Veterans in Union and surrounding counties who need help obtaining health-care services are invited to attend a free Disabled American Veterans (DAV) event in Creston Monday.
Any veteran is welcome, but he or she must bring identification, Social Security number and any other pertinent documentation regarding military service, including DD214 discharge papers. DAV membership is not required to utilize these free services.
“The importance of it is getting people into the VA (Veterans Affairs) system for health care,” said Denny Abel, quartermaster for Post No. 1797 VFW in Creston. “We have a lot of veterans in Union County and other areas nearby that are not set up with the VA, and this gives them a chance to get health care. The military would pay for it, and they would get set up into the VA system.”
DAV is a national, nonprofit charity that provides a lifetime of support for veterans of all generations and their families, helping more than 1 million veterans in life-changing ways each year.
One of the services DAV provides at no cost to veterans is its mobile service office (MSO) program. These “offices-on-wheels” travel to under-served communities across the country to help veterans and their families obtain the services and benefits they have earned.
“I want the people in our area to know DAV is going to be here and to please come,” Abel said. “There are so many veterans who aren’t getting health care and could be. There’s a lot of people who can’t afford insurance, and a lot of them are not getting what they need. The DAV people will get them into the system. ... Some veterans may already be in the system, and they have a claims form and haven’t been seen yet. This will possibly expedite that.”
Abel said veterans who come to the event can learn more about the services available to them through the VA – either when they go to their local doctor or to a VA facility.
“There is what they call the Veterans Choice card, and they can call a number and try to set up a doctor in their area rather than going to Des Moines or Omaha,” Abel said. “DAV is what they call a service organization, and there are a lot of them ... that are available for veterans to use, but a lot of veterans don’t know what to do, don’t know where to go. This is one organization that’s going to come to Creston to help veterans.”
Staffed by DAV National Service Officers, MSOs provide professional support throughout the claims and appeals process.
“A lot of veterans aren’t aware that they are eligible to get compensation or benefits through the VA, so it’s highly important we do these stops to the rural areas twice a year. We do the east side of the state in the springtime and the west and southern side in the fall,” said Audie Thornburg, DAV National Service Officer based in Des Moines. “It’s important for veterans to try to get in contact with us and also check up on any other claims or appeals they have.”
Abel said these MSO stops are timely given recent nationwide issues with veterans not receiving the heath-care services they need.
“I met with David Young (Monday), and he’s trying to get the suicide prevention deal done,” Abel said. “There’s a hotline, but they’re not answering quick enough because they don’t have enough staff, and right now, we’re losing 22 veterans or active servicemen per day who are committing suicide. So, we’re just trying to help people get what they have coming to them for serving our country.”
During MSO stops, veterans will be helped on a first come, first served basis. The stops will be:
• from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday at Hy-Vee, 600 Sheldon St., in Creston,
• from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday at Wal-Mart, 705 S. Fremont St., in Shenandoah,
• from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19, at American Legion Post No. 2, in Council Bluffs,
• from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, at Bomgaars, 404 Arrowhead Drive, in Denison
• and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, Oct. 21, at Hy-Vee, 1630 E. Seventh St., in Atlantic.
DAV representatives’ goal is to fulfill the promises made to the men and women who have served. To learn more about DAV and its many services available to veterans, visit DAV.org. For more information about MSO stops, call 515-323-7539.