PORT TOWNSEND — A veterans assistance office that opened in Port Townsend last fall is the newest service center on the North Olympic Peninsula.
Port Townsend resident Paul Cahill, who is certified as a service officer with Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Chapter 5 Bremerton, helps veterans file benefit claims with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Wednesday at the Port Townsend Community Center, 620 Tyler St.
According to 2016 Veteran Affairs (VA) data, of the estimated 3,900 Jefferson County veterans, only 650 were receiving compensation benefits, averaging $1,175 per veteran.
One of Cahill’s goals is to encourage more veterans to apply for benefits.
“Some veterans are reluctant to apply,” he said. “They think that they might be taking money away from a more deserving veteran or they are not eligible because they did not serve in combat.
“That’s not true. Eligibility is not based on combat experience. And eligible applicants will not be taking money away from others. Funding for VA programs is based on need.”
Cahill said that dealing with a large bureaucracy such as the VA can be frustrating.
“DAV fulfills the role as the veteran’s advocate,” he said. “I’m here to ensure the veteran’s claim has the correct documentation and facilitate the claim’s entry into the system.”
Veterans are asked to bring their DD214 on their first visit. If a veteran cannot find his or her discharge papers, Cahill will help the veteran apply for a new copy at the national archives. He also will help veterans enroll for VA health care.
VA has three separate branches: The Cemetery Administration runs the nationwide cemetery system; the Health Administration provides clinical health care; and the Benefits Administration provides compensation for several services, including home loans, GI Bill, and service-connected medical conditions, which also includes mental health issues such as anxiety, depression or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The primary mission of DAV, Chapter 5 is to helping veterans achieve their benefits for service-connected medical conditions.
Chapter 5, Bremerton also has service officers in Port Angeles and Sequim. The Chapter 5 Port Angeles office is open form 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Port Angeles Senior Center, 328 E. Seventh St.
The Sequim office is open form 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Wednesday at Serenity House, 598 W. Washington St.
The main office in Bremerton is open form 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, at 2315 Burwell St.
Cahill is a Vietnam veteran and former university professor. He served in Vietnam from 1966 to 1969 as a reconnaissance platoon leader in the 196th Light Infantry Brigade, a senior advisor to the 35th RVN ranger battalion, and a special ops officer with the 5th Special Forces group, MACVSOG.
Cahill was medically retired in 1975.
He received his doctorate in telecommunications from University of Oregon.
Cahill and his wife Tamar lived on 37-foot sloop in the San Francisco Bay area with their two sons for a decade.
In 2007, they pulled up anchor and headed for the Caribbean. The Cahills sold their boat in 2011 and moved to Port Townsend in 2012.
To reach the community center, call 360-385-9007.
