Anyone calling or visiting the Marion County Veterans Service Office this week likely noticed that a familiar face is no longer there. Veterans Service Officer Dewey Blansett retired Nov. 12 after nearly 10 years in the position.
Blansett said he decided to retire because he was getting older, his health isn’t what it once was and it was time.
On his final day in office, Blansett had breakfast at Raquel’s Family Restaurant before heading into the office. He said he wasn’t going to do a thing that day, jokingly.
The Marine Corps veteran served for eight years, handling accounting and finances, something he believes he was good at.
Blansett said it was great being able to help fellow veterans; that is what it is all about. It was never about the money because the money is not there, he said. Education and ability are good qualities to have as an employee, but if a person doesn’t have the right attitude for the job, they are in the wrong place.
“You have to have the heart to serve,” he said.
The thing that frustrated Blansett through the years was he felt that the federal government was not interested in the veterans, just their own personal paycheck.
“They are going to get paid whether they help a veteran or not. All they want to do is coast through and get their paychecks and retirement,” he said.
It was also hard witnessing people take advantage of the system, while others struggle to get the assistance they need. He said at the state level, the paperwork is processed at a very slow pace. He was able to send paperwork to other locations and get results back in weeks, whereas, but it would take at least a couple of months at the state level.
He feels Mississippi treats its veterans worse than any other state in the Union, especially with the slow process that it takes.
As for the county level, Blansett has no complaints. He said the county treated him right.
He and his wife, Eula Blansett, are planning to do some traveling now. They have two children who live in Alabama. One of the things he loves to do is sit on the porch and watch hummingbirds. He said they have flown away this year, but normally one or two hang around all year.
Blansett said he isn’t retiring to work anywhere else. While he did not mind working, it was the getting up and getting ready that he has grown to dislike.
“Once I’m up, I’m fine and good to go,” he said.
Monday morning he said he was looking forward to waking up and not having to go anywhere other than when and where he wanted to go.
