Atlanta
(2009-11-13)
ATLANTA, GA
(WABE) -
Starting Saturday, Atlanta veterans will have access to a new place to go if they need to talk about trauma they've experienced. Candace Hull is a spokesperson with the Department of Veterans' Affairs. She says returning from combat can be difficult for any soldier.
"There are a lot of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan particularly those who have experienced combat and want to come back and talk to someone about what they've been though and just have someone who can listen."
Hull says veterans' family members are also welcome at the centers.
The new location is at 40 Dodd Street in Marietta. The center adds to the VA's existing counseling locations in Atlanta and Lawrenceville.
More information from the Dept. of Veteran's Affairs:
VA Opens Largest Veterans Counseling Center in Area
What: VA Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs L. Tammy Duckworth will deliver the keynote address at the Marietta Vet Center grand opening.
Who: Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs L. Tammy Duckworth
When: Saturday, November 14, 2009
11:30 a.m.
Where: Marietta Vet Center
40 Dodd Street, Suite 700
Marietta, GA 30060
Background:
Assistant Secretary Duckworth oversees Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. A Major in the Illinois Army National Guard, Duckworth flew combat missions as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot in Iraq. In 2004, her aircraft was ambushed and a rocket-propelled grenade struck the helicopter she was co-piloting. As a result of the attack, Duckworth lost both of her legs and partial use of one arm. She received many decorations for her actions, including the Purple Heart, the Air Medal, and the Combat Action Badge.
Duckworth will speak at the grand opening of the Marietta Vet Center, the largest of its kind in Metro Atlanta. The center provides readjustment counseling to combat Veterans, military sexual trauma counseling to all Veterans, and bereavement counseling to the families of service members who die on active duty.
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