South Dakota Veterans Commission Meeting
The upcoming South Dakota Veterans Commission meeting will be held at the Sioux Falls VA Medical Center Aditorium on the 4th floor. The meeting is tentatively scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, 16 June 2009 and run until approximatley noon on Wednesday, 17 June 2009. All are welcome.
A final home for old soldiers
HOT SPRINGS - A fascinating paradox of life at the Michael J. Fitzmaurice Veterans Home plays out in a room where preparing for death gives people a reason to live.
For Korean War veteran Dean Foucault, that means standing in the morning sunlight that streams through a nearby window and crafting caskets that will carry fellow residents to their graves someday.
In a third-floor room of a building that is 118 years old, he patiently saws through plywood, secures joints with screws and glue, and later sands, paints and coats the exterior of each funeral vessel.
"It passes the time, and I'm relaxed," Foucault, 74, says. "I just go up there, turn on some soft music and work. And I feel good about it. I feel like I'm helping other veterans ... like they're getting a little dignity. At least they're not put in a body bag and left that way."
It's an attitude that exemplifies the essence of this place that has served veterans from the Civil War through Vietnam. Contrary to Gen. Douglas MacArthur's famous exit line, the old soldiers who find their way here ultimately do die. But until then, they are not allowed to simply fade away.
"Our veterans come here to live," says Pam Smith, a social worker at the home. "The key word, obviously, is 'live.' "
The question for several South Dakota advocacy groups is whether a state-run veterans home such as this might be better placed east of the Missouri River. They point out that the majority of the 74,000 veterans reside on that half of the state, and the federal Veterans Affairs hospitals are getting out of long-term care.
Maj. Gen. Steven Doohen, secretary of the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, is putting together a committee to study the issue this summer and come up with recommendations.
While officials in Hot Springs don't downplay that discussion, they also note that they have room for more veterans within their building's sandstone walls. With an average daily count of about 119, it could accommodate another 16 to 20, veterans home Superintendent Larry Wilcox said.
"I know there are people in South Dakota living in small towns, or even in Minnehaha County, who are waiting for Meals on Wheels to deliver food that they will divide into two meals so they can eat twice that day," Wilcox said. "They have no money and no car, and they are veterans. What I would tell them is, 'You don't have to live that way.' "
Most residents 'basically destitute'
The reality is, 85 percent of the people who come to the veterans home are "basically destitute," said Randall Meyers, director of operations. They've been living on meager Social Security disability checks or, in the worst case, living on the streets.
Or maybe they came home from a war and lived with Mom and Dad until the parents passed away, Smith, the social worker, said. With no one left to cook for them or wash their clothes or make sure that they take their pills, life alone becomes overwhelming.
"Seventy percent of them have no real family," Wilcox said. "They have no family living, or they're estranged from family because they have problems with post-traumatic stress or alcoholism."
Since veterans need to be referred to the home by veterans service officers where they live, the key then is persuading each of the 66 county officers and their various tribal counterparts to identify those veterans and begin the paperwork necessary to send them Hot Springs' way, Wilcox said.
"Thirty-three of the counties do send us veterans," he said. "And 33 don't. I can't tell you why, but it's frustrating."
And it shouldn't be, Meyers said, especially when people travel to southwest South Dakota and experience life at the home for themselves.
When officials with the veterans organization called the Grand Army of the Republic approached Dakota Territory legislators in 1886 about building a home for Civil War veterans, they were convinced that the climate and nearby warm waters made Hot Springs the best site in the territory.
The cornerstone of the original building, carved out of buff sandstone, was laid Nov. 11, 1889. A year later, South Dakota opened the doors to its first residents - 10 Civil War veterans.
'It's like a fraternity ... here'
In the decades that followed, the hallways have echoed with the chatter of men who saw battle at Shiloh and Vicksburg, at San Juan Hill, the Chosin Reservoir and the jungles around Da Nang.
The commonality of those experiences makes the veterans home essential, Meyers, the director of operations, said.
"It's like a fraternity or a sorority here," he said. "At a nursing home or an assisted-living center, they're just another face in the crowd. You can't really empathize with a combat veteran until you've lived what they lived."
On the other hand, the veterans home is nothing near what Nebraska native Tom Chryst imagined when he arrived a year ago after eight months in alcohol treatment at the VA Health Care System across town.
A Vietnam veteran who served at Chu Lai, Chryst figured he was going to a hospital-like setting where men couldn't get out of bed or were in wheelchairs because of war trauma.
What he found were guys going fishing, playing poker, shooting pool and swinging golf clubs. Some were heading off to nearby Angostura Reservoir to spend an afternoon on a pontoon boat. Others were talking about trapshooting or maybe putting together a little archery competition.
"I was surprised," Chryst, 58, said. "I figured it was an old soldiers home. But it's really more like a community. And the people are really nice."
Foucault and his wife, Bernie, moved to the veterans home 21/4 years ago. In the summer, they spend weeks at a time in a motorhome they keep near Rapid City. Even then, the couple doesn't like to stray too far from the daily rhythms that define their lives at the veterans home.
On a typical day, Dean Foucault will apply a paintbrush to a casket while his wife eyeballs the inventory in the Mini Mart she manages. Another vet, Keith Burden, sorts mail in the post office, while Dorothy Stroh, a widow, mends residents' clothing.
In the auditorium, a Catholic Mass is being said, while widow Margie Singsaas sits at her easel in the craft room and paints.
Meanwhile, out back in the Paul Redfield Greenhouse, 51-year-old Roger Almendinger is watering his California poppies and his scarlet marigolds. One of 25 resident workers at the home, Almendinger is in charge of keeping up the garden in front of Building One. He came to Hot Springs two years ago from Madison after an accident at his job injured his legs.
"I've got diabetes, and that caused some complications," Almendinger said. "I thought I was going to die when I got here. I figured they would take my legs, and I would go downhill from there. As you can see, I was wrong."
Costs much less than other care centers
That he didn't fail is testimony to the care provided by the 84-member staff at the home, including physician, nursing, physical therapy, pharmacy and dietitian services.
There is a special care unit where 15 residents with brain issues - dementia, Alzheimer's - live in a secured environment. Another 33 residents receive help with diabetes, pulmonary disease, heart problems and other medical issues in a nursing care unit.
And for the 74 men, women, widows and couples who reside in independent living units, there are nurses and aides who remind them when to take pills or help them if they need a whirlpool bath.
"We have some who have no needs whatsoever," Wilcox said. "They just don't have a place to live. And they come here."
It is cheaper than many other nursing or assisted-care options, Meyers said. Where skilled nursing homes can run $6,000 to $8,000 a month, the Fitzmaurice Veterans Home falls more into the $3,500 to $4,500 bracket, he said.
As a nonprofit, its overhead is less, Meyers explained. About one-third of its annual $7.4 million budget comes from the state. Another third is from the federal government through VA payments. And the final third comes from the residents through Social Security, pensions or other income.
"If they have a service-connected disability, and they receive a pension of, say, $800 a month, we take $400," Wilcox said. "If they make $3,000 a month, and our cost of care is $1,250, that's all we take.
"For that they get their rooms, their food, their medical care. It's a fantastic deal."
They even can get a casket, patiently crafted by Dean Foucault's own hands in the third-floor room of a building whose walls once reverberated with tales of Gettysburg and Antietam.
At the Fitzmaurice Veterans Home, there should never be a shortage of those stories, Superintendent Wilcox said.
"This place should have a waiting list," he said. "Once people come and see it for themselves, they usually stay. All we have to do is get the word out."
Military License Plate Restrictions in Effect July 1
(PIERRE, SD) - South Dakota's military veteran license plates will all get uniform treatment under a new law that goes into effect July 1, 2008.
At that time, vehicle owners entitled to the state's Disabled Veteran plate, Prisoner of War plate, Pearl Harbor Survivor plate or Purple Heart plate who register vehicles will be restricted to receiving only two sets of distinctive plates for $10 each. At time of registration, the plates can only be attached to cars, pickups and vans registered under the non-commercial fee schedule, or motorcycles. Division of Motor Vehicles Director Debra Hillmer says there are some exceptions to that rule but they'll cost you.
"Some veterans put these special military veteran plates on motor homes or larger non-commercial trucks that are registered under the declared gross weight fee schedule," Hillmer said. "If they choose to use either one of the sets of plates or both of their sets of plates for that purpose, they'll be expected to pay the registration fee(s) instead of the $10 military special plate fee(s)."
According to Hillmer, owners currently have the military veteran license plates in addition to either county plates or organizational plates. Because South Dakota is moving to a license plate with owner system on July 1, 2008, when the new law takes effect, military veteran plates will become the owner's primary plates. During implementation, military veteran plate owners will retain both sets of plates until the vehicle is up for renewal. At that time, the county or organizational license plates must be removed and destroyed as they will no longer be valid after renewal of the vehicle.
People having questions on the military veteran license plates can contact their local county treasurer or the Division of Motor Vehicles at 605.773.3541.
Black Hills Veterans' Career Fair
Thursday, June 26, 2008
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The Retired Enlisted Association Club Home (TREA)
1981 E. Centre St. (at E. Hwy 44) - Rapid City
Attendees:
- Visit with local and regional businesses and service agencies.
- Learn about available job opportunities.
- Bring your resume and references.
- Participate in the career fair at no charge.
For more information, contact:
Rapid City Career Center Veterans' Employment Team
Lee Mai 605.394.2303 lee.mai@state.sd.us
Ken Moon 605.394.2329 kenneth.moon@state.sd.us
David Maurer 605.394.1652 david.maurer@state.sd.us
Property Tax Benefits for Disabled Veterans
(PIERRE, SD) - Veterans rated as permanently and totally disabled as the result of a service-connected disability can receive a partial exemption on their property taxes under a new program offered through the Department of Revenue and Regulation, Property and Special Taxes Division.
The Property Tax Reduction for Disabled Veterans Program exempts the first $100,000 of valuation of a disabled veteran's property from property taxes. For the purposes of the program, property is defined as the house (including manufactured and mobile homes), garage, and the lot upon which it sits or one acre, whichever is less. The property must be owned and occupied by the disabled veteran for the full calendar year in which the tax is levied. Because the budgets and tax levies for the property taxes payable in 2008 have already been set, veterans eligible for this program will first see the reduction in their property taxes payable in 2009.
To be eligible, the veteran must have been rated permanently and totally disabled based on the established rating schedule used by the Veterans' Affairs Rating Board. Applicants will be required to provide proof of their eligibility to get the exemption. Such proof can be obtained by calling the Sioux Falls VA Regional Office at 1-800-827-1000 and requesting that they send the veteran a statement verifying they are permanently and totally disabled as the result of a service-connected disability. A copy of that statement should be presented along with the application.
Disabled veterans must apply for the program annually on or before November 1 to their county assessor. Applications are now available from county assessors and the Division of Property and Special Taxes. For more information, call the Department of Revenue and Regulation's toll-free helpline at 1-800-829-9188 and ask for the Division of Property and Special Taxes. Questions can also be directed to your county Director of Equalization or local Veterans Service Officer. For those individuals who may not know who their Veterans Service Officer is, a complete listing can be found online at http://www.state.sd.us/applications/MV91MVAInternetRewrite/default.asp.
Gov. Rounds appoints Brigadier General Doohen to lead South Dakota National Guard
PIERRE, S.D. - Gov. Mike Rounds today announced the selection of Brigadier General Steven R. Doohen, Hartford, S.D., as the adjutant general of the South Dakota National Guard and the new secretary of the South Dakota Department of Military and Veteran Affairs.
"I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Brig. Gen. Doohen as the adjutant general of the South Dakota National Guard and as secretary of the Department of Military and Veteran Affairs," said Gov. Rounds. "General Doohen brings many years of experience and expertise, having served as a pilot and wing commander for the South Dakota Air National Guard, along with distinguished leadership roles during his 36-year military career. He is very respected by both peers and subordinates and is dedicated to leading this department in service to the state of South Dakota."
Brig. Gen. Doohen was chosen to serve as the assistant adjutant general for Air for the state of South Dakota in March 2006. He has continued to serve his state by providing oversight of the operational readiness of the South Dakota Air National Guard. He has served in the Air National Guard since January 1971.
"I am very honored to be asked by Governor Rounds to be the next adjutant general for the South Dakota Air and Army National Guard and the secretary for the Department of Military and Veteran Affairs," said Doohen. "I look forward to serving the members of our state's National Guard and its many veterans."
Doohen is a graduate of the University of Sioux Falls, with a Bachelors of Arts. He is also a graduate of the Air War College in Montgomery, Ala.
Doohen and his wife, Gloria, currently reside in Hartford.
Brig. Gen. Doohen fills the cabinet position left vacant by the retirement of Maj. General
Mike Gorman.
Adjutant General Announces Retirement
PIERRE, S.D. - Maj. Gen. Michael A. Gorman has announced that he plans to retire from his position as the adjutant general for the South Dakota National Guard and as secretary of the South Dakota Department of Military and Veterans Affairs on Sept. 15, 2007.
"This decision is one I make with a heavy heart as I can not think of a better group of people to serve and work with," said Gorman. "I am really going to miss working with these great troops, our veterans and their families."
Gorman was appointed by Governor M. Michael Rounds as South Dakota's 19th adjutant general on March 1, 2003.
"Mike has been a true champion for our National Guardsmen and all South Dakota veterans," said Governor Rounds. "His passion in caring for the men and women of our armed forces will be greatly missed."
Rounds said that steps will be put in place to select the next adjutant general and secretary.
"It will take a very special individual to fill his shoes," said Rounds. "But only the best of the best should shoulder this tremendous responsibility of caring for our veterans and guardsmen."
Gorman said after retirement he plans on spending more time with his family and wants to travel around the country.
"I am just so thankful I was given the opportunity and the privilege to serve as adjutant general," said Gorman. "But it is time for me to pass this honor on to someone else."
VA's Suicide Hot Line Begins Operations
BY Army News Service
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, July 30, 2007) - To ensure veterans with emotional crises have round-the-clock access to trained professionals, the Department of Veterans Affairs has opened a national suicide prevention hot line for veterans.
"Veterans need to know these VA professionals are literally a phone call away," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson. "All servicemembers who experience the stresses of combat can have wounds on their minds as well as their bodies. Veterans should see mental-health services as another benefit they have earned, which the men and women of the VA are honored to provide."
The toll-free hot line number is 1-800-273-TALK (8255). VA\'s hot line will be staffed by mental health professionals in Canandaigua, N.Y. They will take toll-free calls from across the country and work closely with local VA mental-health providers to help callers.
To operate the national hot line, VA is partnering with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services.
"The hot line will put veterans in touch - any time of the day or night, any day of the week, from anywhere in the country - with trained, caring professionals who can help," added Sec. Nicholson. "This is another example of the VA's commitment to provide world-class health care for our nation's veterans, especially combat veterans newly returned from Iraq and Afghanistan."
The suicide hot line is among several enhancements to mental-health care that Sec. Nicholson has announced this year. In mid-July, the department's top mental-health professionals convened here to review the services provided to veterans of the war on terror.
VA is the largest provider of mental health care in the nation. This year, the department will spend about $3 billion for mental-health. More than 9,000 mental-health professionals, backed up by primary-care physicians and other health professionals in every VA medical center and outpatient clinic, provide mental-health care to about one million veterans each year.