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Veterans praise departing Lackawanna County veterans affairs leader

Times-Tribune - 6/3/2023

Jun. 2—Veterans fawned Friday over David Eisele and wished him well as they learned he's leaving his job as Lackawanna County director of veterans affairs.

"He meant everything to us veterans," disabled Navy veteran Joe Sabia, of Archbald, said. "He was a type of guy that no matter your problem, you could call or text him, and you were guaranteed to get a call or text back. He was just passionate about veterans."

Eisele, veterans affairs director for more than five years, resigned this week for a job with the federal government. He declined to talk about the new job. His last day was Wednesday, county Chief of Staff Brian Jeffers said.

Eisele began working as a county veterans services officer on Aug. 31, 2011. He took over as director on Sept. 1, 2017, when Robert Tuffy retired. Eisele, of South Abington Twp., was earning $59,271 this year, according to county records. Assistant Director Anissa Akulonis will run the department until a replacement is named, Jeffers said.

Eisele, 43, whose job entailed helping veterans, especially the disabled, qualify for government benefits, shared their experiences. As he trained for the Marines in May 2002, Eisele suffered serious injuries while rappelling on a rope from a helicopter. He broke both legs and seriously injured his back.

He suffered new personal setbacks in the last few months. A broken water pipe badly flooded and damaged his home, and he learned that a son faces major surgery, he said. Over the years, his office obtained more than $850 million in benefits for veterans, he said.

"I had an issue that was personal and I called Dave, and he stayed on the phone with me for an hour and a half talking it through," Sabia, 50, said. "He was just always there for us, no matter the problem and no matter what time it was. And that was a cool thing because he was always reachable."

Marine veteran Sam Kuchwara, 69, recalled Eisele frequently asking him to talk to jailed veterans struggling with addiction.

"And I'd get them out of jail ... and get them in programs and then we get them cleaned up," Kuchwara, a Dickson City resident, said. "I'm really going to miss him."

In July, his fellow veterans affairs directors across the state chose Eisele as president of the Pennsylvania State Association of County Directors of Veterans Affairs. Brigadier Gen. Maureen Weigl, state deputy adjutant general for veterans affairs, often consulted with Eisele in his role as association president.

"David is a force to be reckoned with work in your county," Weigl said.

Eisele said he feels comfortable leaving because the county added a veterans services officer to "an awesome, awesome team." He leaves on good terms, he said.

"It was nothing to do with the county or anything like that. I loved the county. ... I couldn't ask for a better group of people to work with every day," he said.

On Facebook, where he announced his departure, Eisele called serving veterans and their families "an honor and privilege."

"I will miss the faces and friends that I made," he wrote.

Contact the writer: bkrawczeniuk@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9147; @BorysBlogTT on Twitter.

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