Vets' Corner: Now is the time to help
By Ron Verini
Friday, August 21, 2009 10:40 AM PDT
Another 11 boxes of “Treats for Our Troops” are on their way to Iraq and Afghanistan. Our local National Guard is training for the day that they might be again deployed. What have you as an individual or organization done to support the men and women in our services and the ones that have served? If you want to help, please give me a call or write me a note, and I will give direction as to how you might help.
If you only have one hour to give a month, or you know how to sew, type, help answer the phone or clip coupons, there is a place for you to help our troops. There are no dues or money commitments, and you don’t have to join anything to help our troops. If you are a city that wants to be involved or a school, corporation, partnership, retail business or other, you can be involved. Please do not wait until the holidays when we all step up to the plate and help. Now is the time to help when the need is strong.
The other day, at the Holy Rosary Health Fair, Dr. Richard Davis, M.D., a native of the Treasure Valley, gave a presentation about his tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan as an Air Force surgeon. The audience was spellbound by the photos that he showed of the facilities and operating room and the challenges his profession faced in the war. He showed the “inhumanity to man” and the passion and care he and his team and fellow doctors used to win the hearts and minds of a people at war. The devotion and the successes that his team had and the agony of a child hit by an IED were all rolled into the presentation. Dr. Davis continues his commitment to medicine by returning to the Treasure Valley and serving us through the Riverside Orthopaedic Clinic at Holy Rosary Medical Center and can be reached at (541) 889-3111.
The “veteran advocates” in the audience came away more determined to educate our community about war and the veteran community. Thank you, Dr. Davis, for your service to our country and community.
Another important event is unfolding right now in our community, and that is the location of a downtown office for Rep. Cliff Bentz.
This should make it much easier for veteran issues to be voiced and will create a place that we will be able to gather information about the state’s veteran affairs, such as what bills are being talked about and what else that we as a community might bring to his attention.
I congratulate Rep. Bentz for his foresight in recognizing the need for better legislative contact with his constituents. For more information, call (503) 986-1460, or e-mail rep.cliff-bentz@state.or.us.
“The history of free men is never really written by chance but by choice; their choice!” — Dwight D Eisenhower.
Ronald Verini is a local veterans advocate who writes a weekly column for the Argus Observer. He can be contacted at (541) 881-8881, or pencilsforpeace@q.com, or P.O. Box 933, Ontario, OR 97914. The views and opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily represent those of the Argus Observer
