Large crowd of veterans at Hugin town hall

About 200 people showed up last night for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bob Hugin’s town hall meeting on veterans’ issues at the VFW Post 12173 in Toms River.

“It’s encouraging that Bob (Hugin) continues to hold our constituency in such high regard. Tonight’s town hall is a positive sign that he will lead and more importantly listen to New Jersey’s veterans, “said Barb Kim-Hagemann. Kim-Hagemann will serve as the first female New Jersey State Commander for the VFW with her term beginning in 2019.

Hugin, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps between his graduation from Princeton and his entrance into the private sector, has been working veterans’ group for months.  Both his sons current serve in the Marines.  He sees veterans as a natural constituency for his Senate campaign.

Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-Toms River) was also in attendance.  This was the second joint Hugin-MacArthur appearance in the Republican stronghold of Ocean County in as many days.

“I’m proud to live in a state with so many fellow Americans who have served our country, but I’m not proud of the way our veterans have been treated. For far too long, our veterans have been underserved. They have been given what’s cheapest instead of what’s best in terms of health care and we have failed to provide them with adequate assistance when they have difficulty transitioning back into life as civilians,” said Hugin. “Tonight was about listening to our veterans and understanding the obstacles they face after service. Too often, our veterans travel by bus to Delaware or Philadelphia just to see a doctor. Too often, our veterans don’t have timely access to high-quality health care. Helping our veterans is personal to me, not just because I served in the Marines or because my two sons are currently serving, but because I believe anyone who made the sacrifice of service in this nation deserves better.”