Leader of Will County veteran organization motivated to give back

Raj Pillai said his motivation to join the U.S. Navy at a young age was inspired by his desire to give back to his country, something he has continued to do to this day.

Since Pillai, 45, said he was honorably discharged in 2003, he has served as the finance officer for the Plainfield American Legion Marne Post 13 and he currently is the president of the Veterans Assistance Commission in Will County.

Pillai said his family immigrated from India when he was 12 and he joined the U.S. Navy when he was 18. He said he didn’t have a lot growing up and his parents arrived in the U.S. with almost nothing.

“I always respected and appreciated everything I had, so this was my way of giving back,” Pillai said of his decision to join the navy.

There was also the promise of adventure of traveling to faraway locations.

“I found that appealing,” Pillai said.

In 2021, Pillai said he served as a finance officer for the Plainfield American Legion Marne Post 13, 24741 Renwick Road, Plainfield.

“I totally overhauled their financial system, created some checks and balances and put some new processes in place,” Pillai said.

Last June, Pillai became president of the Veterans Assistance Commission in Will County. In that role, Pillai is dedicated to making veterans more aware of the services that are available for them.

“We are sort of a hub that many veterans are not aware of and we want to raise that awareness right now,” Pillai said.

Pillai said there are 30,000 veterans in Will County and few of them are aware of the Veterans Assistance Commission. He said he’s been visiting with many mayors around the county to let them know about the organization.

Pillai said some veterans are “too proud to ask for help.”

“We will accomplish a lot for them if they give us a chance,” Pillai said.