“While many people in the United States celebrated the Veterans Day holiday last November, it is disappointing to see the results of a recent Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Veterans Pulse Survey. Although the DAV-sponsored survey found that veterans of all generations would repeat their military service, the veterans don’t feel supported by the government,” said John Plahovinsak, Commander of DAV Chapter #63 (Clermont County).

Survey statistics revealed that only one in five veterans felt that the government treats veterans well and less than half of the veterans believe they receive the benefits and support that they were promised. According to Commander Plahovinsak, these were some of the major findings of a landmark survey just released by the DAV, a leading veterans service organization with over 1.2 million members which was started in the city of Cincinnati in 1920.

The DAV Veterans Pulse Survey is the largest, most comprehensive assessment ever taken to reveal how generations of veterans from World War II through the post-9/11 view their military experience, benefits and overall quality of life.

“It is certainly encouraging to see that my fellow veterans are proud of their service in this national survey,” said John Plahovinsak, Commander of DAV Chapter 63 (Clermont County).

“There are 560 disabled veterans in Chapter #63 (Clermont County) and we also represent Brown County and the Southern Ohio Veterans Home in Georgetown who have done their part to keep our country free. Naturally it is unsettling to see that for many veterans, their needs are still not being met.”

“These proud veterans answered the call, so it is time for others to step in and help here in Clermont County and across our nation,” said Plahovinsak. “My first task will be to disseminate this Veterans Pulse Survey to the Clermont County Veterans Service Commission and to other veteran service organizations in Clermont County.”

“We are blessed in Clermont County that many DAV Chapter #63 members also belong to other veteran service organizations. For example, the Post Commander of the Clermont County American Legion is the Senior Vice-Command of DAV Chapter #63 and the Executive Director of the Clermont County Veterans Service Commission is also a member of DAV Chapter #63,” explained the Chapter #63 Commander.

“My second task will be to request that the Chapter #63 Webmaster include the entire Veterans Pulse Survey on our Chapter’s Webpage,” added Plahovinsak. “The more people that have access to this survey, the better our chances of implementing direct action to change the negative perception reflected in the survey by our veterans.”

The DAV Veterans Pulse Survey also found meaningful differences between attitudes and experiences of post-9/11 veterans and those who served in earlier eras, as well as between men and women.

“Here are some of the highlights that I have gleamed while reviewing and analyzing the Survey in depth,” explained the Chapter #63 Commander:

First, while 81 percent of veterans believe that military service had an overall positive impact on their lives and they would enlist over again, only 38 percent felt that they were not adequately supported when they re-entered civilian life. The veterans cited daily living, employment, skills training, finances, housing as their biggest challenges they faced upon leaving the military.

“For example, I met a veteran who had two tours of duty as an Armor Officer while serving in Vietnam. When he was discharged in 1972, he admitted to me he had no job skills or talents that would translate to meaningful employment,” illustrated Plahovinsak. “After searching several months, he took the first job he could find, and that was tunnel rock drilling in Colorado.”

Second, only 50 percent of veterans in the DAV Pulse Survey believe that the promises the government made to them as veterans have been kept and a disappointing low 22 percent of them believe that the government treats veterans well.

Only 44 percent of veterans report that they have received the health, disability, financial and educational benefits they were promised by the government.

Only 18 percent of the veterans believe disabled veterans have received the benefits they were promised.

Over 70 percent of all the VA disability claims are filed and processed by DAV Department and National Service Officers free of charge. The remaining less than 30 percent are filed and processed by individuals on their own or by other veteran service organizations.

While 87 percent of veterans agree that the federal government should provide a health system dedicated to fulfilling the needs of ill, injured and wounded veterans, 50 percent feel that the government is short-changing them in terms of the promise of providing quality, accessible health care to veterans.

Third, many post-9/11 veterans reported that their time in the military had adverse impact and effect on their health.

The statistics in the survey indicated that 37 percent of the veterans indicated that military service had a negative effect on their physical health, while 28 percent of the veterans said their time in the service had a negative effect on their mental health.

Post-9/11 veterans are significantly more likely than veterans from other service eras to report that after leaving the military and becoming a civilian, they had a difficult time with relationships with their spouses or partner, children or parents and family members.

Post-9/11 veterans are also much more likely to report that finding meaningful employment after leaving the military is difficult, with 36 percent saying it was extremely rough.

Fourth, 56 percent of female veterans do not believe they receive the same respect and appreciation as their male counterparts; while 34 percent of male veterans think that women do not receive the same respect as men do.

Post-9/11 veterans are also much more likely to report that finding meaningful employment after leaving the military is difficult, with 36 percent saying it was extremely rough.

Fourth, 56 percent of female veterans do not believe they receive the same respect and appreciation as their male counterparts; while 34 percent of male veterans think that women do not receive the same respect as men do.

Fifty-six percent of women veterans would encourage their daughters to serve in the military, while only 34 percent of male veterans would encourage their sons to serve in the military.

Fifth, 85 percent of veterans say they appreciate it when strangers thank them for their military service. The most common activities of veterans to celebrate Veterans Day includes celebrating with family and friends, taking advantage of special offers at stores and restaurants and wearing a special piece of clothing to symbolize their military service.

Members of DAV Chapter #63 (Clermont County) were at the Golden Corral at Eastgate Boulevard from opening to closing on Veterans Day collecting donations for the DAV Department of Ohio Hospital Fund.

The DAV Veterans Pulse Survey was conducted by a global research firm GfK utilizing KnowledgePanel, the largest online panel representative of the United States. The full report of the survey can be viewed at www.VeteransPulse.com.

For more information about DAV Chapter #63 (Clermont County) latest local activities, please contact Commander John Plahovinsak at plahovinsak@msn.com.