Rockville Centre helps Nassau County veterans

American Legion Post 303 is establishing a center that will offer free services to county veterans, providing help with the sometimes daunting bureaucracy they face in obtaining federal, state and local benefits that are meant for them.

Volunteers will have forms and will even help veterans fill out claims for disability, education, death and indemnity compensations, as well as applications for veterans discharge papers. In addition to providing advice on filing for available state and local tax exemptions, volunteers at the center will also offer referrals for a post traumatic stress clinic in Hicksville, run by the Veterans Administration, and they’ll also help arrange for transportation to appointments there.

“We have 30,000 troops coming back before Christmas and Nassau County and Rockville Centre will get their fair share,” said Mickey Clark, a Rockville Centre resident who is heading up the new center. Clark used to work in the Nassau County Veterans Services Agency before he retired.

“We have to serve these people,” Clark said. “In times of budget cuts, Nassau County won’t be able to cut the mustard and so we have to help our returning veterans and our senior veterans who need help as well,” Clark said, adding that center volunteers would especially look to assist female veterans.

Every American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Disabled American Veterans post is mandated to have a service officer whose job is to help veterans. This, Clark said, “has been in name only. So what we’re asking is that these posts send representatives down to Rockville Centre on a Friday to learn how to open up similar resource centers in their own communities.”

The veterans center, at 197 Maple Ave., will open initially on Fridays from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Veterans needing help or referrals can call (516) 766-9740 during those hours. During off-hours they can reach Clark at (516) 536-6990.