(The News Tribune)-- The oldest of Washington's three state veterans homes was built 120 years ago in the Puyallup Valley to serve former Union soldiers.

Today, many occupants of the Washington Soldiers Home and Colony near Orting are in their mid-70s or older, veterans of Korea and World War II.

As thousands of service members return from Iraq and Afghanistan, the state is making plans to expand the home to better meet their needs. No veterans of those two wars live there now.

State leaders envision new programs at the sprawling 181-acre campus, including therapy and housing for younger veterans dealing with traumatic brain injury, known as TBI.

The changes have some residents of the East Pierce County home concerned about what will happen to them.

"Right now, everything is up in the air," said Gary Smith, 55, an Army veteran and president of the resident council. "They've got a lot of guys worried."

State officials say they don't need to be.

Two programs at the home will be phased out, but participants either will move into a remaining program or be placed elsewhere, they said.

"We are compelled because of the war, which is now 10 years old, to make sure we position ourselves to take care of veterans now and into the future," said John Lee, director of the state Department of Veterans Affairs. "The Soldiers Home campus is going to play a significant role in the state's response to what happens when the war is over."

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