{"id":94937,"date":"2023-03-15T17:46:46","date_gmt":"2023-03-15T21:46:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/?p=94937"},"modified":"2023-03-17T07:02:50","modified_gmt":"2023-03-17T11:02:50","slug":"march-event-recognizes-women-that-served-and-caretakers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2023\/03\/15\/march-event-recognizes-women-that-served-and-caretakers\/","title":{"rendered":"March event recognizes women that served, and caretakers"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cYour story matters,\u201d said Viviana DeCohen, director of the New York State Division of Veterans\u2019 Services, and during an event held on March 4 that recognized Women Veterans and caretakers that are providing care for a veteran, with some having served themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dozens of guests attended the recognition luncheon last Saturday, held at the American Legion Post in Owego, despite a surprise snowstorm the evening before that caused some travel delays for the event\u2019s guest speaker, DeCohen. There were also several local dignitaries in attendance to include Martha Sauerbrey, chair of the Tioga County Legislature; William Standinger, District 7 legislator; and Dean Morgan, Town of Owego. Certificates signed by Assemblyman Christopher Friend and Senator Thomas O\u2019Mara were also presented.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"March<\/a>

Michael Middaugh, director of the Tioga County Veterans\u2019 Service Agency, welcomes guests last Saturday attending the Women Veterans and Caregivers Recognition Luncheon, hosted by the Tioga County Veterans\u2019 Service Agency. (Photo by Wendy Post)<\/p><\/div>\n

Things began with words from Michael Middaugh, director of the Tioga County Veterans\u2019 Service Agency; the reading of the poem, A Women Veteran\u2019s Day; the Invocation by Sister Mary O\u2019Brien, from Tioga County Rural Ministry; lunch, catered by Phil\u2019s Chicken House; and then the keynote speaker, who herself is a United States Marine Corps Veteran. The event concluded with individual recognition to veterans and caregivers in attendance, and then door prizes, information regarding services, and tokens of appreciation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"March<\/a>

Viviana DeCohen, director of the New York State Division of Veterans\u2019 Services, was the Keynote Speaker at last Saturday\u2019s Recognition Luncheon, hosted by the Tioga County Veterans\u2019 Service Agency. (Photo by Wendy Post)<\/p><\/div>\n

As for the keynote speaker, Viviana DeCohen was appointed in December of 2021 as Director of the New York State Division of Veterans\u2019 Services. A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, DeCohen previously served as the Commissioner of the Mount Vernon Veterans Service Agency. She is also the Associate Pastor at Mt. Vernon Heights Congregational Church.<\/span><\/p>\n

DeCohen has dedicated her time and talent assisting veterans, ensuring food, shelter, clothing, education, employment and a little motivation, earning her the affectionate title of \u201cMama V\u201d to those she has helped throughout the years.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"March<\/a>

A ceremonial cake awaits Women Veterans and Caregivers at last Saturday\u2019s Recognition Luncheon, hosted by the Tioga County Veterans\u2019 Service Agency. (Photo by Wendy Post)<\/p><\/div>\n

DeCohen\u2019s military service allowed her to earn a Bachelor\u2019s in Behavioral Science and a Master\u2019s in Health Service Management, both from Mercy College. She is the Veteran Affairs 2021 Trailblazer, and you can learn more at www.va.gov\/womenvet\/cmv\/trailblazers2021.asp<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Last Saturday, and during DeCohen\u2019s address to the guests that gathered, she emphasized her words, \u201cThank you for your service,\u201d and talked of the reach of those served. \u201cYou served your country, your family, and your community,\u201d said DeCohen. \u201cYour service didn\u2019t end when you left the military.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This was evident as women that served in Iraq and foreign wars, those care-taking elderly veterans, and guests that arrived to recognize them felt some camaraderie that afternoon, many sharing stories at the table where they were seated with other guests in attendance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"March<\/a>

Pictured is Martha Sauerbrey, chair of Tioga County\u2019s Legislature, along with her husband and veteran, Lew Sauerbrey, and Andrea Klett, County Clerk and veteran. (Photo by Wendy Post)<\/p><\/div>\n

And during Women\u2019s History Month, the recognition luncheon was fitting, and a good lead into recognizing those that cleared the path for the trailblazers, like DeCohen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Information was shared by the Veterans\u2019 Service Agency, and was set up in a display in the center of the room for the event. Issues like PTSD and Veteran Suicide Prevention were highlighted in the materials, and a challenge coin was presented.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"March<\/a>

From left, Legislator William Standinger and Dean Morgan, Town of Owego, both veterans, attend the Women Veterans and Caregivers Recognition Luncheon held last Saturday at the American Legion in Owego, and hosted by the Tioga County Veterans\u2019 Service Agency. (Photo by Wendy Post)<\/p><\/div>\n

For women, being a veteran can also be a challenge, and due to the fact that the average person will often assume that men are the only ones that serve.<\/span><\/p>\n

In her poem, A Women Veteran\u2019s Day, Terri Stouder, U.S. veteran, illustrates these struggles. The following is the poem.<\/span><\/p>\n

A Women Veteran\u2019s Day<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Terri L. Souder, U.S. Army MP Corps veteran<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

They have a day for that, he said…<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s in November and it’s called Veterans Day,<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

But he never served.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

We don’t distinguish between male and female here, he said…<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

If you served you’re a veteran,<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

But he only saw women in office and medical jobs when he was in uniform.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

She puts on her veteran hat to go shopping with her veteran spouse and they are stopped by a random stranger\u2026<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Her partner is thanked for his service while she is ignored,<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

But she is supposed to ‘soldier on’.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

She parks in a spot designated for veterans\u2026<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

With a lift on the back of the car that clearly says \u201cVETERAN,\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

But she is told she shouldn’t park there unless her spouse is actually in the car.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

She goes to the club for a service meeting\u2026<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

And is approached by the district president of the auxiliary,<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Because in a Veteran Service Organization, if you’re a woman you must be a spouse.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

She goes to the VA to check in for an appointment\u2026<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

And the person at the desk never looks up, as they say, \u201cHow can I help you, Sir?\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Because if you’re there for treatment, you must be a man.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

She goes to Arlington for an event at the Military Women’s Memorial\u2026<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

And sees a sign in the bathroom stall stating that,<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike all the other memorials, it isn’t part of the National Parks Service and is funded by donations.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

She periodically wonders why she ever put a uniform on\u2026<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

To defend the Constitution or the United States,<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Against all enemies, foreign and domestic.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

She tries to remember why she raised her hand\u2026<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Swore an oath and signed a blank check to the country,<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

To include giving her life, if necessary.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Then it happens, it FINALLY happens\u2026<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

While being interviewed for the historical archives at the MWM,<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

The man on the other side of the camera says, \u201cYour story matters.\u201d<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cYour story matters,\u201d said Viviana DeCohen, director of the New York State Division of Veterans\u2019 Services, and during an event held on March 4 that…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":94938,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-94937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nMarch event recognizes women that served, and caretakers - Owego Pennysaver Press<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/www.owegopennysaver.com\/PS\/2023\/03\/15\/march-event-recognizes-women-that-served-and-caretakers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"March event recognizes women that served, and caretakers - 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