O’Connor brings police, military experience to veterans’ services role 

After 23 years with the Waltham Police Department, John J. O’Connor III could have settled into retirement. Instead, the lifelong Waltham resident has taken on a new mission as the city’s veterans’ services director, helping former service members navigate benefits, access resources and avoid falling into crisis.

O’Connor, who was unanimously approved for the position in February by the City Council’s Committee of the Whole, brings both military and public service experience to the role. He served six years as an infantryman in the Massachusetts Army National Guard, including two deployments, and continues to volunteer with the Wounded Warrior Project and other veterans organizations. He and his wife are raising two sons in Waltham.

As veterans’ services director, O’Connor’s primary responsibility is administering Chapter 115 benefits, a state-funded program that provides financial assistance to eligible low-income veterans and certain dependents for necessities such as housing, food, utilities, clothing, medical, behavioral health treatment and other essential living expenses. He also helps veterans connect with SNAP, WIC and other state and local assistance programs.

“Accessing those benefits and knowing how to navigate them is the difficult part,” O’Connor said. “There’s no way anyone can know everything – it’s a huge bureaucracy.” 

His mandate, he said, is to identify every available resource to help veterans remain financially stable and connected with the services they need. “The goal is to help them keep their heads above water, and look for any and all alternatives that can meet their needs.”

As Waltham’s veteran population continues to age, O’Connor said he often  works with adult children seeking assistance for aging parents. One of his priorities is encouraging veterans to enroll early in VA healthcare before they need it, making it easier to access services later in life.

He said his biggest accomplishment during his first six months on the job has been “meeting people where they’re at.” 

“No veteran is the same,” O’Connor said. “We have very high-functioning vets, like nuclear submarine officers, come in here and others who are really struggling. But the goal and the opportunity is the same: to improve their quality of life, regardless of their situation.”

O’Connor said many veterans don’t realize they may qualify for assistance or assume the process is too complicated to pursue. Part of his job, he said, is breaking down those barriers by answering questions, completing paperwork and connecting veterans with organizations best equipped to help. Even when his office can’t provide a specific benefit, he said, he works to find someone who can. 

Although administrative responsibilities have left less time for community outreach than he expected, O’Connor said building relationships also remains a top priority. He hopes to connect with veterans before they reach a crisis point and encourages anyone who may need assistance to contact the Veterans’ Services Office by phone, email or in person. 

“I’ve been in the job for six months, and my fellow veterans have helped me tremendously,” he said. “Now it’s my turn to help them.”