Personal Information
Organization / Workplace
Shelton, Connecticut
Occupation
Veterans Disability Advocate
About
At no time in my life did I feel as helpless as I did the day al-Qaeda planes ripped through the Twin Towers. As I watched those horrific events on TV for days after, I wondered, what I could do – a sick, 51-year-old veteran on Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) – to help my country.
Two years before, in May, 1999, I became disabled with Adult-Onset Still’s Disease (AOSD), a rare form of rheumatoid arthritis. My doctors told me I would never work again. But 9/11, and a phone call from a fellow veteran a few days later, changed my life completely.
The American Legion Post, where we both belonged, was looking for a volunteer Post Service Officer to advocate for veterans ap