Jun 18, 2013 — Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki was in Syracuse last week, to mark the 60th anniversary of the city's VA Medical Center. He also helped to formally open a new Spinal Cord Injury and Disorder Center.  Go to full article

May 27, 2013 — As we all celebrate Memorial Day, we think about the sacrifices made by our troops. One young woman from Alexandria Bay was touched personally by the effects of war. Our news intern Josh Cameron reports on how she decided to pay tribute to fallen veterans.  Go to full article

Potsdam, NY, Jan 04, 2013 — There are 9,000 U.S. veterans in St. Lawrence County alone - thousands more across the North Country and across the border in Canada.

An event this Saturday aims to recognize those veterans' service to their country and also make sure they're aware of all the benefits they're entitled to.

The North Country Veterans Appreciation Day is tomorrow at Clarkson University from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m.

Mike Boprey is head of Veterans Services for St. Lawrence County and is one of the event's organizers. He told David Sommerstein one of the goals is to help veterans stay in the North Country, where job prospects are few.  Go to full article

Paul Smiths, NY, Nov 14, 2012 — This week in recognition of Veterans Day, North Country Public Radio has been looking at the struggles of young veterans returning home from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Many have come back to a sour economy, with few good jobs. For veterans under the age of 25, unemployment still hovers around 30 percent.

One of most ambitious efforts to help service members restart their lives has been the post-9/11 GI Bill, which offers financial aid for those soldiers who want to go back to college or a trade school.  Go to full article

Paul Smiths, NY, Nov 13, 2012 — This week in honor of Veteran's Day, we're looking at the experience of young service members making the transition back to the civilian economy.

For generations, one path to the middle class has been military service. Spending time in uniform offered a way for poor and working class Americans to gain job skills and build their resumes.

But these days many young veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq are struggling with high unemployment, poverty and homelessness. At Paul Smiths College, young vets in a support group say they're worried that their wartime experience is actually making it harder for them to find good, stable jobs as they face discrimination from some employers.  Go to full article

Paul Smiths, NY, Nov 12, 2012 — Sunday, across the North Country, small towns held parades and ceremonies honoring the region's veterans. But as the wars wind down in Afghanistan and Iraq, experts say more and more young men and women who fought overseas are struggling.

Some are grappling with the after-effects of post-traumatic stress and injury. Others are finding it difficult to make the transition to the civilian economy, facing unemployment, poverty and homelessness.  Go to full article

Keene Valley, NY, Oct 11, 2012 — Tom Smith grew up in Connecticut, but his family has owned land in Keene Valley for four generations. He was drafted in 1968 and flew helicopters in Vietnam. Smith saw lots of combat, was shot down numerous times, and when he returned to the States, he says he was a changed person - easily irritated and angered.

In the '70's and '80's he moved around, living in Alaska, Hawaii, California and then back in the Adirondacks.

He turned to writing as a way of coming to terms with post-traumatic stress disorder. He calls his third book, Facing PTSD: a Combat Vet Learns to Live with the Disorder, an auto-ethnography. It includes heartwarming stories of family and friends and also comical adventures. Tom and his wife, Kathy, have two sons. He told Todd Moe that while he is still dealing with bouts of pain, anger and sadness, life is good. Todd spoke with Smith from his home in Keene Valley about his time in Vietnam, writing the book and reaching out to a new generation of "wounded warriors".  Go to full article

Ogdensburg, NY, Oct 01, 2012 — Congressman Bill Owens met this weekend with North Country veterans to talk about a potential new VA hospital in Ogdensburg. The veterans have been pushing for the new hospital, saying the current setup forces patients to travel too far for services--often all the way to Syracuse. The idea has gained some political traction, but VA officials say a new hospital in Ogdensburg isn't the solution.  Go to full article

Jun 28, 2012 — Homeward Bound Adirondacks has dropped plans to create its first respite center for veterans in a home in Saranac Lake. The decision came after neighbors voiced strong opposition to a plan to rezone the property. As Chris Knight reports, the organization says it will continue to host programs while seeking another location for its services.  Go to full article

Jun 13, 2012 — A foundation headed by Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau is helping jumpstart a proposed respite center for veterans in Trudeau's hometown of Saranac Lake. Trudeau has secured $125,000 to help Homeward Bound Adirondacks purchase a home in the village that was once owned by Trudeau's grandfather. The nonprofit plans to use the site to provide reintegration programs for soldiers and their families.

Organizers described the project as an important step forward in a more-than-two-year effort to make Saranac Lake a center for veteran healing.  Go to full article