he added.

As is the national trend, many young soldiers don't realize what the county office can do for them.

"We advocate - at no cost to you (the soldier)," Harris said. That includes getting veterans connected to the right people for veteran's health care, education benefits, housing allowance and employment.

The latest veteran count in Franklin County was done in Fiscal Year 2010 and at that time Franklin County had 12,984 veterans.

Harris said the county office is even more important to young veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan because they don't connect with groups that typically can get them connected to services through experience.
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