A look at Issues Facing Local Veterans - Unemployment Ranked #1
By Erica Jackson
Since 1919, November 11 has served as a day to honor those who have served America in the military. Each year, towns across the country hold parades and ceremonies to pay tribute. Smithtown is no different. Events are being held in Smithtown, Kings Park and St. James. But aside from our coverage of the various events this Veterans Day, SmithtownMatters.com spoke to leaders of local veterans’ organizations learn more about the issues facing them.
“The main issue,” said Tom Mooney, past commander/current service officer of Smithtown’s VFW Post 10870, “is unemployment.” Those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are “coming home to a country in a bad economic situation and unless they had a job held for them, they find themselves jobless.”
Back when Mooney served in the army, Mooney said veterans retired from service to the same jobs they left. “It was a different time,” said Mooney. “Those returning now weren’t drafted so their employer wasn’t obligated to hold their job.” From what he has heard, many are able to find jobs in civil service, such as with police and fire departments, but there are so many that can’t find employment.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that veterans, who served in the military since September 2001, have a unemployment rate of 10.2 percent as opposed to the jobless rate for all veterans, which is 8.1 percent.
“It is a problem,” said Frank Todaro, commander of the St James VFW Post 395. “Veterans are just not finding jobs.” Like Todaro and Mooney, Al Mlodynia, commander of the Nissequogue VFW Post, has heard the same troubling news: “The problem is that these boys didn’t have a job when they were first deployed and they come back and are basically unemployed.”
All three veteran organizations want to do their part to aid their fellow veterans and say they have the resources and know-how to do it. Todaro said,“A lot of people are out of work, that’s the economy, but my priority is to find a job for a veteran who needs one.”
However, finding those that need help isn’t an easy task. “We want and need to reach out to them,” said Mlodynia, “but we are having a problem doing that.”
Perhaps it’s the times, but Mooney says that the Smithtown post is mostly made up of W.W.II and Korean War Veterans that “are getting up in years and don’t have the power at this point in their lives to do membership drives.” Many of them don’t even drive at night, said Mooney.
Years ago, Mooney said, when someone completed their service, they would look to join a local veterans’ group, but not so much anymore. He said, “It’s not like when the guys would come back from World War II and entire neighborhoods would get together to form a VFW post.” Mlodynia says he has tried to reach out to those in need of support though church bulletins, but in many cases all he can find is a name, no contact information.
Mlodynia believes that the younger veterans don’t step forward because many not be aware of the veteran’s organizations that are available to them or they are “afraid to get involved because it will take time away from their family.”
“There are those that think we just get together to drink beer and tell war stories, but that is not the case,” said Mlodynia. Instead, he said the VFW is a support system that has the know-how and expertise to direct veterans in need to help, whether it be to helping to file for a tax reduction to obtaining health care.
“We are a pretty unique group that is well setup to help other people,” said Todaro. “We just have a shortage of people that speak up and say they need help, but when they do, we are happy to lend a hand.”