Veterans Corner: Veterans invited to annual holiday dinner

Jake Fish, an accredited Veterans Service Officer with the Fleet Reserve Association, has formed a local nonprofit organization called Operation Oliver T. Row, named after a contribution from the Row family in Clallam County. The Row funds, and any you wish to contribute, will be used to help sustain an office located at 127 E. First St. in Port Angeles and to support local veterans.

The office will be open Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. to help veterans apply for VA benefits. To learn more about the organization, go to operationolivertrow.com.

American Legion Post 62 in Sequim will host Breakfast with Santa from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Post, 107 E. Prairie St. All children are welcome to come have waffles, sausages and orange juice for breakfast and receive a gift from Santa. Parents are welcome to bring cameras to take photos with Santa.

Smuggler’s Landing, a 115 E. Railroad Ave., Port Angeles, hosts the seventh-annual Veterans Holiday Dinner on Tuesday, Dec. 18. This is free to all veterans as their way of saying thank you. It will be the traditional holiday dinner served buffet style. It is reservation only; please call 360-452-9292 for a 3 p.m., 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. seating time.

In honor of Veterans Day, the Washington State Attorney General announced new resources aimed at helping military service members and veterans deal with legal issues. The new program is called the Military Engagement & Directed Advocacy by Lawyers, or MEDAL Program, to connect current military service members with legal advice and representation. In addition, the Attorney General’s Military & Veteran Legal Resource Guide, which is aimed at helping both military personnel and veterans find the legal resources they need, has been updated. Both can be found online at www.atg.wa.gov; go to the bottom and click on Initiatives, then click on “Veterans Advocacy.”

Contributors: American Legion, Carl Bradshaw, thbkdragon@yahoo.com; MOAA & DAR, Lorri Gilchrist, cdrlgilchrist@gmail.com; Marine Corps League, Mark Schildknecht, markisin2day@gmail.com; Korean War Veterans, Jerry Rettela, eletteor@msn.com; Fleet Reserve Association, Marty Arnold, martinarnold2001@yahoo.com; Voices For Veterans, John Brasch, voicesfor veterans@yahoo.com; VFW, Art Thomas, sequimvfw post4760@gmail.com.