Jim Gauthier Jr. of Groton enjoys working on his own woodworking projects and volunteering to instruct others at Easterseals Veterans Rally Point’s Makerspace on Stott Avenue in the Norwich Business Park – where veterans, service members and their families also work on pottery and sewing designs.

Learning one day in December that Norwich was named 11th best city overall in the U.S. in the “2022 Best Cities After Service” report for veterans by the Navy Federal Credit Union, he said, “It makes sense that Norwich made the list since there is a large veteran community in Norwich and the surrounding towns.”

Gauthier is a U.S. Army and Connecticut Army National Guard veteran and a retired Groton Police Officer.

Insight for the study was collected from veterans, civilians, Sperling’s BestPlaces and The Mission Continues (“a national nonprofit organization that connects military veterans with new missions in under-resourced communities,” according to missioncontinues.org).

This study “is pretty significant” since the towns around Norwich are bedroom communities, Electric Boat and Underwater Sound Lab are located nearby and United Nuclear was formerly here, said U.S. Army Veteran Connie Seaberg, 74, while relaxing at Rally Point in between working at Nordson Co. in Norwich and running errands. The Uncasville resident served from 1967 to 1970 during the Vietnam era and was in Thailand for two years.

“There were many factors that went into the quality-of-life measures, which lead to Norwich ranking No. 11 overall,” said Clay Stackhouse, Retired Marine Corps Colonel and Regional Outreach Manager at Navy Federal, in an email. “These measures are variables that comprise the levels of satisfaction people have with where they live.”

He said they looked at the cost of living (housing, taxes and more), access to educational opportunities, including public schools and colleges, as well as proximity to healthcare facilities, cultural and recreational activities.

“We wanted to ensure our lists were holistic in including metrics that were most important to servicemembers and their families,” he said.

The ranking is “a great acknowledgement and well deserved,” Norwich Mayor Peter Albert Nystrom said during a telephone interview.

He said southeastern Connecticut has the largest veterans’ population in the state.

“The city observes every veterans’ observance” and hasn’t missed any during COVID, Nystrom said. “We pay attention to what’s important, to honor our veterans.”

“I think it's a great area for veterans to live,” said Angela Adams, executive director of The Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce, who works closely with veteran organizations on chamber events.

“There are definitely a lot of resources and assistance available for veterans in Norwich and in the Greater Norwich area,” including the beautiful Easterseals Veterans Rally Point facility and (VFW) coffee houses in the area, she said during a telephone interview.

Another point of view

Norwich’s eleventh ranking comes as a surprise to Commander Bruce Allen of Richard E. Hourigan Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 59 in the Norwich Business Park. The U.S. Navy veteran (1981 to 1992) who served in combat during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm believes city/state officials and police could do more to support veterans. “They served this country. They kept you safe and they’re not getting recognized or helped.”

Allen said none of the money spent in Norwich goes towards the veterans.

“There are a lot of vets living in tents and whatnot,” Allen said, questioning why there aren’t homes opening up for them in Norwich, instead of expecting them to go to Rocky Hill. “You’ve got the YMCA empty.”

If homeless veterans don’t want a home, “at least give them lunch and a place to sleep,” suggested Allen, who donates VFW food to St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen in Norwich.

Also, Allen said veterans receive a $500 discount on either their car or real estate tax. The Norwich resident and Rhode Island native believes those who saw combat should receive more of a discount. Eighty-five percent of his VFW membership is from Norwich.

VFW Post 59 Quartermaster Jim Stankiewicz said he is amazed that Norwich is ranked No. 11, because “that means that they’re actually doing something about education and equity and housing and busing.”

The Oakdale resident doesn’t believe the city has done enough for veterans.

Allen said, “If you go downtown, look at how many (homeless people) are out there. I say half of them are vets,” some of whom “may rob to survive.”

Stankiewicz and Allen believe the other homeless people are there because of Norwich Hospital’s closure years ago.

“We have done nothing to address that,” Stankiewicz said. “We just put them all on the street and said, ‘Here you go.’”

He added that Norwich businesses have closed because homeless people “camp out in their doorways.”

Navy Federal Credit Union’s top 10 cities listed in the U.S. in the “2022 Best Cities After Service” are Charleston, South Carolina; Norristown, Pennsylvania; Cambridge, Massachusetts; San Diego, California; Naples, Florida; Anchorage, Alaska; Derry, New Hampshire; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Hempstead, New York, and Waukegan, Illinois.

The report breaks down further into the five best cities in three categories: Best Cities for Military Families, Best Cities for Retired Veterans and Best Cities to Buy a House. For more information, go to navyfederal.org/makingcents/military-life/2022-best-cities-after-service.html.

“The expanded version of this year’s report emphasizes the diversity of cities across the U.S. that can meet the needs of transitioning service members,” Stackhouse said.

With today’s economic challenges, he said it’s more important than ever to “support service members and their families as they approach this pivotal, often challenging, moment.”

Even though more than 250,000 military members transition out of the service each year, which is about 1,300 families daily, Stackhouse said there is a gap in support for transitioning service members.

“A service member’s transition to civilian life is a unique experience,” Stackhouse said. “No two transitions are alike, so it’s important that we’re constantly reevaluating our ranking based on social and economic conditions.”

Jan Tormay, a longtime Norwich resident, now lives in Westerly.