Memorial Day
honors military personnel who have died in the performance of their duties
while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Remembrance also
encourages actions that benefit the living.
Two veteran service
organizations will come together at noon, Wednesday, May 26, at the Old
State House on The Green. It will mark the 10th anniversary of
the Delaware Veterans Coalition and of the Delaware Veterans Treatment Court.
The attached photo shows the 5th anniversary of the Coalition.
The event will be held
on the steps of the building and allow members of the Coalition,
the Commission of Veterans Affairs and military veterans of the Judiciary
and Veterans Affairs committees to participate without masks, assuming all have
been vaccinated, while other elected officials and court affiliated volunteers
may observe from The Green, along with media representatives.
The Honorable William L.
Witham Jr., JD, Resident Judge of Kent County and a Resident Judge of the
Superior Court of Delaware, will address the audience, according to Dave
Skocik, president of the Delaware Veterans Coalition.
Judge Witham, who will
retire this month, served in the Delaware National Guard and the Reserves for
33 years in numerous command and staff positions, including as Deputy Commander
of the Delaware Army National Guard. The Veterans Treatment Court began in
February 2011 as the first statewide program and the first to have a diversion
and probation track.
The Veterans Treatment
Court https://courts.delaware.gov/superior/ mission
is to divert veterans who meet strict requirements from the traditional
criminal justice system and provide them with the tools to lead a productive
and law-abiding life. Studies show that such collaborative courts enhance
public safety, cut recidivism and are more cost effective than the typical
manner of processing offenders.
The Delaware Veterans
Coalition, www.DelawareVeteransCoalition.com established in May 2011, was cofounded by Vietnam veterans Dave Skocik and Paul Davis as an additional voice for the state’s veterans of all generations. In 2013 it was instrumental in the establishment of the Delaware Veterans Trust Fund under the auspices of the Commission of Veterans Affairs. The fund provides one-time hand up grants to honorably discharged veterans in financial emergency.
The Coalition and the
Veterans Court and its attorneys, all military veterans, serve as volunteers.
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