With a cheerful atmosphere and a lot of food, members of the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary Chapter 123 meet for their annual end-of-year lunch in Veteran’s Building on Dec. 14.
The day’s festivities included a raffle that included donated items from auxiliary members and Culver City businesses Rocco’s Tavern, Kay ‘n Dave’s and Which, Wich.
“This is an annual event for the Disabled American Veterans and the Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary here in Culver City, Chapter 123,” Commander Disabled American Veterans Auxiliary Culver City Caroline Morris said. “With the money from the raffle we do bingo every month with the V.A. hospital in Westwood. We get a pretty good crowd.”
The DAV is one of the most long-lasting veterans advocacy and assistance group in the country and has never wavered in its core mission to fulfill the country’s promises to the men and women who served. Among the support provided to the veterans by the DAV is help with medical and financial issues.
“They have helped me with my medical concerns (PTSD). So far they have been doing a great job and I feel grateful that they have been there helping the veterans,” Raul Apodaca, who served two years out of his four in the U.S. Air Force as a Military Policeman, said. “They have helped me take care of many of my problems. Right now I am receiving sixty-percent compensation for PTSD and loss of hearing in the left ear.”
Unfortunately many veterans, especially when disabled, face multiple challenges in receiving the benefits and resources that they have earned during their service in the armed forces.
“I always tell them (returning veterans) to get involved with the V.A., the DAV or the VFW,” Paul Thetreau, who served for 16 years and left the military at 40 years old, said. “A lot of times they are feed up because there is such a big backlog of guys on disability. We tell the kids to start early because it will take two to three years to get your money. Sometimes they say no and you have to go back, especially with issues like PTSD because it’s difficult to prove.”
Present at the event was Councilman Jim Clarke who shared the day with the veterans, their wives and some of the widows who still contribute to the DAVA despite the passing of their beloved veteran.
“To me it is pride and it is about giving back,” Morris said. “A lot of members of my family are war veterans. From my father’s side, he, his brothers and a few of his sisters are war veterans. I have cousins, boys and girls that have served in Vietnam, Desert Storm.”
Morris’ father, who served in World War II and in two branches of the military, the Army and the Air Force, was a machinist when he got out of the service. He passed in 1996 but belonged to the organization for years.
“My mother, who does not drive, asked if I could help, so I said yes,” Morris said. “I didn’t have any brothers that served and my parents were very active in this organization. I felt it was also part of my duty to give back and volunteer.”
New veterans can go to federal building on Wilshire Boulevard and ask the Federal Office what organizations they can join. In addition to the Disabled American Veterans there are a lot of different organizations aimed at helping veterans.