By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
In response to military veterans’ needs across the nation, Veterans Services Commissions have armed themselves with some non-traditional tools – like guitars, woodworking equipment, and litter pickup kits.
While veterans assistance has always been the “bread and butter” of service commissions, some attention is now being shifted to “Morale, Welfare and Recreation” programs.
The goal, said Wood County Veterans Service Commission Executive Director Zach Migura, is to reduce the social isolation felt by many veterans.
“It’s to get veterans and the community to connect,” Migura said.
The Wood County veterans office is on board, with three MWR programs underway – with 11 vets signed up to learn to play guitar, 17 signed up for woodworking, and 28 volunteering to “adopt a highway” near the veterans office.
The ultimate goal is to provide connections and prevent the number of suicides among veterans. In 2022, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reported 6,407 veteran suicide deaths. That same year, suicide was the 12th leading cause of death for veterans, and the second leading cause of death for veterans ages 45 and younger.
“The trend isn’t getting better,” Migura said.
Last year, the local veterans office surveyed veterans at the Wood County Fair about their interest in programs. “We wanted data to be our guide,” Migura said.
In addition to playing guitar and woodworking, the surveys identified interests in fishing, fitness, hunting, gardening, gaming, cooking, park district activities, and Habitat for Humanity.
Wood County is home to 6,912 veterans, according to Migura. The largest population is from the Vietnam era, many who are dealing with Agent Orange exposure.
“Some don’t ever want to ask for help,” he said. But maybe some of them could benefit from joining groups with fellow veterans.
“We’re trying to see if these small things have multiple points of contact – that can help veterans connect the dots.”
“There may be a little stigma left out there,” regarding veterans assistance, Migura said. But that quickly melts away when veterans get together with others who served.
“The conversation always gets around to, ‘Where did you serve? What did you do?’ It’s instant camaraderie that spans generations.”
Playing guitar
So far, 11 veterans have signed up for guitar lessons. Migura, who served in the Army in both Iraq and Afghanistan, has learned to play. “But it’s not pretty,” he said.
Vets are paired up with instructors, and get 10 one-hour sessions. If they complete the classes, they get a guitar, tuner, music stand, and pick.
“You’re probably not going to be a rock star when you come out,” but learning to play can be therapeutic, he said.
The veterans office has two instructors, but is looking for more.
Woodworking
The plan is for local veterans to begin making flag display cases for families of deceased veterans. The office has the equipment, and Migura is looking into using wood from Wood County trees for the project.
“It will be Wood County veterans making something for survivors,” he said.
Discussions have taken place with the Wood County Committee on Aging about establishing a woodworking area in the basement of the Wood County Senior Center in Bowling Green.
But the program doesn’t have to wait on the senior center location, since the woodworking equipment can be moved outside of the veterans office to make the flag display cases.
“Once the winter’s over, we can go make some sawdust,” Migura said.
Adopt a highway
While picking up litter along a stretch of U.S. 6 may not teach new skills, it does create opportunities for veterans to bond with others who have shared experiences, he said.
So far, 28 veterans have signed up for this program.
New office
The Wood County Veterans Service Office has a new home in the county’s East Gypsy Lane Complex. The office is behind the sheriff’s office and shares an entrance with the Wood County Child Support Enforcement Agency at 1940 E. Gypsy Road Lane Road, Bowling Green.
The new location has an office space for visits with Toledo Veterans Center mental health services. “So veterans don’t have to go to Toledo,” Migura said.
The site is next door to Wood County Job and Family Services, which makes it more convenient for veterans using those services as well.
And the new office is on ground level. “That’s good especially for elderly vets who don’t have to navigate to the second floor,” he said.
The veterans office can be reached at 419-354-9147.
