Panhandling WWII Vet Finally Receives Veterans’ Disability Benefits For Tinnitus

A veteran of World War II was finally granted Veterans’ Disability benefits after a local news station reported on the long wait that the man had faced from Veterans Affairs.

Anthony Jacondino was spending two days a week panhandling for change on a highway median – with his Victory Metal pinned on his chest and a cardboard sign that explained he was a World War II vet in need of financial help. Jacondino had suffered hearing loss and tinnitus in the war, while his wife had recently suffered a debilitating stroke that prevented her from supporting the family. While she successfully applied for Social Security Disability benefits, the money wasn’t enough to support them. Jacondino began the process of applying for Veterans’ Disability, but hadn’t heard back for over a year.

The man suffered significant hearing loss from his time manning a tank with a cannon during the war.

Finally, a person driving past, Lisa Lapina, asked Jacondino about his story and then alerted the local news to his plight – and to his difficulty in receiving support from the VA. Within weeks, his application had been approved.