veterans

Congress is closer to passing legislation which would give tens of thousands of Vietnam Veterans medical benefits - decades after they were exposed to the chemical Agent Orange.

Later this week, the New York State Veterans Benefits Advisors office will be moving from its longtime home in Amherst Town Hall to a new location not far to the east along Main Street, where it will join other services available to local veterans under the roof of a not-for-profit which is already eyeing further expansion.

It happens once a year in Buffalo, when the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs hosts what is called a Veterans Stand Down. It's a gathering where representatives of various agencies set up and provide information to veterans about their wide range of services. On Thursday, the VA brought the Stand Down to Niagara County for the first time in a decade.

Students at a Buffalo-area elementary school got a head start on Veterans Day celebrations, welcoming some local military and first response personnel to their school.

Sixty-seven years after his death, a Buffalo native has received a half-dozen medals - including the Purple Heart - for his service in the Korean War.

More than 100 youngsters are wrapping up a week's getaway at a summer camp in Angola, along the Lake Erie shoreline. It's a summer camp hosted specifically for children of military personnel who have been deployed, are currently deployed or soon will be. It's known as Operation Purple Camp.

A suburban Buffalo agency that serves military veterans and families in need has a program available that makes many youth programs attainable for those who might otherwise struggle to afford it.

A regional retailer, raising the money one dollar at a time, presented a locally-based veterans organization with more than $12,000 to support ongoing efforts aiding those who have left the military and are transitioning - many times with difficulty - into civilian life.

Jewish Americans accounted for a higher percentage of the US military during World War II than the entire US population. On Sunday, May 27 at 9:30 p.m., WNED-TV will broadcast a documentary which celebrates the Jews who contributed to the war effort, specifically members of the US Army Air Corps.

Two Buffalo-area colleges, one of them a two-year public institution and the other a four-year private school, are uniting in a partnership to provide a smooth path to a bachelor's degree for students with military connections.

By this fall, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hopes to begin construction on the new Western New York National Veterans Cemetery in the Town of Pembroke. Officials with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs encourage those who served in the military to do their homework, and take advantage of a benefit that many may not know is one to which they are entitled.

For many military personnel, readjusting to civilian life can be a battle. Transitioning from active service or returning from deployment can bring on feelings and emotions that are difficult to manage. For some, art can be a way to understand those feelings and find peace within oneself. In his series on the arts and social integration, WBFO’s Scott Sackett talks with artist and U.S. Army Colonel Jim Becker, one of the founders of the Artists/Veterans Art Collaborative.

Many people struggle with the Holiday Blues. They battle loneliness, anxiety, stress and depression.

A couple from East Aurora, both of whom served in the U.S Marines, were featured on a special program hosted by popular cooking show host Lidia Bastianich. Mark and Denise Beyers will be among those spotlighted on the PBS program "Lidia Celebrates America: Homegrown Heroes," which pays tribute to veterans who, in their next phase of life, are working the land to produce food.

A century-old apartment building on West Utica will be getting an $11 million rehabilitation, updating the building's mechanical technology and making more units ready for the changing veteran population.

Firefighter Jason Czora returned home to Western New York from Colorado Monday. He returned the hard way - by bicycle.

Some Southern Tier veterans are getting dental care starting Tuesday from University at Buffalo Dental School students and staff.

A Niagara County man, who is a World War II veteran and Purple Heart honoree, was a special guest aboard a B-17 that flew over the Buffalo area Monday. He is just one of the veterans that the Liberty Foundation, which has brought the Madras Maiden to Buffalo, works to honor in their annual tour of U.S. cities.