HONESDALE – Harry Young Jr. just took on the duties of the Wayne County Director of Military and Veterans Affairs on Aug. 10, but his decades long career in the military seems to have molded him for the job.
He served for six years in the US Marine Corps and then served with the National Guard on active duty and in the Reserves, completing deployments to Bosnia in 2002 and Afghanistan in 2007. Much of his time was spent attached to Co. A, 109th Infantry in Honesdale.
Young not only knows the type of issues these soldiers are dealing with, but he knows the people.
“My career has been about helping soldiers and veterans,” Young said. He was a Marine Corps Avionics Technician as well as a USMC Liaison Officer on a US Air Force Base; he was a recruiter for the National Guard in Honesdale and Carbondale and served in numerous mechanized infantry leadership roles at the platoon through battalion levels before retiring in 2019.
He said he has always been taking care of soldiers needs and felt his new position was a good next step. In fact, he had considered applying for the job before, but he said, “The timing wasn’t right.”
Young is currently working toward his US Veterans Administration certification, which he hopes to have completed within the month. Right now, the office continues to operate on an appointment-only basis in light of COVID-19, but he is hoping to add some walk-in days in the future.
If you need help navigating your veterans’ benefits, you can contact Harry Young Jr. by phone at 570-253-5970 ext. 3114 or via email at HYoung@WayneCountyPA.gov.