LOGAN COUNTY, W.Va. — A Logan County Vietnam veteran is worried about the future of the Logan Vet Center Outstation located in Henlawson which was operating at the start of 2019 under a bit of a reprieve.
Instead of facility services being reduced to three days a week as scheduled next Monday, staffing at the current four days a week rate will continue through Apr. 2 at least when the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs holds a town hall on the site’s future.
“I think they’re still going to try to do it, it’s just a matter of they’re putting it off,” predicted Rudy Varney, a longtime member of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 308 which provides free space to the Logan Vet Center Outstation.
It’s an arrangement that dates back decades.
Available on site are counseling services, telemedicine and spousal support.
Funding for staff members comes from Veterans Affairs which has taken steps to reduce the number employees on site from three to one, according to Varney.
He told MetroNews it’s not right.
“We’ve helped thousands of veterans here in Southern West Virginia and since (U.S.) Senator (Jay) Rockefeller’s left, it seems like no one really wants to help us keep it going,” Varney said.
“West Virginia — per capita — had more veterans than anybody so that means there’s a lot of veterans to be helped and we’ve helped veterans all over the country.”
In Logan County, Varney said it’s the only place of its kind to get help.
“You can just walk in and see somebody if they’ll make time for you. Otherwise, you have drive 70 miles to see somebody and then you have to be by appointment.”
The nearest cities to the center are Huntington, Beckley and Charleston.
There were no VA representatives at a Dec. 28 public meeting that, Varney said, drew 87 people.
The next town hall meeting was scheduled for April. After that, a decision about what’s next for the facility could be made.
“I just need the public’s support on (April) the 2nd to show that we still need the Vet Center,” Varney said.
Edited to the add these question responses from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs:
- Is an Apr. 2 town hall meeting date still scheduled in Logan County, West Virginia? Yes. In addition, Readjustment Counseling Service leadership will continue to reach out to community stakeholders for feedback before this meeting.
- Why has the VA determined a change to staffing hours is warranted? The Charleston Vet Center provides additional readjustment counseling services to Veterans, service members and their families in Logan, West Virginia. Currently, individual, group, and family counseling services are provided four days per week so eligible individuals do not have to drive to Charleston. We do however, continuously assess the needs of each community we serve and adjust staffing and resources appropriately when demand for counseling services increases or decreases.
- Is a full closure imminent? No. As long as there are Veterans, service members and families requesting counseling services, we will continue to provide services in Logan.