“Veterans deserve the best care in the world, and who better to care for them than another veteran,” said William Michael Mooney Jr., Iraq veteran and Medical Support Assistant at the VA Hospital in Syracuse, N.Y.
Mooney dedicates his life to helping veterans get better, but he can’t do it alone.
“Veterans who keep in close contact with loved ones during the healing process tend to have a more positive attitude about their recuperation,” said Mooney.
In their rooms, the veterans only have access to landlines, which are unable to call cell phones. All calls to cell phones require a phone card, often provided by VFW Operation Uplink.
“Calling home for free is a sure guarantee of happiness, even if it’s brief,” said Mooney.
Mooney has seen firsthand just how grateful the veterans are for the assistance.
“A veteran is at times humbled by the smallest deed,” said Mooney. “They are thankful for any assistance they receive, and you can see it in their eyes and hear it in their voices.”
Mooney urges all people to donate to VFW and other organizations that help wounded veterans.
“Any gift, no matter how small, keeps the spirits of our soldiers up,” Mooney concluded.
Since 2005,Operation Uplink has provided over 500,000 phone cards to hospitalized veterans.