Monterey County Veterans Digest

The Naval Support Activity Monterey announced a change of command, with Capt. Robert Smith taking over the base, which is home to more than 15 tenant commands.

Federal judge David O. Carter has declined to dismiss a lawsuit that could force the Veterans Administration to house veterans experiencing homelessness in the Los Angeles area. Carter’s 41-page ruling could pave the way for a trial in mid-2024.

The link between PFAS and testicular cancer among service members was never directly proven—until now.

Rep. Jimmy Panetta convened a panel of veterans to discuss the Honoring Our PACT Act, which ensures that veterans exposed to toxic substances during their service receive the care they need.

The Exchange on Ord in Seaside will be making its last sales on Aug. 26 after decades of serving current and former military members.

Political, community and veterans leaders in Monterey County came together to make an impassioned case for the need to have a new veterans home built in the Monterey Bay area to serve aging, disabled, and homeless veterans.

Federal health officials are conducting a new study to determine whether veterans once stationed at now-shuttered Fort Ord were exposed to dangerously high levels of cancer-causing toxins.

A new nonprofit on the Central Coast looks to ensure safe drinking water and access to waterways for all, particularly those in disadvantaged communities. The fledgling nonprofit is called Waterkeeper Monterey, formerly known as Monterey Coastkeeper.

The Military and Veterans Affairs office of Monterey County has a dream: a veterans home located in the county, preferably close to services such as health care while providing much-needed skilled nursing and memory care.

The 2022 Monterey County Veterans Stand Down, an event where homeless veterans on the Central Coast can get help obtaining services, is coming up. Hosted by the Veterans Transition Center, it takes place June 17-18. All homeless men, women and veterans with families are welcome.

Soldiers and civilians who lived at Ford Ord didn’t question whether their tap water was safe to drink. But in 1990, the military training base was added to the EPA’s list of the nation’s most polluted places.

Three students at Monterey’s Naval Postgraduate School will take part in the Agility Summit, an event in which student teams from across the nation present solutions to issues that affect the Navy and Marine Corps.

With the comeback of major outdoor events and celebrations, efforts are in full swing to bring back the Salinas Veterans Day Parade. During the pandemic, the parade was hosted virtually, but event organizers want to bring people together.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6359 is looking for relatives of Sylvester R. Chavez, an infantryman with the 1st Air Cavalry’s 7th Squadron in Vietnam. His mother was Mary Chavez of Watsonville.

Twenty employers from the San Francisco area participated in Boss Lift, a mission to learn more about the Army Reserve and National Guard. The execs flew from the Bay Area’s Moffett Field to Fort Hunter Liggett in military aircraft and observed training exercises.

At Stand Down events, homeless veterans can get access to a range of services: meals and clothing, medical and dental exams, veterinary services, counseling and expert help with accessing benefits.

When the Marina VA clinic didn't open a pharmacy, the decision forced veterans to use sometimes unreliable mail service or navigate public pharmacies ill-equipped to help a military population.

On April 15, members will mark the 75th anniversary of the Sgt. Frank Lillard VFW Post 6747.