Batavia VA Medical Center employees and volunteers placed 2,977 U.S. Flags in the lawn of the lawn in front of the main medical center buildings to honor the 2,977 who perished in 9/11 attacks in 2001.

Patrick Hager, with American Legion Post 637 in Strykersville, helps deliver meals from the Original Red Osier Landmark Restaurant to residents and staff at the VA Hospital in Batavia on Thursday. Veterans in Wyoming County raised $2,100 to pay for 175 meals.

Five former residents of the Batavia PTSD Clinic who died within the past year were honored and remembered Friday in a ceremony that including reading their names (their names will be added to bricks in a path to the memorial flag pole) and laying a wreath in their honor.

The five veterans honored were:

• Daniel R. Criswell, Army
• Thomas R. Kintner, Marine Corps
• Haley M. Messer, Army
• Matthew J. Rizzo, Army
• Matthew M. Shaw, Army

Today, the 3rd Battalion, 19th Special Forces presented $6,400 and the unit's “Holy Grail” cup to Dr. Caryn Dilandro, a PTSD Program psychologist at Batavia VAMC.

The 3rd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne) once drilled as an Army National Guard Special Forces unit out of the Niagara Air Reserve Station. It later disbanded in 1975 as the Vietnam War was winding down. The special forces group recently raised $6,400 on Veterans Day specifically for the Jack. H. Wisby PTSD Center located at the VA WNY Healthcare Center in Batavia.    

Submitted photos and information.

The 1460 Legion Riders, from Machias, stopped by the PTSD clinic at the VA Hospital in Batavia today with a $2,600 check for the clinic.

The members raised the money this year with a dice run and a 9/11 memorial service.

"We have members in the club who have PTSD and we know what they go through and we know what the other veterans go through so when we first became a club we wanted to make PTSD what our money would go to," said Director Tom Ploetz.

Danielle Bergman, assistant director at the VA in Batavia, said the money will be used for recreation therapy, such as the purchase of bikes and kayaks.

Photo: Danielle Bergman, assistant director at the VA in Batavia, Tom Ploetz, director 1460 Legion Riders, Amy Ploetz, secretary, Bob Ponton, member, David Ramsey, nurse manager for the PTSD program, Jim Perkins, treasurer, Joan Perkins, member.

A group of veterans being treated at the PTSD clinic in Batavia got a special Valentine this afternoon at the Holland Land Office Museum.

Students participating in a history class there presented each of the veterans with a patriotic Valentine's Day card that they made themselves.

Anne Marie Starowitz also presented a $250 check to the veterans, a donation to the clinic or however they want to use it. She said they could throw a party for themselves if that's what they wanted to do with the money.

The money comes from the sale of her book, “Back in the Day, Snapshots of Local History, the Way I See It!”

Starowitz said she was inspired to make the donation and support the veterans after a group from the PTSD clinic in Batavia visited the museum and she felt so moved to meet them and learn something about them.

Several of their veterans expressed their gratitude, including ones who said the gesture was so meaningful because they are currently separated from their own children while undergoing treatment and they miss their kids.

"One of the symptoms I deal with is kind of numbing everything out, but this really cracked through the ice," said one veteran. "This is special."

Carl, who served two terms in Iraq, said the cards meant a lot to him but wanted to remind the children that the word "hero" has a special meaning.

"To us, hero means the people who didn't come home," Carl said. "That's something that we hold dear to our hearts and I'm sure you do, too, but on the other hand, it's people like you guys who are willing to do this and support us and happy to do it that make it easy for us to go over there and fight."

Service dogs play a vital role in helping veterans deal with medical issues, including Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). But when the dogs stay with veterans at the PTSD clinic at the VA Center in Batavia, there hasn't been a place for them to relax, play and run, which service dogs need to do when they're not working.

Until recently, veterans who entered in-patient care at the clinic weren't allowed to bring their dogs, but now that they can; there needs to be facilities to accommodate the canines.

The Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association heard about the problem and raised more than $1,400 (mostly from their own members, but the Rotary Club and Home Depot also contributed) to build a dog run behind the clinic.

Today, that fenced-in dog run was built, giving the service dogs a place of their own when they're not working.

The work was made possible through the cooperation of the CVMA, led by Frank Grillo, of Buffalo, and Brian Stiller, Medical Center director for the WNY Medical Healthcare System.

While there have been a lot of complaints nationally about the VA, Grillo noted the VA in WNY seems pretty responsive to veterans and he praised Stiller for his cooperation.

"You hear a lot of people talking a lot of bad stuff about the VA, but then you get a guy who is a veteran himself leading a portion of the VA, and it's kind of inspirational to see somebody who cares actually stepping up and helping us do what we need to do to help our fellow veterans," Grillo said.

Stiller said he could help because the current secretary of the VA has said principles should come before rules.

"We can pull this off by having somebody who has a can-do attitude and this group of veterans," Stiller said. "This is something that has happened real quick and it shows how the community can come together and do a simple, real good thing right on time. It speaks volumes for the commitment and caring that is going on."

The commemoration is being held in honor of Vietnam Veterans and their families including those held as prisoners of war or listed missing in action.

Guest Speaker Mr. Vincent Schollard served two tours of duty in Vietnam as a Navy Corpsman from 1966 to 1968.  

In a stirring speech he described what those who served in Vietnam had to come home to, “There was a cardboard sign in the window of a house sometimes saying "Welcome home Vet John or Mike" and the other people were still outside the airports with thier picket signs calling us baby killers, and what war criminals we were, and waiting with bags of dog crap, but we persevered and it's because of the Vietnam Veteran that the VA system got a better understanding of what PTSD really is...”

Schollard went onto speak of the exclusive brotherhood that he joined called the Vietnam Vets and how they have persevered not only through the horrors of War but in making many improvements to the VA system.

Schollard received a standing ovation as he choked up delivering the last words of his speech, “We are a strong group of men and women and I'm deeply proud to be a part of that, and I thank you for your service, welcome home my brothers.”  

St. Joe’s Brass Ensemble of Batavia played a service medley tribute as members of various military divisions arose for their tune to be be honored.

Frank Panepento and Tom Cecere led a haunting rendition of Silver Taps to close out the ceremony.

VA representatives were on hand to field questions about the VA system and many of the opportunities that a number of Veteran’s are underutilizing or completely unaware of.  For more information on VA services visit www.va.gov 

The meeting is scheduled from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Building #4.

Speakers will include Joshua M. de Leon, National Cemetery Administration, Glenn Madderom, Department of Veterans Affairs Cemetary Development and Improvement Service, and Mark Tillotson, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Construction and Facilities Management.

Officials will provide an update on the project and seek feedback on the master plan and design process.

The proposed 132-acre parcel will serve the burial needs of more than 96,000 veterans and eligible dependents for at least 70 years. The initial phase of construction will develop about 70 acres and provide for 10 years worth of interments.

The VA purchased the property at 1232 Indian Falls Road for $625,000 in May 2014.

Today staff from the Attica Correctional Facility made a $5,000 donation to the Men's and Women's Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Residential Program at the Batava VA Center.

Photo and info provided by the VA.