Veterans

Sgt. Joseph J. Drake, a local centenarian and one of only five surviving World War II Army Rangers, recently received the Congressional Gold Medal during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. He was honored for his service by state, county and local dignitaries on July 21 at the Wayne County Courthouse.

As an Army Ranger during World War II, Sgt. Joseph Drake helped liberate Buchenwald, one of the first and the largest of the concentration camps in Germany.

During the Battle of the Bulge, the lifelong Wayne County resident was part of a six-man mission to capture a Nazi soldier for interrogation.

Almost 80 years after the end of World War II, Drake received the Congressional Gold Medal on June 26. It’s the highest honor given by Congress.

A U.S. Senate committee will review a bill that a local congressman hopes will eventually make it easier for veterans to apply for benefits.

U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-Luzerne, introduced the Simplifying Forms for Veterans Claims Act in February, about a month after beginning his first term in Congress. The House overwhelmingly approved it two weeks ago.

TOBYHANNA — U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan Jr., on Monday said “at the heart of everything we do” is the belief that government should work better for the people it serves.

TOBYHANNA, MONROE CO. (WOLF) — Veterans and their families may soon find relief from bureaucratic paperwork required to access benefits, thanks to the recent passage of H.R. 1286.

The bill mandates the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study and provide recommendations to simplify VA forms.

Greg Schultz, Commander of V.F.W. Post 3448, reflected on the challenges he faced after leaving the military.

"It's documentation, documentation, red tape, duplicate applications, and my understanding is the paperwork even harder," Commander Schultz said.