By Brent Addleman
Ridgway Record Staff

Plans for bringing a chapter of Disabled American Veterans to Elk County is in the works.

Elk County Commissioner Ronald T. Beimel and Leslie Neal-Glatt, Director of Veterans' Affairs for the county, met with Philip Shefcyk, Paul Gerg, Steve Woods and Ella Dempsey at the Courthouse Annex yesterday morning to discuss what needs to be done to get a chapter up and running.

The county had a chapter of DAV, Elk County Chapter 74, which was popular in the 1980s and early 90s but has fizzled out in recent years, according to Shefcyk.

In order to get a chapter, an application with signatures of 50 people that wish to join the organization must be submitted. The signatures can be of people who would be new members to the organization or current members wishing to join the Elk County chapter.

"To really get this going we have to get 50 people," Beimel said. "I would be willing to go with somebody to different meetings.

"It's real important, I think, to get that transportation."

Disabled American Veterans was organized in 1920 at the conclusion of World War I. The organization's mission is to build better lives for America's disabled veterans and their families in obtaining benefits and service earned through military service and provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs and other government agencies.

Neal-Glatt raised some concerns about getting the organization started to make the process smooth, and also feels strong organization needs to be set in place for the plans  to reach fruition.

"What you really need to do is have a membership night," Neal-Glatt said. "You need to have a membership night, and anybody who wants to join (can). One of the problems is driving. You are looking at older members and the cost of gas and these people being on limited incomes.

"We could actually do a membership night in Johnsonburg, a membership night in St. Marys, Ridgway – whatever would accomodate to get the people in."

Organizing a chapter in the county would also solve transportation issues. Currently, veterans have to find their own transportation to get to hospitals in Altoona, Erie and Pittsburgh. The chapter would utilize vans to transport veterans to appointments at those locations.

A meeting and membership drive will take place on Monday, Aug. 25 at 11 a.m. at the Courthouse Annex. The meeting will be held in Conference Room No. 2. Anyone interested in signing up to join the organization, or seeking more information, is encouraged to attend.