Halifax County commissioners today agreed to create a veterans services advisory board.

The creation of the board, which Commissioner Jimmie Silver had requested, will be added to the other boards and commissions the county maintains. It will be subject to the same appointment application process the county requires for similar panels.

County Manager Dia Denton said the purpose of the board will be to provide veterans with education regarding available services and benefits, and to advocate for and honor them through various programs and events. Those programs would recognize their service and sacrifice.

“This would really be an outreach that would enhance what our veterans service officer—who now has a part-time person helping her—is able to do in our community, because we have such a large veteran population,” Denton said.

The board will be composed of representatives from various branches of service. “There are representatives from current chartered veterans organizations, and they could be the parent or spouse of a veteran and/or a Gold Star family member.”

Denton also recommended that one of the two veterans serving as commissioners — Silver or Thomas Barrett — be added as a non-voting ex-officio member and that the board have a staff liaison as well. Assistant County Manager Thomas Everette, who is also a veteran, would most likely serve in that capacity.

The need for a veterans council was first addressed last March during a town hall meeting sponsored by state Representative Rodney Pierce, where American Legion Post 38 Vice Commander Dave Sammons raised the matter.

“This is one of the biggest things I wanted to see accomplished in my tenure because veterans paid a high price,” Silver said.

Silver made the motion to create the advisory board and Barrett cast the second. The motion passed unanimously.