Group of veterans urge county to devote abandoned MDC buildings to vet care

Empty buildings at the Montana Developmental Center would be a good base for a program to support veterans, a group of veterans told the Jefferson County Commission last week.

Ed Lesofski, who introduced himself as a veteran and the holder of a Master’s of Social Work degree, said the governmental agencies set up to serve veterans are not meeting the needs. It is well known that suicide rates among veterans in Montana are high. In 2017 there were 53 veteran suicides in the state. In addition, he said, vocational training is mostly conducted at colleges where the vets do not fare well.

“These vets get mixed in with all these kids that are calling them baby killers…and they just don’t make it,” Lesofski said.