Claims advocate loves working with veterans

When Gloria Nadeau was 17, taking the civil service exam, it never occurred to her the state job she was hoping to get would still be her livelihood 35 years later. Taken to Augusta by her parents because she couldn’t yet drive, Gloria took the test on the advice of a family friend. Three weeks later she was hired by the Maine Veterans Services office as a secretary. She is now a claims advocate.

“I just love working with the people and talking to the WWII veterans,” Nadeau said. “They have so many stories and are so interesting to listen to. And a lot of them need to talk about the war. We also have a chance to speak with the spouses and understand what they are going through. I can’t imagine not having this job.”

Her office hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., but typically her day begins at 6:30.

“I come in early and put coffee on because there are a few of them that wait for the newspaper,” she said. “I’ll say ‘Your coffee is ready’ and they get a big smile on their faces.” Nadeau also bakes cookies and brownies for the veterans because “it’s something for them to look forward to.”

Veterans of WWII, Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf – most of them senior citizens – have passed through her door looking for some help, and many have found it. In 2002, at the Bangor office at the Maine Veterans Home, 564 awards were granted to veterans totaling more than $8 million.

“A lot of veterans are eligible for benefits that they just don’t know about,” said Nadeau. There are wartime and peacetime benefits, with some medical conditions recently recognized by the government.

Post-traumatic stress disorder was heightened among some veterans by the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. “It was just like they were back in the war,” Nadeau said. “Some of them couldn’t even get out of bed. They had flashbacks.”

PTSD is a disorder characterized by feelings that include anxiety, jumpiness and a fear of crowds. Sufferers also have trouble sleeping and concentrating. They are nervous, startle easily and often don’t feel safe.

PTSD has been given many names through a number of wars. It was called “railroad spine” in the 1860s and “soldier’s heart” during the Civil War. The disorder was dubbed “shell shock” in WWI and “battle fatigue” in WWII. “Gross stress reaction” came with the Korean War and “delayed stress reaction” or “post-Vietnam syndrome” came with the Vietnam War.

Since 1980, post-traumatic stress disorder has been listed in the American Psychiatric Association’s official diagnostic manuals.And PTSD is just one of the things keeping Nadeau and Brenda Gagner, veterans service officer, so busy.

“Some vets would not have even filed,” said Gagner. Many don’t know of the benefits they could be receiving, she said, adding that those with hearing loss may now be eligible for some compensation.

Gagner interviews veterans, and if she suspects PTSD she refers them to the Veterans Center on Harlow Street for an evaluation. Many, in turn, will receive benefits based on the diagnosis.

“So many vets come in for help with the VA health care system, and we also help with nonservice connected pensions, burial benefits, and family and survivor benefits,” said Nadeau.

There are 19,000 veterans living in Penobscot and Piscataquis counties. While Nadeau may not know all of them, she has a soft spot in her heart for each one. And she works hard to make their lives easier.

“Because of what they did for our country, well, I just wanted to give them something back. I’m just praying they don’t close this office.” Nadeau said. “The veterans are a unique class of people.”

If you are a veteran and have questions concerning benefits, call the Maine Veterans Services at 941-3005.

Carol Higgins is director of communications at Eastern Agency on Aging. She is also editor of Lifetimes, EAA’s quarterly newsletter, published as a special supplement in the Bangor Daily News. The next issue will be published Feb. 20. For information on EAA services and programs, call the resource and referral department at 941-2865 or log on to www.eaaa.org.