By Charlene Dean

The motto is Disabled American Veterans helping disabled American veterans and their families. The chapter in Pahrump wants to get more disabled vets involved in membership and have disabled veterans use its services.

DAV Commander Michael Drawhorn, Past Commander Bob Ahrendt and Chapter Service Officer Bob Hammond all said that a lot of disabled veterans are unaware of their entitlements or look at getting paid for service to this country as a type of welfare.

Hammond said, “I tell them, ‘It’s not welfare. You earned it.’” He said veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have benefits coming to them as well.

The DAV, with the help of the VFW, Kiwanis, American Legion, two church organizations, Nye Veterans service held a stand down for homeless vets and their families May 6 at Desert View Hospital. They were given food, clothing, showers, haircuts and medical services as needed. Another event is planned for the end of September.

Ahrendt said although the stand down was successful, he knows there are more veterans out there who need help filing documents to get their benefits started.

“They should at least come in and get their veterans card,” said Hammond.

Hammond and another veterans service officer, Reggie Knight, are in their offices at Desert View Hospital from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesdays.

Hammond said they see between 20 and 32 veterans.

“I’m a trained service officer,” said Hammond. “I want the vets to let us help them get the paperwork started.

Hammond said there is coffee and doughnuts while you wait. There is a donation can to cover the cost of condiments. The coffee is donated by the hospital and Donut Depot provides the doughnuts.

Ahrendt stressed that all services are provided by the local DAV comes from member volunteers. He said there are more services available than just getting paperwork completed.

“We provide transportation for the immobile to medical appointments locally and to Las Vegas and Henderson,” said Ahrendt. “We also provide wheelchairs and batteries, hospital beds and other equipment for home bound or bed-ridden veterans.”

The DAV has three storage units full of donated items, which also includes clothing.

Ahrendt said the DAV fundraising events include passing out the forget-me-not poppies at Memorial Day for a donation and selling T-shirts and hats at functions like the Biz Expo and the Pahrump Fair & Festival. The money goes back into the DAV mostly to purchase wheelchair batteries.

Drawhorn said the DAV does other things for disabled veteran families. “We had a disabled vet with a 16-year-old daughter who had to walk two miles to catch the school bus,” he said. “The DAV bought her a bicycle.”

The DAV has also formed an auxiliary to encompass spouses and give them recognition as being part of the organization’s activities.

They have ideas of their own and help with raising funds. “Our wives got together and made a beautiful quilt. They sold raffle tickets for it,” Ahrendt said.

Eligibility requirements for membership in the DAV includes men or women who were wounded, gassed, injured or disabled in the line of duty during a time of war and who have not been dishonorably discharged.

For more information, call Drawhorn at 513-6452, Ahrendt at 253-5540, or Hammond at 751-7585 or 537-5146.