Monroe Township Office of Veterans Affairs helping any way it can
In a cozy room on the first floor of the Pfeiffer Community Center, two men are doing everything in their power to assist an important section of the population — veterans.
First is Mike Strackbein, who has been with the Office of Veterans Affairs since 1979. He credits fellow veteran Lou Palumbo as one of the forces behind the office. Palumbo has since passed.
Second is newcomer Rich Irwin, who has a funny story about how he became involved with the office.
“I saw the office and popped in to ask if they needed volunteer help,” Irwin said.
Monroe Township’s Office of Veterans Affairs can help veterans with anything ranging from their medical benefits to getting them an ID card to get discounts at grocery stores.
“We want to help them get the benefits they’re entitled to,” Irwin said. “Every veteran is entitled to some kind of service.”
The office is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to noon. Veterans do not need an appointment to come in to speak with the volunteers, but if they wish to call in advance, the Office of Veterans Affairs can be reached at (856) 875–2207.
One of the primary functions of the office is helping veterans with their medical benefits. Both Strackbein and Irwin said some veterans don’t know they’re entitled to medical benefits.
“They could serve for two years in the ’60s, and as long as they have a good discharge, they’re entitled to benefits,” Irwin said.
The key to receiving benefits is having discharge paperwork, namely a DD214. If a veteran doesn’t have this paperwork, the office can send away for it. It will contact the office in St. Louis, and a DD214 will be mailed directly to that veteran’s address. Strackbein said it can take anywhere between two weeks and a month.
Once a DD214 is presented, the volunteers at the Office of Veterans Affairs will be able to work closely with a veteran to find a solution to their problem. For example, if a veteran needs transportation to the veterans health clinic in Sewell, Philadelphia or Wilmington, Strackbein or Irwin can help arrange that.
The office helps veterans who are both service connected and not service connected. Service connected veterans are those who were injured during their time in the service. The injury can be anything from a bullet wound to hearing loss due to eardrum damage.
The Office of Veterans Affairs also works hand-in-hand with the local VFW and American Legion when it comes to armed forces-related events like POW-MIA Day, which is the third Friday in September.
Strackbein added he and Palumbo developed the POW-MIA Park outside of the Pfeiffer center.
“We got everything through donations,” Strackbein said. “The trees, stones, the anchor was from a destroyer in the shipyard, the bell is from a church. The monuments were through donations too.”
At the end of the day, Strackbein and Irwin want the best for the local veterans. Strackbein went as far as to say that distance doesn’t matter.
“I help people from all over,” he said.
Monroe Township’s Office of Veterans Affairs has an open door. If you have any questions, they can be found on the first floor of the Pfeiffer Community Center on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. until noon or reached by phone at (856) 875–2207.
