5K held at Lyons

L-R: Dave Merchant, myself and Greg Cross at recent 5K


A 5K event was held at Lyons VA on June 11, veterans and veteran groups from around the state took part, including several of us from Valley Brook Village, located on the Lyons campus, in New Jersey.



Navy veteran turns things around at Lyons’ Domiciliary

U.S. Navy vet Tony Myers

By Rev. J.J. Purcell

Today, former U.S. Navy Radioman 3^rd Class Anthony “Tony” Myers is another veteran looking to get a leg-up after having a tough time of it after the Great Recession a few years ago. But, he is armed with spirit, a good woman and the support and comradeship of his fellow veterans.

Myers is currently residing at the Lyons Domiciliary, in New Jersey, which is a homeless shelter for veterans. However, as tough a decision as it was going there, Myers managed to find new directions at the “Dom,” as well as some new friends.

 In particular, Myers, a former NYC worker who was supervised by ex-Mayor Rudy Guiliani, linked up with former U.S. Navy SEAL A.J. Krause at the Dom, and the two of them are beginning a business venture together, American Made Survival Bracelets.

 “We’re gearing our business toward veterans, but we will also work with non-veterans,” he said. The duo make paracord bracelets and sell them for $10 apiece. So far, business has been encouraging for the two.

“People I know, mostly veterans, like what we make and are buying them pretty steady,” Myers noted.

 Myers served in the U.S. Navy for four years, between 1984-1988. He worked directly for the commander of the 2^nd Fleet, stationed at the Norfolk Naval Base, in Virginia. When the commander ventured from port aboard his flagship, the USS Mount Whitney, Myers was there too.

 “We patrolled the North Atlantic and the Caribbean mostly,” Myers said. He was 19 years old when he was sworn-into the service at Port Hamilton, Brooklyn. Though a native of Queens, he never did become a Mets fan, and instead chose to root for those other guys who play ball in the city.

 After departing the service, Myers worked several jobs, including being a messenger on Wall Street, working there in an  office capacity, being a consultant for NBC in New York and worked for Guiliani between 1995-2002.

 Myers has been married to his wife, Cathy, for the past 8 years. However, in 2010, the Myers faced a tough financial turnaround when Tony lost his job as an on-air, help desk technician with CompuCom, in New York City. Meanwhile, Cathy herself had a few tough knocks, particularly in 2007 when she became disabled and wasn’t able to work.

Well, his road led Myers to the Lyons VA Domiciliary on July 9, 2014, and he is looking to re-launch himself and his family by not only working his business with Krause, but also finding a new job he can support himself and his wife with.

Currently, Myers and his wife are living in different parts of New Jersey due to financial considerations, but Tony’s goal is not only providing for his wife, but ensuring they are finally reunited in the same household in 2015.

“My wife means everything to me. I have had a good experience at the Dom and made a lot of friends for life here. It’s a tough place to land, but if someone makes the most out of it they can turn things around for the better here,” he concluded.

For information about American Made Survival Bracelets, or for more information, Myers can be contacted at (732) 979-5446, or e-mailed at amyers@outlook.com.