Rick Batton served his country in the Army during the Vietnam War. Today, the 74-year-old gives back to his fellow veterans two or three days a week, volunteering to transport them to and from medical appointments.
Likewise, 72-year-old Sam Gullett, who served in the Air Force in Vietnam, volunteers several days a week to transport veterans.
The pair are among three drivers with the Volunteer Transportation Network, a program facilitated by the Disabled American Veterans at the John J. Pershing Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Both say they love staying busy and giving back, but the patient load across the region is more than they can handle, and they need help.
“We have a desperate need for drivers in Farmington, Paragould, Pocahontas and here in Poplar Bluff,” said Dale Garrett, who oversees the volunteer driver program through the facility’s Center for Development and Civic Engagement. “This is where we send most of our drivers out of.”
Drivers play a critical role in helping veterans who lack transportation and otherwise might have a difficult time getting to and from appointments, Garrett said.
The process to volunteer is easy, but there are some requirements, he noted.
Besides a fingerprint background check and a driver physical exam, he said, potential volunteer drivers also must complete an orientation at the VA facility and complete brief training sessions.
Volunteers aren’t obligated to work a certain number of days a week, said Batton. Instead, they can drive when they want to.
However, Garrett noted, “The more drivers we have, the more veterans we can assist. And, the more drivers we have, the less of a burden it is on any individual driver.”
Volunteers never have to worry about vehicles, Garrett said, because they are provided by DAV. And, on days with longer hours, lunch is provided at the Veteran Canteen Service on the main campus.
While every day is different, Batton said, each one is enjoyable: “It makes you feel good because you’re helping a fellow veteran. And, I think, I may need this someday, so I’m paying it forward.”
Volunteering, he said, is “very fulfilling, and the longer you do it, the better you feel about it. Besides, it gets you up and gets you out of the house. I could watch television all day long if you give me the chance, but I don’t want to do that. So, I volunteer.”
Just like his counterpart, Gullett feels like volunteering “gives you a purpose. Most of the guys we haul have no way to get around, so we’re getting them to their appointments. If we didn’t do it, nobody would.”
And, just like Batton, he needs something to do away from home occasionally.
“When I quit work,” he said, “I had to get out of the house. I couldn’t sit down, I couldn’t read a book … I was used to going. I still run cows, cut firewood and things like that, but I’d probably work myself to death if I wasn’t doing this.
For those contemplating volunteering, Batton said, there’s really only one question: Why not?
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer driver is encouraged to reach out to Garrett at 573-778-4276 or through email at vhapopvoluntary-w@va.gov. Applications can be sent by postal mail, sent via email, or they can be picked up at the main facility or any of John J. Pershing VA Medical Center’s community-based outpatient clinics.
