VFW, Freedom Alliance veterans groups help in coronavirus pandemic

It’s a way of life for countless veterans across the country and is centered around their time in the service.

Evening beers at the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post. A weekend fishing getaway with fellow warriors. Once again donning the uniform to pay respects to a fallen comrade at a military funeral.

But in the age of the novel coronavirus, each simple act of bonding has become a casualty, upending the lives of veterans and temporarily transforming what has become a key support system.

The COVID-19 outbreak and the accompanying “social distancing” mandate that has forced a near total shutdown of American society have presented veterans organizations with new challenges and opportunities, whether it’s transforming a VFW hall into a food distribution center or embracing social media platforms to swap stories and share experiences. In many ways, veterans advocates see a silver lining in an otherwise dark chapter in the country’s history.

“A tragedy like this — none of us want to live through it. But as we’ve always believed, there are heroes around every day, and all you have to do is open your eyes, turn your head from side to side and find all kinds of heroes doing great things,” said Tom Kilgannon, president of Freedom Alliance, a Washington area-based group that offers financial aid and support to students whose parents have been killed or seriously injured in the line of duty.

In addition to giving monetary support to families and making other outreach efforts, the Freedom Alliance routinely organizes weekend trips for veterans. Now, hunting excursions and other events have been shelved as the federal government urges Americans to stay at home to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

In their place, Mr. Kilgannon said, his group has ramped up its online outreach to ensure that no veteran is without someone to talk to during an unprecedented time of national stress.

“Our philosophy has always been we want to get combat vets, wounded troops, out of the house and in the company of one another,” he said. “Obviously, what’s going on now is contrary to that. But the way we’re adapting — one, move some of those events online. The purpose of a hunting or fishing expedition with combat vets is to get them together and be accountable to one another. Those conversations are now taking place online, and they’re taking place one-on-one with our staff members.”

Over the past several weeks, he said, hundreds of veterans have made such calls to Freedom Alliance staff members. Other leading veterans groups also have embraced that approach.

At the same time, the Department of Veterans Affairs is marshaling its resources to deal with a climbing case count of COVID-19 across the country and to ensure that veterans retain access to health care. At least 2,866 veterans have tested positive for infection from the coronavirus as of Monday, according to VA figures.

VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said over the weekend that he has ordered VA medical centers to begin preparing for an influx of coronavirus cases and to make beds available for an expected rise in the number of patients.

“We provide a bridge from the federal government to the states and localities during these emergencies,” he said Saturday at a White House press briefing. “As a result of that, I have ordered our veterans hospitals to begin preparing more than 1,500 beds to make them available both at the ICU and the acute-care level to the states and localities across the country.”

Filling the void

Like other health care systems, the VA is operating in a new reality with basic medical needs such as masks and protective gear in short supply.

Veterans organizations are stepping in to help fill the void. At a VFW post in Lakeview, Michigan, volunteers have made nearly 500 face masks to donate to local health care workers.

American Veterans, or AMVETS, has mounted similar initiatives. Photos posted on social media show volunteers crafting masks for doctors and nurses on the front lines of the fight against the novel coronavirus.

Other local VFW posts have launched initiatives based on community need, VFW National Commander William J. “Doc” Schmitz told The Washington Times.

In Oregon, he said, a local chapter opened its hall to host a blood bank. In Florida, volunteers have been grocery shopping for veterans.

Mr. Schmitz also said the VFW is preparing for life after the pandemic by assuring families of fallen service members that they will eventually get the dignified ceremonies they deserve.

“Normally, our group, they have different guys and gals that form up and do the burial, fire the rifles and do the flag presentation. Obviously, we can’t do that now,” he said. “So when everybody is freed up, we’re going to have one heck of a backlog. … But the family is looking for a little closure. Our VFW teams are prepared to work on those things as it comes about.”

Beyond the physical outreach, advocates say, the pandemic has cast a spotlight on the deeper issue of veterans’ mental health. For those without close family members and suddenly left without key outlets for social interaction, mental health is likely to become a greater concern, specialists say.

“COVID-19 could create a perfect storm of developments that could threaten the mental health of many veterans,” said Dr. Rajeev Ramchand, an epidemiologist and fellow at the Bob Woodruff Foundation who has co-authored a report on the effects of COVID-19 on the veteran community.

“Social distancing and self-quarantining are necessary to help control the spread of COVID-19, but they can also increase the sense of loneliness of veterans, many of whom reported often feeling lonely even before COVID-19,” the report says.

The nation’s skyrocketing unemployment rate, specialists say, will worsen the situation by leaving veterans unable to return to work or find a new job.

The Freedom Alliance and the VFW say those concerns are at the forefront of their efforts, though they acknowledge the challenge is daunting.

“At least so far, those we’ve been talking to are doing well,” Mr. Kilgannon said. “Veterans have been trained to deal with adversity. These are tough people. But the longer it goes on, the more concerned we become.”