News Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, November 11, 2015 A11 7he role of the veteran service of¿cer By Erin Osgood For the Blue Mountain Eagle Did you serve during World War II or the Korean War and suffer an injury? You may have been treated at the time, but many years later, health-related prob- lems can surface. In Vietnam, you could have been exposed to Agent Orange and are now suffer- ing from prostate cancer, or possibly diabetes mel- litus type II. Or, you are a returning Iraq or Afghani- stan veteran who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a roadside bombing, or may- be a returning veteran who, fortunately, did not endure any trauma, but needs di- rection in obtaining educa- tional benefits under the GI bill. Is there any help avail- able to you through the Veterans Administration? Where do you begin to seek assistance and obtain guid- ance in pursuing benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs? The answer: Your local County Vet- erans Ser- vice Office. If you haven’t met with your county vet- erans service Erin officer, the Osgood first step is to call Erin Osgood, your local offi- cer, at 541-575-1631 for an appointment, and bring in your military discharge (DD214 or Report of Mili- tary Separation) as this doc- ument is required in order to receive VA benefits. If you have lost or misplaced it, Osgood can assist you with obtaining a new dis- charge record from the Na- tional Personnel Records Center. Under Oregon state law, every county is required to have a County Veterans Service Office. In Oregon’s larger counties, the agency consists of a service officer and support staff. In small- er counties, such as Grant County, you may find just one or two people to assist you. The veterans service officer has a compassionate understanding of the prob- lems which confront veter- ans, widows and dependent children. Through meetings and annual training, your veterans service officer is aware of laws passed by the U.S. Congress in the interests of veterans and their dependents, and they are familiar with the rules and regulations adopted by the Department of Veterans Affairs to clarify and im- plement those laws. Your veterans service officer is well-versed in state laws as well, from veterans’ real property tax exemptions to the Oregon state parks pass. County veterans service officers act as a liaison be- tween veterans and their families, and the Depart- ment of Veterans Affairs. Service officers assist vet- erans in filing service-con- nected disability claims with the VA. They also assist veterans in obtain- ing benefits relative to vocational rehabilitation, VA home loans, education, burial benefits and non-ser- vice connected pension benefits. Are you a veteran of a wartime period, or the wid- ow of a veteran of a war- time period about to enter a nursing home? Osgood may be able to assist you in obtaining a non-service connected pension from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Basically, she can take care of veterans’ needs from their date of discharge until their date of death, and in many instances, she pro- vides assistance to eligible dependents long after the veteran passes. Your veterans service of- ficer can also assist you in obtaining VA Healthcare. Whether you are a military retiree or the spouse of a military retiree, a family member of an active duty reservist, a widow of a veteran who died of a ser- vice-connected disability or a dependent of a veteran who was 100 percent ser- vice-connected at the time of his or her death, medical benefits may be available to you, and your service offi- cer will assist you in filling out the paperwork. Finally, the ultimate job of a veterans service officer is to simplify what can be a very complex undertaking; that of obtaining eligible benefits from the Veterans Administration. As a veter- an, you served your country honorably, and your local veterans service officer wants to say “thank you” by ensuring you obtain all of the benefits to which you or your family members are entitled. The Grant County Veter- ans Service Office is locat- ed in the southwest corner of the County Courthouse in Canyon City. Office hours are from 10 a.m.- 4p.m. Monday and Wednes- day, with appointments available at other times. If the flag’s flying, Os- good is there to assist you. Serving those who served, Erin Osgood is the Grant County Veterans Service Officer New wheels for veterans State Elks Assoc. donates vans for Grant, Harney counties Blue Mountain Eagle Contributed photo Grant County high-school students meet with Dr. Jane Goodall, center, Oct. 15 in Portland. From left, Sophia Pettit, Monument; Kade Blood, Grant Union (back); Aubrey Werner, Monument; Cody Baker, Long Creek; Ryan Cook, Monument; Goodall; Tyler Blood, Grant Union; Jayne Davis, Long Creek; and Curtis Perry, Long Creek. Local youth meet with Jane Goodall Blue Mountain Eagle PORTLAND – Several local high schoolers had the rare opportunity to meet Dr. Jane Goodall at an Oct. 15 Oregon Youth Summit host- ed by David Douglas High School in Portland. Cody Baker, Jayne Davis and Curtis Perry from Long Creek; Ryan Cook, Sophia Pettit and Aubrey Werner from Monument; and Kade and Tyler Blood from Grant Union, were among hun- dreds of youth from through- out Oregon who presented field studies projects at the Summit. The Grant County stu- dents – the only partici- pants from Eastern Oregon – shared a Grant Coun- ty-themed presentation on restoration with statewide representatives and Good- all. Tyler Blood introduced the project to Goodall and Sophia Pettit offered an ex- planation on how important rivers are to people in East- ern Oregon. Goodall, British anthro- pologist and primatologist, is widely considered to be the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees. She is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and the nonprof- it Roots & Shoots program that encourages young peo- ple to take on projects that can help local communities, landscapes and wildlife. Gail Beverlin, education coordinator for the North Fork John Day Watershed Council in Long Creek, or- ganized the opportunity for the Grant County students. The Watershed Council will now be a local member of Roots & Shoots, and contin- ue working with local youth who are enthusiastic about improving their world. Monument School sci- ence teacher Darren Dailey, Tracy Blood and Linda Wat- son chaperoned the three- day trip. Elaine Eisenbraun, ex- ecutive director of the Wa- tershed Council, knew at- tending the Summit was a golden opportunity for local students. “When a long-time con- tact from the Diack Founda- tion called and asked if we could bring some students to meet Goodall, I knew without hesitation that Grant County would participate,” Eisenbraun said. “I think these students have a very special memory to carry through life,” she said. The eight students attend- ing the Summit had to earn the opportunity by working at a restoration site on the Middle Fork John Day River and documenting their work for the presentation. Sever- al had worked with the Wa- tershed Council through the summer on restoration activ- ities. Each was required to attend three Friday sessions ZRUNLQJLQWKH¿HOGOHDUQLQJ from resource specialists and preparing for the presenta- tion. Field work was done on private lands under the leadership of the Watershed Council, along with David Evans and Allan Gillette of the Warm Springs Tribes, Jerry Ebeltoft of the Na- ture Conservancy, and Mark Croghan of the Bureau of Reclamation. The work in- cluded creating river habitat and complexity by weaving woody debris into new wood structures, and in the fall, preventing silt from entering the river by spreading grass seed and mulch. Both Beverlin and Eisen- braun expressed gratitude for those who assisted in the edu- cational opportunity, and not- ed the value of the experience for the students. According to Beverlin, the Watershed Council’s efforts offer a “fresh, hands-on com- ponent to the experience of young people, exposing them to processes, actions and the many efforts that make Grant County tick.” “Our Watershed Coun- cil runs a very special youth program dedicated to help- ing kids kindle a personal, lifelong spark of enthusiasm for the outdoors,” Eisenbraun added. JOHN DAY – Veter- ans in Grant and Harney counties who need to get to medical appointments can ride in style thanks to two new vans donated by the Oregon State Elks As- sociation. According to Bob Van Voorhis, who heads up the local van program, the vans were donated to Vet- erans Affairs to provide transportation for veterans enrolled in the VA Health Care System and the Boise VA Medical Center, which includes all clinics and contract medical facilities in the Boise VAMC sys- tem. Two Elks officials who were behind making the new vans a reality were Elks Association SE Dis- trict Trustee Gary Miller from John Day Elks Lodge 1824 and Boise VAMC/ Oregon Elks Coordina- tor Ron Estep from Burns Lodge 1680. Both Mill- er and Estep are also van drivers in their respective areas. More volunteer drivers are needed to help provide the service. For ride res- ervations or information on becoming a driver, call Jim Jerome at 541-620- 4486. Van Voorhis said they also coordinate with The People Mover transporta- tion service in John Day to offer free, wheelchair accessible rides for veter- ans to the VAMC in Wal- la Walla, Wash., and the Bend VA clinic. To schedule rides on The People Mover, call 541-575-2370. For more information about the services, call Van Voorhis at 206-399- 7291 or leave a message for him at the John Day Elks Lodge, 541-575- 1824. B REAKING N EWS A LERTS myeaglenews.com/breakingnews Let our family of pharmaVists serve you! We are happy to transfer and mail prescrptions and would welcome the opportunity to visit with you about our services! Give us a call today. 541-676-9158 Heppner and Condon, Oregon 02028