{"id":7714,"date":"2025-12-12T15:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7714"},"modified":"2025-12-12T15:30:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T15:30:00","slug":"veteran-credits-va-for-turning-his-health-around","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7714","title":{"rendered":"Veteran credits VA for turning his health around"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published:<\/strong> 2025-12-12T15:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n

Army Veteran Jim Williams is now leading a healthier life<\/h2>\n

Always ready to work instead of sitting, Army Veteran Jim Williams dropped out of high school in the late 60\u2019s, earned his General Educational Development Test (GED) and joined the Army as a combat medic. He finished basic training at the top of his class. Shortly later, after a holdover in training, he was promoted and assigned to assist six drill sergeants with a direct report to the supply sergeant.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m proud of what I\u2019ve accomplished in my career, but I\u2019m ashamed of some of the things I did,\u201d Williams shared. \u201cI was not a good kid.\u201d<\/p>\n

His work ethic and energy were never questioned, but his all-go, nonstop approach got him into trouble during and after the military. He was once accused of stealing an M-16 rifle and a .45mm handgun while on active duty.<\/p>\n

Williams spent a few days in the stockade, accused of pulling the latrine out of the wall and eventually being taken to the old Walson Army Hospital at Fort Dix, New Jersey, never making it to Advanced Individual Training (AIT).<\/p>\n

After being medically discharged, Williams struggled with substances\u2014so much so that he found himself on the streets in Pennsylvania. His family tracked him down and found a short-term fix, at least enough to get him back to Wisconsin where he used his G.I. Bill benefits for a 6-month certification in meat technology. \u201cIt included everything from slaughtering to sausage making,\u201d Williams said. \u201cI learned how to break down rail beef to halves and quarters, boning and cutting middle and outer meats, portion cutting, merchandising, etc.\u201d<\/p>\n

He continued toward a marketing degree and, during the summer of 1980, was hired by Food Network Chef Emeril Lagasse to install an in-house meat processing center in Cable, Wisconsin.<\/p>\n

It was during his second job as a security guard where he met his wife, Gail. Marrying in 1982 and focusing on his career allowed him to put his past issues in the rearview mirror. He quit alcohol in 1984 and drugs in 1987.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy career just blossomed,\u201d Williams said. \u201cI went from selling drugs to food service distribution sales, training sales representatives, teaching food service distributors how to effectively sell their product, to eventually owning and operating a delicatessen.\u201d<\/p>\n

From struggles to strength: a new chapter begins<\/h2>\n

After selling the deli, he continued to a career track in the food industry, both retail and foodservice with an emphasis on the sales and marketing \u201ccenter of plate\u201d (meat, poultry, seafood), moving around the U.S as he climbed the ladder with each company.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Shortly after retiring in 2009, his neighbor\u2014a fellow Army Veteran\u2014noticed him losing his balance and gaining weight.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe asked to see my DD214,\u201d Williams said. \u201cThe next day, he took me to our County Veteran Service Officer (CVSO) and told me to wait there until someone came out to help me and then ask for health benefits. It was the best thing that ever happened to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

When VA talks about the Whole Health<\/a> philosophy of finding \u201cwhat\u2019s important to you\u201d to guide health care and treatment, Williams took it to heart. He entered VA health care weighing 267 pounds and using a walker. He\u2019s struggled with anxiety, depression, PTSD, neuropathy, sciatica, COPD, arthritis and much more. But he\u2019s battled to improve it all.<\/p>\n

Today, he\u2019s 164 pounds, works out twice a day and takes full advantage of the VA benefits he\u2019s earned, including the Move program, yoga, mindfulness, Tai Chi, smoking cessation and acupuncture, to name a few. He was diagnosed with chronic PTSD and connected to mental health resources and practices that he still follows today.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe doctor helped me with several events that had happened in my life before, during and after the military. He had me drill down to each event and process them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through his ups and downs, no matter how great or terrible life seemed, he\u2019s had one constant: Gail.<\/p>\n

He still recalls the first time he noticed her reading a romance paperback. He knew immediately she was \u201cthe one\u201d and remains smitten today. \u201cShe was so beautiful. She\u2019s the best thing that ever happened to me. She\u2019s the opposite of me\u2014she\u2019s laid back, yet she\u2019s owned businesses, she took care of the kids. She\u2019s the rock in the family. There\u2019s no question about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also no question that he\u2019s taken that love and support from his wife and pays it forward to others throughout the community. Although \u201cretired,\u201d he volunteers about 40 hours a week in a variety of roles with the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater wheelchair basketball program, Paralyzed Veterans of America-Wisconsin, National Veterans Wheelchair Games, the Special Olympics USA and Wisconsin chapter, Make-A-Wish Wisconsin, and the Boys Town National Alumni Association, to name a few.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have an emotional need to express my appreciation from the directors on down for all they\u2019ve done for me and other Vets,\u201d he said. \u201cI was listened to and understood by a community that understands Veterans.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s never too late to apply for VA health care you\u2019ve earned. If you are a Veteran or know a Veteran who has not yet applied for their VA health care benefits, learn how to\u00a0get started<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

This article was originally published on the VA Madison Health care System site <\/a>\u00a0and has been edited for style and clarity.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After years of substance use and mental health struggles, Army Veteran Jim Williams champions the great health care and benefits VA has to offer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":67,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-health-care"],"yoast_head":"\nVeteran credits VA for turning his health around - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"After years of substance use and mental health struggles, Army Veteran Jim Williams champions the great health care and benefits VA has to offer.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7714\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Veteran credits VA for turning his health around - 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