March 13, 2011
BY TERRY NAU
veterans@pawtuckettimes.com
Most veterans know that the Disabled American Veterans organization exists. Many of them do not know that the DAV can be their best friend and a major advocate when they seek benefits later on in life from disabilities that can be linked to their time in the U.S. military.
“The sad part is a lot of veterans, especially Vietnam veterans, don’t know what’s available to them (in terms of benefits from the Veterans Administration),” said Rick Vaccari, a DAV supervisor.
The DAV will serve as an advocate for disabled veterans pursuing disability claims through the VA, Vaccari added. Its agents will go to bat for veterans, free of charge, as their claims advance through the governmental bureaucracy.
“The DAV’s mission is to build better lives for America’s disabled veterans,” Vaccari said. “We get involved in the claims and appeal processes for veterans. We do outreach programs where we travel to different locations around the state to meet with veterans in their own hometowns.”
The DAV’s main office in Rhode Island is located in the Federal Building at 380 Westminster Street in Providence, on the same floor as the VA Regional Office. Last Thursday, Vaccari worked out of a regional office in Warwick, meeting individually with veterans as part of the DAV’s outreach program.
“My job is to make sure veterans and their families get the maximum benefits they deserve from the Veterans Administration,” Vaccari said.
Vaccari works frequently with Korean War era veteran Jim Robbins, a Seekonk resident who is commander of Pawtucket’s Lawrence E. Redmond Chapter of the DAV.
“I became interested in helping other veterans about 12 years ago,” Robbins admitted. “I have my own business (Jim’s Auto Sales and Auto Body Works, Inc. on Central Avenue). I wanted to start giving something back to the community. When you get to my age (79), you want to feel like you have accomplished something with your life. I found that helping others through the DAV made me very satisfied.”
Robbins served in the Navy from 1950-52, working on a minesweeper in the Atlantic Ocean.
“I busted my leg and elbow during a hurricane,” he admitted. “I spent four months in a hospital on Guantanamo Bay and my leg got worse over the years. Later on, I applied to the VA for compensation. And then I became a member of DAV. I have been commander of the Redmond Chapter for 12 years.”
Robbins, who is savvy in the auto business, bought a few vans at auction and converted them into DAV vehicles that he uses to transport veterans to doctor’s visits, to the VA, or to the DAV outreach programs throughout the state.
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