MVAA VSO assists Vietnam War-era veteran with receiving free hearing aids

ALPENA, Mich. — After assisting Leonard Haggadone, a Vietnam War-era veteran, with enrolling in U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare, Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) veteran service officer (VSO) Amber Peplinski received an unforgettable phone call from the veteran’s son.

Rick Haggadone had taken his father Leonard to an audiologist to try on hearing aids. Due to his service in the Air Force from 1958 to 1962 and close operations with C-133 airplanes, Leonard’s hearing had rapidly depreciated over the years. Communication with family and friends became a daily challenge for him.

“It’s a big problem not being able to communicate,” Rick said. “My father would always think people were mumbling so he had to read their lips to try to understand what they’re saying.”

During his audiologist appointment, Leonard was ecstatic when trying on hearing aids and was eager to officially have a pair of his own. Rick smiled when he saw his father’s face light up while wearing hearing aids. However, that excitement soon diminished when they were notified that Leonard’s health insurance would not cover the hearing aids and would cost over $6,000 out of pocket. Due to the cost, Leonard and Rick were unable to purchase the hearing aids, frustrating both father and son and leaving Rick searching for other ways to help his father.

Leonard then went to his county’s VSO to see if he was eligible for VA benefits. The county had recently hired a new VSO that was still in training, so they referred him to Amber Peplinski, an MVAA VSO based in Alpena. Peplinski was able to help move Leonard’s claim forward and help get him a 20% disability rating. Soon thereafter, Leonard was informed that his hearing aids would be fully covered.

“I was elated as hell,” Leonard exclaimed. “Communication and happiness are very important.”

“I could see a tear in my father’s eye when he found out the hearing aids would be free,” Rick recalled. “My siblings and I were so happy.”

Despite working with veterans for over 11 years, Rick’s follow-up phone call to Peplinski truly surprised her and left her with a lasting impression she won’t soon forget. Rick expressed his gratitude for Peplinski’s attentiveness to his father’s case and told her how important it was that his father finally received hearing aids for free. Her guidance and support positively changed his father and their family’s lives forever. With his 20% rating, Leonard is now eligible for free entrance into national parks, VA life insurance, travel pay for service-connected appointments, commissary and exchange privileges, plot and burial allowance and more. The Haggadone family couldn’t be happier and are truly grateful for Peplinski’s assistance.

“I have been assisting veterans since 2014 and this was the first time I ever received a call back from the family member of a veteran to say thank you,” Peplinski said. “The appreciation from the veteran and his son made me so proud to be a VSO and proud to be a part of MVAA.”

Peplinski served in the Marine Corps before attending the University of Northern Colorado. During her studies, Peplinski’s husband was injured in a crane accident that workers’ compensation wouldn’t cover. Peplinski went to her university’s veteran services office for assistance with finding a job while her husband was recovering. To ensure her education would not be affected, the university’s disabled veteran outreach program coordinator (DVOP) was able to set her up with a VA work study that would benefit her education and provide a source of income for her family.

Peplinski’s experience with the DVOP and her time at the VA work study sparked her passion for helping veterans. When she completed college, she became a full-time VSO in her county where she worked for several years. In 2023, Peplinski’s husband of 13 years lost his battle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and she was left to raise their four children on her own.

“I knew I owed it to my former husband, our kids and myself to continue to serve veterans,” Peplinski said. “I applied to be a VSO with MVAA because I wanted to be back home and close to family because we needed the support to help us get through such a hard time.”

After working with MVAA in Alpena for over a year, Peplinski is proud to continue her work of helping veterans and their families. The Haggadone family, among the hundreds of other families she’s assisted, is the reason she serves Michigan veterans and their families and will forever remember Rick’s heartfelt phone call. Peplinski hopes Leonard’s story will bring awareness to veterans and their families around the state the importance of connecting with their earned benefits.

“I think it’s important that veterans get recognized for their service and take advantage of the benefits they earned not only for themselves, but for their families as well,” Peplinski said. “I encourage everyone who served to reach out to a VSO to see what benefits they are eligible for.”

To find a VSO in your area, visit Michigan.gov/VSO.

If you are a service member or veteran or the family member and need support, please contact the Michigan Veterans Resource Service Center at 1-800-MICH-VET (1-800-642-4838) to learn more about veteran benefits and resources.