By Meredith Gardner
meredith.gardner@theindependent.com

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Independent/Barrett Stinson As Vietnam veteran Lester E. Richardson (right) gets into a Disabled American Veterans¹ van outside the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Grand Island for a ride home, volunteer driver Eldon Kokes prepares to place his wheelchair in the back of the van. The Disabled American Veterans organization is looking for volunteers to drive veterans to their appointments at the hospital and back home again. Volunteer drivers do not have to be veterans to participate in the program. Independent/Barrett Stinson Volunteer driver Eldon Kokes, who is a member of Disabled American Veterans, says he enjoys being able to be of service to his fellow veterans. Click Thumbnails to View

But without enough volunteer drivers, the DAV can't serve all those who have a need for free transportation.

Anyone who has a good driving record, a clean bill of health and some free time is encouraged to sign up as a volunteer van driver for the DAV's transportation program.

Through the program, volunteer drivers provide free round-trip transportation to any veteran in Central Nebraska needing Veterans Affairs-approved medical care in Grand Island, said Richard Glover, DAV transportation coordinator.

Many veterans don't have cars, can't afford transportation or aren't healthy enough to drive themselves, said Leroy Stegman, commander of DAV Chapter 7, which covers Grand Island.

The DAV provides the vans, which are maintained by and stationed at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Grand Island, Stegman said. There is also a DAV van stationed in North Platte and another in O'Neill, and both run veterans to and from Grand Island appointments.

There are only a handful of volunteers to help drive the three vans the DAV has stationed in Grand Island, and the DAV has had to turn away some of those who have requested assistance because of a lack of available drivers and vans, Glover said.

Glover is also worried about burning out the few volunteer drivers he already has. While most of the driving is local, some volunteers transport patients to and from locations in rural areas of Central Nebraska. That can make for long days, Glover said.

There is no set time commitment for volunteer drivers, Glover said. Those who wish to volunteer must have a clean driving record and pass a physical exam provided at the VA medical center.

Those who don't want to drive but still want to help can donate money to the local DAV. The group can then use that money to purchase additional or replacement vans. The group's 2004 minivan has already racked up more than 114,000 miles.

The Disabled American Veterans transportation program saves the Department of Veterans Affairs millions of dollars per year in transportation costs, Glover said, and it helps veterans receive the medical care they need.

"There's a lot of them that really appreciate our service," Glover said.

To donate, to become a volunteer driver or for more information, call Richard Glover at 389-5189.