Veterans from organizations including the American Legion and Veterans for Peace gathered in front of the Veterans Administration Hospital on E. 23rd St. and First Ave. on June 17, with City Councilmember Margarita Lopez, sixth from left, and City Council candidate Robert Jereski, far left, to protest the proposed transfer of most of the hospital’s services to Brooklyn. The proposal, part of the Veterans Administration’s medical services reorganization, could result in the closing of several hospitals across the nation, including the 23rd St. location. Closing the East Side hospital, within Lopez’s Council district, would force thousands of veterans to travel much further for care.
