NC Veterans secretary to assess whether to repair or replace Fayetteville veterans' home

The new secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs faced questions from a key legislative committee Tuesday about controversial plans for the North Carolina State Veterans Home in Fayetteville.

Secretary Grier Martin spoke before state lawmakers Tuesday for the first time since his predecessor stepped down amid criticism from Republican lawmakers to close the veterans home in Fayetteville.

Martin told the House Military and Veterans Affairs Committee that he plans to visit the facility, which closed early this year. About 85 veterans had to relocate. Martin said they’ve all found good placements.

“We're spending a little bit of money in some cases, to make up for the difference in what they're paying,” Martin said. “So none of them are having to come out of pocket because of their new situation.”

The Fayetteville building had structural and mold problems since Hurricanes Matthew and Florence hit years ago. Former Veterans Secretary Walter Gaskin planned to tear it down and build a new one.

Some lawmakers pressed Martin on why it couldn’t be repaired.

Martin said he would consult stakeholders — including the federal Veterans Administration and state lawmakers — before deciding whether to repair or replace it.

“I am looking at it with fresh eyes to figure out what decision makes the most sense for the veterans of North Carolina,” Martin said.

Martin is a longtime former lawmaker who just left a Pentagon job to come back to state government. House Veterans Affairs Chairman Ed Goodwin said he’s hopeful Martin can get the Fayetteville veterans home issue straightened out.

“Their family members deserve better than that,” said Goodwin, R-Bertie. “And we can do a better job than that. And I'm not putting [this] on any one person. I'm just saying all of us.”

Martin said he also plans to prioritize restoring order at the state's veterans cemeteries, including the Sandhills cemetery.

Martin is an Army veteran who served 17 years in the state legislature before leaving in 2022 for a job at the Pentagon. He came back this spring when Gov. Roy Cooper appointed him to take over the state department of military and veterans affairs.

Gaskin, a retired U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant general who has led the department under starting in 2021, stepped down April 1 amid criticism by Republican state lawmakers over the closure of the Fayetteville retirement home.

“My plan is to take a clean-slate look at what the best step forward is,” Martin said. “The immediate priority was to ensure that all the residents of the home found a good situation. And that's that's happened, they're all in a good spot.”

Martin said his long experience as a state lawmaker will help him work with the oversight panel, even though they’re in different branches of government.

“Doesn't mean that we have to agree on everything at all,” he said, “but we’ve got to talk to each other. Our bosses, the people of North Carolina, expect us to talk to each other.”