LEGISLATURE STUFF - Maintaining Peace in Your Mind

Greene County Vet2Vet Community Day was held, last Saturday, at Angelo Canna Park in Cairo. Among those on hand were (left top right) Vietnam War veteran John Telga, county legislator and veteran James O’Connell (District 3, Athens), county Veterans Services Officer Anthony Derrico, county Veterans Services Agency director Tyler Lynch, county Human Services executive director Amanda Lyons, Vet2Vet program manager Arin Vandermark, county legislature chairman Patrick Linger, legislator James Thorington (District 6, Prattsville, Ashland, Windham & Jewett), and county sheriff’s office Sgt. Andrew Messina. 

CAIRO - “It was different” is all that U.S. Army veteran Bill Pillon would say about his own military service during Vet2Vet Community Day, last Saturday, at Angelo Canna Park in Cairo.

Pillon, an armor crewman, was more than willing to open up about his compatriots, however, saying, “I’m here to serve all these people.

“They deal with a lot. So many of us are struggling with a multitude of different things, adjusting to being back here,” Pillon said.

“Maintaining peace in your mind is the biggest thing, dealing with what they’ve seen and done, what we all saw and did,” Pillon said.

“This is about being there for them. Sometimes it can feel like yourself against the world,” said Pillon, in uniform from 1997-2003.

A battle of a personal, private sort is fought by Vet2Vet Community Day, hosted by the Greene County Veterans Service Agency and strongly supported by the county legislature.

Lawmakers contributed $5,000 to the event, connecting with military veterans on the most human level, understood only by those who experience the realities of service to country.

“This is about bringing our veterans and the community together,” says county Veterans Service Agency director Tyler Lynch.

The mission of Greene County VET2VET, operating under the NYS Joseph P Dwyer Program, is to provide peer support to veterans and their families, according to their website.

That is accomplished by “raising awareness about the unique struggles veterans face, and building a stronger veteran community with camaraderie and mutual support, while honoring the veterans for their dedication to our country,” the website states.

“The program is 100% confidential and FREE and it provides non-clinical support and advocacy to the military community as well as their families,” the website states.

Greene County Vet2Vet links veterans to “resources such as benefits (SSI, SSD, service connection), food pantries, housing assistance, social activities and much more,” the website states.

“There are two purposes,” says Amanda Lyons, executive director of the county Human Services agency, overseers of Veterans Services.

“It is meant to let veterans and their families know the community embraces them. We also want to make sure veterans are aware of the services and programs available to them,” Lyons said.

This was the second Vet2Vet Day in what is now an annual gathering that in the viewpoint of lawmaker James O’Connell should know no bounds.

“We don’t do enough for our veterans,” said O’Connell, who served with the 82nd Airborne Paratroopers. “Don’t get me wrong, this is a great thing.

“Amanda Lyons is crushing it. She is a godsend, But we are where we are in this country because of veterans,” O’Connell said.

“Many of these veterans are struggling. We should be there for them the way they've been there and sacrificed for this country,” O’Connell said.

John Telga was among the vets stopping by, serving two tours in Viet Nam from 1964-67, assigned to Navy Sea Wolf Operations, providing river support in the delta region.

He and his wife Marilyn have been married for 55 years, still having that look in their eyes when they speak of one another.

Marilyn is the daughter of John Smith who ran the old National Bank of Windham in the historic brick building on Main Street.

John Smith was a trusted banker and Marilyn picked someone of the same trustworthy ilk to go with side-by-side through life.

“Fifty-five years isn’t long enough,” John Telga said, smiling and listening to the Lost Cowboys Band offering country music, led by Carson Hotaling from the getting-mountainy village of Palenville. 

“I love what is happening here today,” said Hotaling, who served with Air Force Security Forces between 1998-2001.

Hotaling played rhythm guitar, accompanied on the drums by Gene Edwards, also of Palenville, a Marine and National Guardsman.

“My son just graduated from boot camp,” Edwards said. “What’s his name? His name is Jacob. How do I feel about it? Proud of him. Very proud.”