Ten
area veterans were honored for their dedication in assisting other veterans
by being selected to have their service picture displayed on
a new Disabled American Veterans Local Veterans Assistance
Program van.
The honorees were Capt. Dean White, Derby;
Vic Carroll, Stamford; Burke Ross, Shelton; Lauren Cust, Shelton;
Senna Punancy, Bridgeport; Joe Wargo, Trumbull; Ed Michaud,
Stratford; Maj. Betsy Walsh, Milford; Buffert Brooks, Stamford; Ashley
Kenyon, Waterbury; Frank Dlugokinski, Torrington; Steve Frank,
Naugatuck; and Josh Phillips, Derby.
They were selected from the list
of hundreds of dedicated Connecticut veterans being considered
for the honor.
The
DAV and the AMVETS have partnered in the
effort to purchase vans for the DAV created LVAP, which provides
day trips to veterans in homeless shelters, hospitals, nursing homes,
and veterans who are “shut-ins.”
The LVAP vans also have been used for Operation Gift Cards. Operation Gift Cards has
presented over $719,000 in post exchange (military department store)
gift cards and other donated items to the wounded troops at the Walter
Reed National Military Medical Hospital in Bethesda, Md. during its
99 visits over the last eight years.
Sixty-eight groups have
co-sponsored the program.
CT
Heroes on Wheels is another major program which benefits by the use of
the LVAP vans. CT Heroes on Wheels provides free electric wheelchairs,
electric scooters and other medical equipment to needy veterans and
their families.
The DAV and AMVETS are collecting donations for the purchase of at least one additional LVAP van.
Anyone interested in making a donation for the LVAP van may contact Al Church (DAV State Treasurer) (860) 529-1759 or church_al@yahoo.com.
For information about the DAV or AMVETS programs contact Al Meadows (203) 929-3357 or al.meadows@snet.net.
This is a press release from Al Meadows of Shelton.
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