The Disabled American Veterans van program is one of the premier programs to help veterans. The local DAV Chapter works to buy the van and gives it to the VA to carry veterans to and from appointments at the VA Medical Center. Patient are often elderly, crippled, blind, on legal drugs, outlived their relatives, etc. We give them free rides.

 

In Idaho we have vans that go to Salt Lake City, Walla Walla, Boise and Spokane. The originate in Idaho, Oregon and Libby, Montana.  We have 16 vans in Idaho going to four different VAMC’s.

We provide the volunteer drivers and a paid disabled veteran to work 6 hours a day, five days a week to schedule riders, drivers and maintenance. The VA provides the insurance, licensing fuel, and maintenance.

 

Fort Sherman 9 put its 5th van in service last summer. We paid $32, 431 for it. All of that money was raised locally.

 

A blurb in the paper would be a big help in recruiting drivers. I drove every Wednesday for five years and it was a most fulfilling experience.

 

There are probably a thousand stories riding those vans.

 

My very first passenger was a veteran captured by the Japanese in Manila in WWII. He didn’t have a nose, just two holes. It really shook me at first. I positioned him behind me wo I couldn’t see him. Later, I learned to accept it and listened to his stories of being a prisoner. Another young man was a Gulf War Veteran with brain cancer. He died after a year. He  never complained. I had a bomber crewman from WWII without a hand. He opened his own doors, no matter how difficult it was. He told me that he lived alone and he had to be able to do these ordinary things. So when he got out or in, I just waited patiently as it would take him three times longer than others. No one minded

 

Jeannie Kyle is the coordinator in the Spokane VAMC  and she needs to replenish her supply of drivers.

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Call her at 1-509-434-7019

 

When I drove, the VAMC gave volunteer drivers free sandwiches at the canteen for lunch. How much better can it get?

 

Bob Hunt

Chapter Adjutant

Fort Sherman Chapter 9

Disabled American Veterans

 

208 773-1074