Top 5 Veterans News: Oct. 25, 2017

We encourage you to browse our list so that you can take what you want and keep what you need.

1. Veterans court yields first graduate. At 18, Justin Cozart was addicted to meth. At 20, soon after the 9/11 attacks, he joined the Army, hoping to defend his country and stamp out his drug habit under a military boot heel. But Cozart’s drug use survived a tour of duty in Iraq, eventually getting him expelled from the military, and upon his return to Joplin, he says he began dealing drugs, joined a local gang, and was arrested multiple times.
2. Local tapped for national veterans advisory committee. Lawrence native Francisco Urena is in the nation’s capitol working to improve services for veterans not only here in Massachusetts, but across the entire nation. Urena, 37, a decorated U.S. Marine, was appointed as the Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans Affairs by Gov. Charlie Baker. More recently, Urena, the previous veterans director for both Lawrence and Boston, was selected to serve on the newly formed Veterans Family, Caregiver and Survivor Federal Advisory Committee.
3. Veteran Supportive Housing Plan Going To Middletown Council In November. A plan to provide 32 units of supportive housing for homeless veterans could clear one of its last remaining hurdles when a property review goes to the common council for approval Nov. 6. City officials are seeking the council’s approval to transfer the Mary Shepherd Home at 112 Bow Lane to New Haven-based Columbus House, which would turn the building into 26 one-bedroom apartments and six studios for chronically homeless veterans.
4. Flag displays call attention to rising number of veteran suicides. Volunteers are placing hundreds of flags at a veterans memorial here this weekend to raise public awareness about the growing number of veteran suicides. Volunteers plan to place 660 United States flags at the Atlantic County Veterans Memorial at Zion and Bargaintown roads Oct. 28, said Lynn Brown of Absecon.
5. Centenary invites local veterans to annual Veterans Day Tribute. Centenary College invites all local veterans to its 6th annual Veterans Day Tribute on Friday, November 10. The solemn ceremony honoring the service and dedication of all veterans will begin at 11:00 a.m. in Anderson Auditorium at Centenary’s Hurley School of Music. The tribute is free and open to the public.

OH don’t forget to visit VeteransTodayGuide.com.  Today, they just posted “Huge List of Veterans Heroes Who Served For our Country”