A veterans’ service center has opened in South Kitsap on the grounds of the Washington Veterans Home at Retsil, just east of Port Orchard’s waterfront. 

Funded and operated by the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) with support from the Federal Veterans Administration (VA), the center has three full-time service officers providing assistance to veterans and family members.

The American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars military service organizations are contracted by the state to have a service officer at the center.  The third provider is employed by the State of Washington.

“While we each represent a different organization, we have built a seamless team and a seamless operation to ensure quality, enthusiastic service to our peninsula veterans,” said Steve Cline, the service center supervisor.

The center is actively filing claims for disability now, with clients ranging from veterans who are just leaving active duty, to veterans well into their 70s and 80s, and for surviving spouses of deceased veterans. 

What is a veteran?

According to Federal Law, a veteran is any person who served in the active military, naval or air service, and who was discharged or released there from under conditions other than dishonorable. 

The Federal VA states that about a quarter of the nation’s population—approximately 70 million people—are potentially eligible for benefits and services because they are veterans, family members or survivors of veterans. 

The center is specifically reaching out to Vietnam veterans who have been diagnosed with certain cancers or Type 2 Diabetes.  “There are both monetary and medical benefits owed to our Vietnam veterans,” said American Legion Service Officer, Doug Coulter. “All veterans who served on the ground in Vietnam are presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange defoliant.  This includes air crews that left their aircraft and naval ships that were in certain Vietnamese waters.”

The Federal VA has determined 11 medical conditions are directly attributable to exposure to the defoliant which was used extensively in Vietnam to clear jungle foliage, allowing U.S. soldiers to better traverse the dense terrain from Jan. 9, 1962 through May 7, 1975. The conditions are chloracne (or other acneform disease similar to chloracne), porphria cutanea tarda, soft-tissue sarcoma (other than osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma or mesothelioma), Hodgkin’s disease, multiple myeloma, respiratory cancers (lung, bronchus larynx, trachea) non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, prostate cancer, acute and subacute peripheral neuropathy, diabetes mellitus (Type 2) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. 

Veterans of Foreign Wars service officer, Dawnell Vaughn said, “the clientele is not limited. All veterans are welcome here.  We will always do what we can to help veterans and their family members. Veterans who had an in-service injury or who are war-era with complete disability may qualify for benefits.  We want to provide information and to be a strong advocate for benefits.”

The Service Center is located at: 1141 Beach Drive East, Building 9, Retsil, Wa. 98378 and hours of operation are weekdays from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. except holidays. The center can be reached at (360) 895-4346 or through the WDVA central office in Olympia at 1-800-562-2308.