Memorial Day 2024
We know that Memorial Day can be a difficult time. If you need someone to talk to, contact the Veterans Crisis Line 24/7 at 988 + 1 or texting 838255.
Heartbreakingly, many of the veterans we meet die before they receive the benefits they deserved—benefits that may have saved their lives.
According to information received from a FOIA request last year, 11,116 people died while waiting for a decision from the Board of Veterans Appeals between 2019 and 2023. Despite promises from politicians on both sides of the aisle, there is no evidence to suggest that this trend has significantly improved.
We also meet many other veterans who have reached out for help from our screening team but who pass away before they even become clients. For many veterans, the health impacts of service and decades of sub-optimal support can be fatal even after a service member returns home.
Below are remembrances from CVLC staff of just a few of our client Veterans who have passed away. With the exception of Lt. Colonel Timothy Brooks—whose family has bravely shared his story publicly in their fight to ensure more Veterans and survivors receive justice—this information is presented anonymously to protect the rights of the Veteran and in recognition of the fact that for every person whose story we know, there are many others who we may never meet.
If you are a Connecticut-based Veteran who needs help, call or text our intake line at (203) 479-0375 or email us at intakes@ctveteranslegal.org.
Memorial Reflections from CVLC's Staff
One Navy Veteran who passed away this year served his country and lived his life with courage and resilience. After his service, he did his best to build a life as a civilian, though the world he returned to off-ship often seemed indifferent to his struggle. We at CVLC honor his memory by continuing to advocate for those who have served, ensuring that they receive the support and recognition they rightfully deserve.
– Ali Walker, Staff Attorney
I remember one Veteran I had the opportunity to help this year – his sense of humor and his regular expressions of gratitude. And the late-night philosophical voicemails I used to get. They are missed.
– Tucker McWeeny, Staff Attorney
The client that I lost this year was someone who had an incredibly difficult life. They were incarcerated for the majority of the last twenty years, and passed away before their benefits could be granted. There was no one to substitute in, and so their claim died with them. I honor them in the work that we do, and the importance of improving the system that so terribly failed them. Their status as an incarcerated person and disabled veteran did not define them, and I keep them in my thoughts this Memorial Day.
– Chelsea Donaldson, Supervising Attorney
In Memory Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Brooks
Tim grew up in New Milford, CT, Class of 85″. Eagle Scout, scholar and athlete. Died May 28, 2004 from service connected cancer. Tim left behind his loving wife and four young children.
Tim’s life has blessed the Veteran’s Community to this day as his daughter, Meghan Brooks, is now fighting successfully for all Veterans. Meghan E. Brooks is an Assistant Professor of Law at the University of South Carolina School of Law, and the Director of the Veterans Legal Clinic where she focuses on the intersection of Veterans law and the rest of our legal system.
Support CVLC in Honor or in Memory this Memorial Day Weekend
Gifts to Connecticut Veterans Legal Center in honor and in memory of a loved one is a fantastic way to recognize what they mean to you while also supporting the Veteran community. Your gift at any amount will ensure that CVLC is able to serve more than 1,500 Veterans over the next year. Make a gift this Memorial Day weekend and have a huge impact.