VA holds two town hall meetings in Fayetteville

During the meetings, local VA officials provided information on operations and programs. Veterans Benefits Administration employees also helped veterans file for claims and other services.

The medical center's director, Elizabeth Goolsby, said the meetings have been helpful in making changes, such as a call center, to help serve veterans.

Many, however, are still expressing frustration about the lack of care promised to them when they signed up to server their country.

"The war is over, as far as us, but then we come home and we have to fight again," I think that's where the frustration comes in, where the suicide comes in, where the guys just give up," said Gordon York. "That's why we end up with people on the street, because they don't have any faith in the system, and it hurts."

VA hospitals across the country have been trying to improve care since last summer, when a scathing report showed how long some veterans had to wait to get appointments.

The report showed that the VA facility in Fayetteville ranked third nationally with an average wait time of 83 days for primary care. A fresh look in January showed that the wait time had dropped to 28 days.

Nationally, veterans wait about seven days to see a primary-care physician.