New London — The whole family licked stamps, Pete McGuirk recalled.

And there were lots of them, as stacks of letters were sent not just to U.S. lawmakers representing Connecticut, but to representatives across the country.

That was just one facet of the work of the late John McGuirk, Pete McGuirk's father, to get a Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in southeastern Connecticut so that veterans would not have to make the long trip to VA facilities in Providence, Newington or West Haven.

John McGuirk, a World War II veteran, was successful in his effort, so much so that the clinic was renamed after him in 2004. He died in November 2000.

Today, Pete McGuirk, one of John McGuirk's six children, is a longtime patient of the John J. McGuirk VA Outpatient Clinic, which offers primary health care services to veterans. Pete McGuirk has received care at the clinic since its humble beginnings in the late '90s on the grounds of the Coast Guard Academy, where it first operated on a temporary and irregular basis before operating full time.

Now it's the busiest VA clinic in the state, serving 4,600 veterans last year alone. The clinic was relocated in 2007 to its current location in Shaw's Cove, but is again experiencing growing pains. The VA is looking to nearly double its size in order to serve more veterans.

While the staff is great and accommodating, a bigger space would allow more veterans to receive primary care services closer to home, and could enable the clinic to offer more services, Pete McGuirk said. He encouraged veterans who can't immediately get through to the clinic on the phone to be patient, as the staff works hard and maintains a busy schedule.

He said he feels a sense of pride walking through the clinic's doors knowing that "it was my dad that caused that to happen." The staff, he said, will often introduce new patients to him, telling them "you're here because of his dad."

Pete McGuirk has helped to spread the word about the clinic. He frequently chats up veterans at the West Haven VA when he's there for specialty appointments, and tells them about the services at the New London clinic.

Pete McGuirk joined the Army in 1966, serving as a patrol boat river captain in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969, before getting out. He is a 100 percent disabled veteran who was exposed to Agent Orange and has post-traumatic stress disorder and a host of health issues such as diabetes and high blood pressure, he said.

While he struggled for many years, abusing alcohol and "doing a real good job of scaring everyone around me," he finally realized he needed to get help. A counselor at the Vet Center in Norwich — which he frequents often and recommends to other veterans, particularly those suffering from mental health issues — helped connect him with a program for those struggling with PTSD.

He worked as a merchant marine and then as a millwright before retiring several years ago. He and his wife, Anna, a retired nurse, now live in a log cabin that they built in Quaker Hill.

j.bergman@theday.com