“I had a career where I left and did everything in the world and then came back here,” Norman Machelor said.
“Here” is Lewiston, New York, where Machelor was born 80 years ago and lives now with his wife, Mary. The two met as students at the University of Buffalo and wed before graduation. Machelor joined the Army soon after that.
Continuing a Family Tradition
“I chose to enlist because there was a passion there,” he said. “For one thing, my dad served in World War II as an infantry officer. So, that’s what I wanted to do, too.”
Like his father, Machelor was selected for Officer Candidate School (OCS). In 1968, he joined the 51st OCS Company and also completed Jump School at Fort Benning. He went on to train other soldiers for a year before being deployed to Vietnam as a platoon leader. After an injury left him disabled, Machelor returned home to work for his father. Eventually, he took over the business and sold it after 25 years.
Machelor spent the next 10 years working for the governor of New York as the deputy director of government affairs for the Division of Military and Naval Affairs. After that, he began a new job with the VA.
“I was a claims examiner with the VA, which was a computer job,” Machelor said. “It was interesting, and I learned a lot, but I never interacted with veterans, which I didn’t like.”
‘We Talk and We Talk and We Talk to Figure Out What’s Wrong’
In 2020, Machelor was recruited to work for the VFW as a VFW Accredited Service Officer.
“Of course, no sooner I got hired than COVID hit,” he said. “Fortunately, they let us work from home, so I’ve been doing a hybrid job ever since.”
Much like in the National Guard and Reserve, VFW Accredited Service Officers, like Machelor, must attend two weeks of continuing education training annually to retain both VA certification and access to veterans’ records.
Whether Machelor is working remotely, at the VA regional office, or at the VA hospital, he gets to work directly with veterans, just like he always wanted to do.
“Basically,” Machelor explained, “the two elements of the job are getting people into the VA claims system and then researching their cases to get them the best benefits possible.
“We talk and talk and talk with veterans to figure out what’s wrong, how it happened and all the rest. Then, we submit paperwork. We try not to promise them anything because we can’t. But if the VA’s decision is negative, we go back through the paperwork to see why and how we can appeal the claim.”
Regardless of how a claim plays out, Machelor’s support is unwavering.
‘Of Course, He Comes to Me, His Service Officer’
“The veterans we assist remain clients forever,” Machelor said. “There are people I worked with years ago who call me to reopen their case because a condition progressed. That’s a big part of what we do.
“For instance, one guy received VA disability for diabetes in 2020. Now,” Machelor explained, “it’s progressed to where he needs insulin instead of pills. He’s eligible to ask for an increase in benefits. So, of course, he comes to me, his service officer.”
In addition to helping veterans, Machelor has noticed that many of their family members are unprepared in the event of a death. He encourages veterans to act before it is too late.
“Many of them just aren’t aware that, generally, their benefits stop upon their death. I know which spouses may be eligible for continued benefits in the event of the veteran’s demise and call to inform them to prepare to contact me right after their spouse passes,” he said.
I Say to My Wife, ‘I Rang the Bell’
While reflecting on the veterans and families he has helped, Machelor said, “Every once in a while, I’ll tell my wife, ‘I love my job.’ She’ll say, ‘Yeah, I know you do.’
“That doesn’t mean it can’t be frustrating. But when I was younger, I wanted to go to law school. Even though I’m not a lawyer, this job gives me the chance to represent veterans.”
In one instance, Machelor was able to secure $80,000 in back pay for an individual. In another, he helped an 80-year-old, who had never received assistance, get benefits that he could use to address his prostate cancer. And just recently, Machelor started the paperwork for a Vietnam veteran who is applying for benefits for himself so his wife can be eligible for a pension when he dies.
When asked how doing this work makes him feel, Machelor said, “Well, I had cancer. And when you battle cancer successfully, you ring a bell. So, a lot of days after I leave my office and get home, I say to my wife, ‘I rang the bell’ because I was able to change someone’s life.”
Learn more about the VFW's National Veterans Service (NVS) program.