Thank you to the secretary of the department of veterans affairs

Thank you, Secretary Denis R. McDonough, for all you have done for Veterans and for reestablishing more faith and trust in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Much may be due to marketing, advertising, and sales, but thank you for your dedication, hard work, communication, and backing your commitment with action when you accepted this job.

My frustration is that those who want to help you (the DVA) help those who served and their families find it difficult to do so. Trickle-down does not work, and the DVA is not known for knowing how to or being willing to welcome, embrace, and allow what many Veterans realize: it takes us all. The VA makes it really difficult to take advantage of the VSOs. NACV's mantra (motto and commitment) began with "Veterans helping Veterans to help themselves."

NACV began in 1968 in Minnesota as a grassroots, community-based, self-help Veterans services organization initially formed by a number of Vietnam combat Veterans. It moved its national office to Washington, D.C., in 1972 and, although we may be legends in our own minds, we continue the fight for all Veterans of all eras (the average age of WWII vets is late 90s, Korea late 80s, Vietnam late 70s, etc.). We have always made the premise that what vets need is to be able to advocate for themselves or have an advocate.

When several of the local vets' groups met with the VAMC Director and senior staff in D.C., Michael Heimall, shortly after his appointment to offer our assistance and a number of recommendations, he stated that one of his biggest asks, as I recall, was how to revitalize and energize the VSOs. We offered to assist him. Many of those same recommendations were submitted not only in 2018 but to virtually every VAMC director, including Sandy Garfunkle, and almost every DVA Secretary since Eric Shinseki.

Thank you, Secretary McDonough. I would love to meet you and thank you personally and discuss ways to continue your work. It would be great this Veterans Day for you to restate your commitment when you took office and challenge the Department to work more closely with the Veterans and their families and all those who have and continue to serve.

On January 27, 2021, during his confirmation hearing, Secretary McDonough testified to Congress, “I will work tirelessly to build and restore VA’s trust as the premier agency for ensuring the well-being of America’s Veterans. After all, there is no more sacred obligation nor noble undertaking than to uphold our promises to our Veterans, whether they came home decades ago or days ago.”