Given the bureaucracy that accompanies most federal agencies, veterans can sometimes find themselves lost or confused when it comes to connecting with the benefits they earned as a result of their military service.

Enter Hartford HealthCare at Home and their veterans liaison, Wayne I. Rioux.

A Vietnam War-era veteran and retired Connecticut State Police officer, Rioux assists veterans and/or their spouses throughout the state by answering questions and providing information about available vital resources, including:

  • Obtaining the Connecticut Veterans Wartime Service Medal, medals earned during service time, France’s Knight of the Legion of Honor Medal and Korea’s Ambassador of Peace Medal
  • Registering veterans at the National Museum of the U.S. Army in Arlington, Virginia, National Museum of the U.S. Navy in Washington, D.C. and/or WWII Registry of Remembrance in Washington, D.C.
  • Assist in end-of-life planning with various burial options, free footstone and military honors
  • Obtaining Discharge Papers (DD214)
  • Obtaining Burial Allowances (where eligible)
  • Financial assistance (where eligible), and
  • Discussing possible ‘Service-Connected Disability’ and ‘Presumptive Diseases’ claims

A bittersweet story as a U.S. hero receives his long overdue service medals: 

Rioux also actively listens and provides support as veterans share their stories during one of the many coffee hours he holds each month at Hartford HealthCare facilities throughout Connecticut. The idea for the veterans coffees came from his personal experience with his father.

“Based on my father being in assisted living and claiming he had no one to talk to (about his war experiences), I started talking with leadership at the various Hartford HealthCare facilities that I went into and developed the veterans’ coffee hours,” Rioux told WTIC’s Steve Parker. Rioux holds these coffees at nearly 50 facilities each month, including assisted and skilled nursing facilities, senior housing, community centers and libraries.

“The veterans from the area will come into a common room and we’ll sit around and talk about their military service and current events involving our military. Then we’ll talk about historic events for that month,” Rioux explained.

Rioux also provides the veterans with his email address and phone number, often answering calls in his hours away from work.

“I figure that, regardless of the time of day or night or the day of the week, I think it’s important enough to be there at the other end of the phone,” he said. “I’m here to bring them the honor, dignity and respect that they deserve.”

Wayne I. Rioux is adding a new veterans coffee to his schedule. He’ll be welcoming veterans from throughout the Tri-bury area on the third Wednesday of every month, from 8:30 to 10 a.m., beginning Aug. 16. The office is located at Heritage Village Commercial, 519 Heritage Road, Suite 2A5, Southbury. For more information on this and other veterans coffees in Connecticut, please call 203.584.8891.