Veterans Services in Action: Serving Those Who Served
Burlington’s veterans have someone in their corner — and the door is always open.
This story was featured in our Fall Magazine
Read our Fall 2026 issue today — now arriving in Burlington mailboxes.
When Marine Corps Captain Chris Hanafin returned to the U.S. in 2012 from his second overseas deployment, he returned to a world he no longer recognized. He and his fellow service members had been thrust from a fast-paced, adrenaline-filled world where each decision could have life or death consequences to a slower, less stimulating place where, at least at the beginning, they were treated with kid gloves.
The shock of transition was real. And, said Hanafin, other veterans were the only ones who could truly understand. “These guys had a lot of responsibility [while they were deployed],” he said. “First thing that they do, when you get back to the States, they take your weapon away. And you kind of feel naked” after months of carrying a rifle 24 hours a day.
Hanafin had planned on going into the service after his high school graduation in 2003, but opted to attend college at UMass before enlisting as an officer. After eight years in the Marines and four in the reserves, he understands something he hadn’t considered before: Veterans just “get it” in a way someone who’s never served doesn’t.
Hanafin, a Burlington native and BHS graduate, planned to come back and become a firefighter. His return, however, coincided with the town’s transition to Advanced Life Support, which would mean he needed to go back to school to become an EMT. “More school and training? No way,” said Hanafin. “I didn’t want to be a paramedic. I wanted to be a firefighter.”
A year earlier, the search for a home loan had brought him into Burlington’s Veteran Services office (VSO), where Bob Hogan was the director. Hogan showed Hanafin how to get a certificate of eligibility for a VA loan, but he also planted the seed that led Hanafin to his seat in the director’s office. “He’s like, ‘What if you don’t end up becoming a firefighter? I’m retiring in a year. Would you be interested in this job?’”
Hanafin wasn’t sure at first. “I would go to [the] Memorial Day and Veterans Day [ceremonies] every year. I thought that’s what he did. I had no idea what this entailed.” But Hanafin interviewed for the role and was ultimately hired. “Jen and I started on the same day in 2015,” he said, referring to Principal Clerk, Navy Veteran Jennifer Goldsmith, the first face visitors see when they enter the VSO.
After 11 years in the role, Hanafin has a strong hold on the office’s responsibilities. “We’re the liaison between the veteran and the state or federal services they’re looking for.” Whether that’s medical benefits, surviving spouse benefits, or help navigating the VA website, this office is the first point of contact. Burlington’s 1,200-1,300 veterans can come here for help filing disability claims, connecting to VA medical care, and accessing financial assistance programs.
Having the office is a state requirement unique to Massachusetts, said Hanafin. “By law, if you have a town of over 12,000 people, you have to have a full-time veteran services officer,” he said. And, he added, veterans returning stateside are made well aware of the services available to them.
If you like being informed and connected to your community, sign up for the Daily Buzz newsletter now!
The office’s work complements that of private organizations such as the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), American Legion, and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). However, those other organizations, said Hanafin, are restricted in the kinds of things they can support. “It’s very bureaucratic, and the problem with these national organizations is that all the work is done at the local level.” That’s why Hanafin and fellow veterans recently founded the Middlesex County Veterans Association, a local nonprofit that can support veterans who don’t fit neatly into state or federal eligibility categories.
Lifelong Burlington resident and Air Force veteran Wayne Higden, who served in Vietnam, is one example of the support available to Burlington veterans. He was first connected with the office via Charlie Casassa, the town’s first-ever Veteran Services officer.
Since he returned stateside, Higden has been dealing with service-related disabilities as a result of exposure to Agent Orange. Casassa helped Higden submit a disability claim for his tinnitus and hearing loss, and when the exposure symptoms later progressed to diabetes, carotid artery conditions, and ischemic attacks, Higden transitioned to the VA for all his medical care.
Higden, who is active in town life, said his connection with the VSO has led to lasting friendships. “Veterans can associate with each other because we have something in common,” said Higden, a sentiment shared by Hanafin.
Become a paying member of the Hive and get exclusive stories from the Buzz, early access to our events, discounted merchandise, and more—all while supporting a Burlington-owned business.
The VSO hosts biweekly breakfasts for veterans and quarterly lunches or dinners for veterans and their spouses. Hanafin acknowledges the value of the work his office does but says the social opportunities provided by these gatherings are irreplaceable. “You can get so much more information from a veteran talking to another veteran.”
If he could start any initiative he wanted, Hanafin knows exactly what he’d do.
First, a support network to connect veterans with other community members socially. “It’s like, ‘Hey, this veteran’s lonely. You got some time to bring him a cup of coffee and have a conversation?’” he said.
Second, a volunteer network to help veterans with landscaping and general upkeep on their property. “A majority of our veterans are elderly,” he said, and have been in their homes for decades but no longer have the same capacity for home maintenance they did in their younger years.
”I don’t want to be a part of a community that wants to look at our elderly and be like, well, you have a huge investment in your home, just sell it and go live in an apartment. That’s not fair. They’re the ones that built this community.” He said this kind of practical volunteer support would be a good way for students to get more involved in the community and help the town’s veterans at the same time.
For Hanafin, the work is personal. He grew up here, served, and came back. So did many of the veterans he now serves. And the most striking part of the work? “The stories I’ve been able to hear,” he said. “The heroes that have lived in this community.”
The Burlington Veteran Services office is open to all of them.
