LOCAL NEWS

Veteran Services now in one location


Area military veterans and their families now have a convenient place to access programs and services design to assist them with varied options. The Disabled American Veterans, American Legion and Oklahoma Department of Veteran Affairs and Veterans of Foreign Wars are all located at one location.
 The Grady County Veterans Center, 101 North 6th Street in Chickasha, is open Mondays thru Fridays, from 9:00am to 3:00pm with service officers from four Veteran Organizations available to help veterans and their families.
 Each office has a slightly different mission in helping current and former members of the United States Armed Forces.
 The DAV’s purpose is empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. The organization works to insure that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them.
 The DAV mission is carried forward by: Providing free, professional assistance to veterans and their families in obtaining benefits and services earned through military service and provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other agencies of government;
 Providing outreach concerning its program services to the American people generally, and to disabled veterans and their families specifically; representing the interests of disabled veterans, their families, their widowed spouses and their orphans before Congress, the White House and the Judicial Branch, as well as state and local government; providing a structure through which disabled veterans can express their compassion for their fellow veterans through a variety of volunteer programs.
 The offices of the Veteran’s Affairs, provides free, professional assistance to veterans and their families in obtaining benefits and services earned through military service and provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other agencies of government. They also have a food pantry, free clothing and other items for veterans in need.
 The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) provides information on VA benefits through private counseling sessions with a VFW Service Officer. The officers are trained to observe signs of emotional suffering so they can better direct veterans to programs and services. They help cover rent, utilities or groceries for a military family struggling with the hardships of war service.
 They also offer a wide range of assistance programs aimed at helping veterans of every generation by providing free, professional help filing or appealing a VA claim, offering scholarships for post-secondary education or providing emergency financial relief.
 The American Legion (AL) goal is to enhance the well-being of America’s veterans, their families, our military, and communities by their devotion to mutual helpfulness. Their vision statement is “The American Legion: Veterans Strengthening America.”
 The American Legion embraces all current and former members of the military and endeavors to help them transition into their communities. They celebrates all who contribute to something larger than themselves and inspire others to serve and strengthen America.
  The American Legion advocates for upholding and defending the United States Constitution, equal justice and opportunity for everyone and discrimination against no one, youth education, responsible citizenship and honoring military service by observing and participating in memorial events. The American Legion meets the unique needs of local communities. They educate, mentor and lead new generations of Americans.
  The American Legion pays perpetual respect for all past military sacrifices to ensure they are never forgotten by new generations. The American Legion’s motto is “Veterans Strengthening America.”
 Each of the three organization above operate on the generosity of donors who both personally and financially support these services.
 The Oklahoma Department of Veteran Affairs is a department of the state of Oklahoma under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Veterans Affairs. This state-level office is charged with providing medical and rehabilitative services for veterans and their families.