CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – A county with a sizable population of veterans now has a Veterans Service Office. A ribbon cutting ceremony was held March 26 at its location at the National Guard Armory in the Crest Haven Complex.
The event was attended by county officials, VFW and American Legion commanders and Lower Township Mayor Frank Sippel.
Vincent Solomeno, deputy commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said previously the state had 14 Veterans Service Offices, but it has 21 counties. He said Gov. Murphy Phil and the state Legislature included funding in last year’s budget to open additional Veterans Service Offices.
The offices are staffed by trained and accredited veterans services officers who serve as a point of entry for state and federal veterans’ programs and services, Solomeno said.
“I think what most obviously comes to mind are the financial benefits that someone might receive if they have a service-connected disability,” he said.
Solomeno said in 2023, 19 veterans service officers statewide were able to secure over $129 million in initial federal benefits for about 6,000 veterans or their survivors. He said in the last several months an increase in the amount of initial benefits over last year driven by the expansion of the PACT Act, which expands health care and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances, and expanding from 14 to 19 veterans service offices in the state.
At a Veterans Service Office, veterans can register to be interred in the state’s William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Wrightstown, Solomeno said.
“New Jersey leads the way in offering no-cost PTS (Post Traumatic Stress) counseling for veterans and those they consider family,” he said.
The Veterans Service Office can connect veterans with in person counseling including providing transportation to appointments as well as telehealth counseling on Zoom through a partnership with the University of Pennsylvania, according to Solomeno.
He said the Veterans Service Office can assist in filing for tax benefits including an annual $250 property tax reduction.
On March 5, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs expanded eligibility for health care. In the past, health care was determined by a service-connected disability.
“As of March 5, anyone who served and was exposed to toxins, frankly, if you served in Vietnam, if you served in the Gulf War, if you served anywhere overseas after Sept. 11, you were exposed to toxins,” Solomeno said. “You are now eligible for VA healthcare and that’s huge, that’s a significant expansion, so that folks can go and get care….”
Col. Yvonne Mays, deputy adjutant general of the New Jersey National Guard, said New Jersey was one of the most generous states for veterans and military personnel.
County Surrogate E. Marie Hayes said her brother Stanley returned from the Vietnam War with many issues that were never addressed, including being exposed to Agent Orange.
“He just wouldn’t ask for help, and he died in his early 40s,” she said.
Hayes said the Veterans Service Office will make it easier for veterans “to speak to one of their own and get the help they need.”
She said the Veterans Service Office would save lives.
“We all know that the needs of veterans are great and getting support on their own can be daunting,” County Clerk Rita Rothberg said.
The Veterans Services Office can be reached at (609) 441-3060.
– By JACK FICHTER/Sentinel staff