A trip to the federal Veterans Hospital Canteen in the Lyons/Basking Ridge section of Bernards Twp will explain why everyone should be concerned!
Veterans Canteen Svc (VCS) #604
VA Medical Center
151 Knollcroft Road
Lyons, NJ 07939-5001
Phone: 908-647-0180
Mondays and Fridays from 8 AM–11 AM and 1 PM–3 PM ET
After reading a local newspaper article about the Lyons VA Hospital’s open facility that provides food service to the public, we figured it’d be a good way to support Veterans, the VA, and the VA Hospital System. Considering they employ veterans as well, it looked like a win-win situation. What we found was disturbing and raised some serious questions about the general operation of the entire facility.
We were torn about whether to write about what we saw. But after discussing it with friends, they all agreed that you need to post the piece if you want to see something done.
The dining facility is called “the canteen,” and it is located in Building Six off Knollcroft Road in Lyons (Bernards Township). You can drive in and bypass the gate. If you’re entering off Valley Road, wave as you go by.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll eat just about anything, anytime, anywhere. I’m not some kind of “sheesh” that needs white table-clothed tables and bottled water. You’re not going to find it here. You will find some great people working in a place that smells like a geriatric ward mixed with death. Really.
There is no need to go into the details, but the point is that this government-run facility is truly sad. Put simply, if you walked into this establishment and it was in “Anytown, USA,” you’d turn right around and walk right out. Someone who came with me said, ” Change the name from can-teen to la-treen—this is an institutionalized nightmare!” While there are ways to support our veterans, it’d take a monumental effort for the public to apply pressure to do something.
Do America and the Veterans a favor and go to the Canteen and see for yourself. Come back and write what you think can and should be done. In my opinion, if the federal government thinks it’s going to run a healthcare system like this tiny micro-business nested within the larger government-run medical system, run for the hills.
After you visit the Canteen and the retail store, you’ll feel like you’ve walked into a time warp. It’s simply something I remember from my childhood. According to the VA website, “We offer a full-service retail store with such products as electronics, cosmetics, toiletries, and clothing. Items may be purchased tax-free. The retail store is open to patients, staff, and caregivers and is located in Building Six on the second floor, across from the Canteen.”
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If you think that’s better, you should see with your feet in the snow at the hospital. I got pictures if you need proof oh, you want some of the worst food ever tasted in my life there’s no way to treat Veteran.