Veterans

HLAA salutes America’s heroes who served to protect our freedom. Thank you for your service.

Do you have a hearing loss due to military service? A report from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs estimated that more than 60,000 military members are on disability for hearing loss from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

HLAA was founded in 1979 by Howard “Rocky” Stone, a retired CIA agent, who endured hearing loss from his service in the United States Army. Rocky was well-known in the agency for both his skill and his hearing loss. On one occasion he was having a hard time “hearing” when talking with then-Director Richard Helms, so Rocky plopped himself on Helms’ desk and asked him to face him directly so he could read his lips! Another time, his old-fashioned body hearing aid was mistaken for a recording spy device and was confiscated. Rocky earned the Agency’s highest honor and went onto establish an organization for people who have hearing loss and want to stay in the hearing world with technology and strategies.

HLAA Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter (VAAVC)

HLAA is excited to announce the formation of our very first virtual chapter for veterans with hearing loss. Caregivers of veterans are welcome too! The Veteran Across America Virtual Chapter conducts monthly meetings, complete with captions, using Zoom. The VAAVC meets online every 3rd Tuesday of the month.

View Calendar for Upcoming Meetings    View Meeting Recordings     

The founding members during the first meeting on September 26, 2018, the group adopted this mission: 

The mission of the HLAA Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter is to provide education, be an advocate for veterans with hearing loss, and to provide a support system to help them to return and adjust to civilian life.

Join our Chapter

If you are a military veteran with hearing loss or a caregiver of a veteran, we welcome you to join our chapter. We communicate, collaborate, and coordinate meetings via the HLAA Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter email group. To join, click on this link for HLAA Veterans Across America Virtual Chapter. Scroll down the page and click on the button, +Join This Group.  If you have any questions, please email Chapters@hearingloss.org.

Complimentary HLAA Membership for Veterans

HLAA is honored to offer a complimentary one year Regular Individual Membership for United States Veterans. Veteran members receive the magazine, Hearing Life, in print for one year only. Our quarterly magazine, Hearing Life, is a helpful resource on the latest in technology, medical issues, legislation, personal stories, and more. If you wish to continue receiving Hearing Life in print, after the first year, then you will have to renew at the Regular Individual membership rate.

If you are a veteran and are interested in joining HLAA, please go to the Membership page.

Complimentary HLAA Convention Registration

HLAA would like to show its support of veterans attending their first HLAA Convention by offering a complimentary registration (as well as for a caregiver). For more information about registering for HLAA’s annual convention, contact the HLAA Meeting Planner.

The HLAA Convention has workshops, a trade show with all the latest technology and services, is communication accessible (real-time captioning and assistive technology in all sessions) and is a lot of fun!

Meet Sgt. 1st Class (Ret.) David Schible

Hearing loss has not stopped David Schible in the least. Recently retired after 20 years of service in the U.S. Army, David Schible continues to fight the war on hearing loss, speaking to every arriving soldier at Fort Stewart to educate them about noise and hearing loss. David doesn’t consider himself a hero after deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. But he is to us – in addition to serving this great country, David spends much of his personal time giving back to the community, often with the Sergeant Audie Murphy Club which does charity work for the homeless and helps the elderly. He also volunteers at the Fort Steward Child Development Center, assisting the games and fun activities for the children. The list of his involvement in his community goes on. You can read David’s story in Fighting the War on Hearing Loss from the November/December 2017 issue of Hearing Loss Magazine (now Hearing Life).

Hearing Aids, Telecommunications Equipment, and Assistive Listening Devices

We encourage veterans to visit your VA Healthcare Center’s Audiology Office to get assistance for these devices. These devices are available to you if you request them. To find out more about these devices, see our Hearing Help and Technology pages.