POULSBO — Every Thursday finds Birger Sather and Ken Nyberg at the North Kitsap National Guard Armory waiting to lend a helping hand.

The two American Legion Post No. 245 service officers provide assistance to veterans and the widows of veterans, who often aren’t aware of what types of services the Veterans Administration offers.

The service office is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Thursday, and information can be obtained by calling the post at (360) 779-5456.

“Most of them don’t know what this is about and what we can do for them,” Sather said.

However, a few veterans come in armed with knowledge about what the VA has to offer, but theyare few and far between, he said.

“Most of the time there’s not that much communication about what’s available,” he said.

A large percentage of older veterans come in with questions about hearing loss that wasn’t noticed until years after they left the service, he said.

“The VA will give some of them a zero rating, but that they’re still able to get hearing aids through the VA,” Sather said.

The highest level of hearing loss he has seen is 40 percent, which means a person has to be almost totally deaf, he said.

Those who have served in artillery units or worked around helicopters or other loud noise environments are prone to hearing loss, he said.

“Hearing loss will come out years and still be service-related,” Sather said.

While the duo sees Korean and Vietnam veterans on a regular basis, they’re just starting to see Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans, Nyberg said.

“They’re just the tip of the iceberg with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and other service-connected injuries,” Nyberg said.

Currently, the pair sees between 10 and 15 veterans each week, but they have seen as many as 18 in one day on occasion, Sather said.

Even though Sather is the senior service officer and Nyberg is the junior service officer, Nyberg said when it comes to helping veterans and their families’ rank doesn’t matter.

“Birger and I like each other and I find the work itself to be enjoyable,” he said, noting that the job often entails working with a veteran’s widow to ensure that the family is cared for during that difficult time in their lives. “Presenting a flag to a widow, that’s a very difficult experience, but it’s a very gratifying one for the widow.”

Through the VA, widows can often obtain medals and other military honors that their spouse may have earned, but never received, Nyberg said.