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<v Speaker 1>As Veterans Day is tomorrow, we thought it would be

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<v Speaker 1>a good way to kick off Veterans Week by talking

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<v Speaker 1>with Scott Felt. He's the commander of the Disabled American

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<v Speaker 1>Veterans National Service Officer, United Veterans Coalition XCOM, United Veterans

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<v Speaker 1>Coalition Legislation and Benefits Protection Team. Scott, how do you

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<v Speaker 1>fit all of that onto a business card? That's my

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<v Speaker 1>first question.

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<v Speaker 2>That's a lot.

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<v Speaker 3>I only use about half of it.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you well, nice to meet you as well.

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<v Speaker 1>You're kind of the guy in charge here in Colorado,

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<v Speaker 1>the Disabled American Veterans Organization. Tell my listeners, a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of people have heard of you, but maybe they don't

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<v Speaker 1>know everything that DAV does.

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<v Speaker 2>What exactly do you guys do.

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<v Speaker 3>Well Disabled American Veterans. It'd begin back way long time ago,

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<v Speaker 3>about one hundred and five years ago. A gentleman by

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<v Speaker 3>the name of Robert Marx. He was an infantry captain

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<v Speaker 3>that was injured during World War One, that Robert Mark

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<v Speaker 3>mister Marx, Captain Marx would call him Captain Marx. Basically,

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<v Speaker 3>terans on the road laying around in Cincinnati, Ohio, and

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<v Speaker 3>he started advocating for veterans and then it grew from

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<v Speaker 3>there right now, you know, distable American veterans is very

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<v Speaker 3>important to us in the state of Colorado. When I

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<v Speaker 3>retired in twenty twenty from my very long, extensive career,

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<v Speaker 3>I basically looked at they've reached out to me as

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<v Speaker 3>far as support and help, and then once I started

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<v Speaker 3>working with them, it just grew from there. I was

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<v Speaker 3>able to grow within the veteran community in a quick

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<v Speaker 3>and timely manner here in the state of Colorado, and

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<v Speaker 3>I enjoy it every day. With what we do DAV

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<v Speaker 3>in Colorado, we approximately have about nineteen thousand members in

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<v Speaker 3>the state itself. We have four things that we kind

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<v Speaker 3>of criteria that we work on. First and foremost the claims,

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<v Speaker 3>of course, and everybody knows that the claims that are

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<v Speaker 3>six or excuse me, our five NSOs as well as

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<v Speaker 3>our one national area supervisor. We work on that part

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<v Speaker 3>and we're very happy with that because in the last year,

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<v Speaker 3>last fiscal year, we have collected or we have compensated

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<v Speaker 3>veterans in the state of Colorado and over one point

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<v Speaker 3>nine billion dollars in compensation to our veterans, so we're

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<v Speaker 3>very happy about that. We also have a transportation program.

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<v Speaker 3>So that's mainly second high that's been going on since

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<v Speaker 3>nineteen twenty three, Dav's Transportation Coordination in the state of Colorado.

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<v Speaker 3>We support all VA clinics, basically all VIA hospitals, including

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<v Speaker 3>Cheyenne Via Medical Center and also Albuquerque Medical Center because

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<v Speaker 3>we basically covered the entire state where all of our

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<v Speaker 3>veterans are. You know, in the state of Colorado, we

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<v Speaker 3>have approximately last time I read, was over three hundred

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<v Speaker 3>and sixty nine thousand veterans in there, and we try

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<v Speaker 3>to support, Yes, we try to support every single one

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<v Speaker 3>of them, either in the transportation side the claim side. Legislation,

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<v Speaker 3>like you said, is very big. We're trying to work

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<v Speaker 3>on that at a state level as well as a

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<v Speaker 3>federal level. We focus a little bit more here on

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<v Speaker 3>the state level. There's a lot of things we try

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<v Speaker 3>to work on to help support the veterans. You know,

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<v Speaker 3>we have the property tax build that's very good, things

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<v Speaker 3>like that for Colorado benefits, and that's what we're trying

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<v Speaker 3>to increase to help support veterans all just not you know,

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<v Speaker 3>device diverse veterans. It's not we're not just looking at

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<v Speaker 3>the av veterans, but the entire veteran community and the state.

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<v Speaker 3>So that's on there. And then lastly is but not

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<v Speaker 3>least is we try to focus on our membership of course,

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<v Speaker 3>and you know we look at membership as well. It's

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<v Speaker 3>like I'm sure that of course the Jerry, our benefit

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<v Speaker 3>protection lead in our horse are assistant supervisor and so

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<v Speaker 3>basically we don't charge anybody to be able to help

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<v Speaker 3>them or anything like that. We just want them to

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<v Speaker 3>be part of I guess you want to say, I

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<v Speaker 3>call it our extended family, so to speak, where we're

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<v Speaker 3>able to help veterans and you know, rough no matter

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<v Speaker 3>what time, no matter what demographic, no matter what you know,

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<v Speaker 3>tribulations that veteran goes through, hopefully we can help them

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<v Speaker 3>through that portion.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, there's so many people that.

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<v Speaker 1>Have served that have the attitude of you know, well,

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<v Speaker 1>you know some other guy has it worse than I do,

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<v Speaker 1>or some other soldier airman you know needs that or

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<v Speaker 1>needs that or what what do you do with that?

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<v Speaker 2>Do you find that to be common?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, like you said, we try to get the word out.

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<v Speaker 3>I want to say one of the big things that

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<v Speaker 3>coming up on the air today is to thank you

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<v Speaker 3>and your staff being able to you know, as far

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<v Speaker 3>as having my personnel up here in the last three

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<v Speaker 3>months or four months excuse me. We we came on

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<v Speaker 3>in July again in August, and that has been grateful.

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<v Speaker 3>We had a couple of info seminars that like you're

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<v Speaker 3>talking about getting to those veterans. It helped out. And

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<v Speaker 3>with those just those three events that we had, we

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<v Speaker 3>were able to serve about two hundred and fifty veterans

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<v Speaker 3>that probably didn't even you know, some of them didn't

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<v Speaker 3>even know that we had that. So I want to

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<v Speaker 3>thank you guys for your due diligence. It's great to

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<v Speaker 3>have people on that and what you're trying to do

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<v Speaker 3>for the community entirely, the veteran community that we have,

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<v Speaker 3>so it's greatly appreciated. With the veterans on that portion,

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<v Speaker 3>a lot of yeah, you're right, there's a lot of

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<v Speaker 3>the older veterans are basically you know, it's very difficult

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<v Speaker 3>for them to say that they you know, were injured

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<v Speaker 3>or mentally physically in that aspect. You know, we tell

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<v Speaker 3>our veterans like a lot of times that you know,

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<v Speaker 3>you have to take care of yourself. There's still your

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<v Speaker 3>family members that you need to take care of when

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<v Speaker 3>there's a fact of you have that veteran that just

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<v Speaker 3>he's hit rock bottom and he can't go any further.

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<v Speaker 3>You don't want to get to that level. So that's

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<v Speaker 3>what we try to do. We try to prevent that.

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<v Speaker 3>So DAV is very big into you know, we try

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<v Speaker 3>to be proactive instead of reactive. And that's why I'm

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<v Speaker 3>trying to do what I have once I took over

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<v Speaker 3>as Department commander, being able to get out in the community.

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<v Speaker 3>I just got back from, you know, we were down

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<v Speaker 3>south in the Four Corners things like that, trying to

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<v Speaker 3>help to help our members down there, our chapters that

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<v Speaker 3>we have down there. DAV has about thirteen chapters all

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<v Speaker 3>over state of Colorado, you know, So we try to

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<v Speaker 3>get out there and we try to support everybody that

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<v Speaker 3>we can.

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<v Speaker 2>I appreciate that, Scott.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you guys have anything coming up this week specifically

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<v Speaker 1>because of Veterans Day?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, So tomorrow we have our big event we've been

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<v Speaker 3>for the past two weeks. We do what it's called

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<v Speaker 3>it's a national our National Davy Office, it's our Military

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<v Speaker 3>Event Night that we call it. And basically it's at

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<v Speaker 3>the Golden Corral where we help celebrate, you know, Veterans Day.

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<v Speaker 3>Of course, gold Corrals has been supporting with Camp Peril

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<v Speaker 3>for many many years. Now right now we have all

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<v Speaker 3>the Golden Corrals and basically in Denver, Colorado Springs area

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<v Speaker 3>as well. I know the ones that I we help

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<v Speaker 3>support is one in this area. In our area Lakewood

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<v Speaker 3>area we have Santa Fe as well as Thornton area

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<v Speaker 3>Santa Fe. We're going to have the bagpipes out there

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<v Speaker 3>this year. A lot of people like that around five

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<v Speaker 3>o'clock if they want to come out and listen to them.

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<v Speaker 3>I really like it, I really think. And that was

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<v Speaker 3>basically our older veterans that taught the younger ones. You

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<v Speaker 3>know how important this is. We've had a real big,

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<v Speaker 3>big response this year when it comes to volunteering, and

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<v Speaker 3>it's great to see and it's great to see us

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<v Speaker 3>all come together to help support everybody in that point Scott, how.

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<v Speaker 1>Can people if they want to volunteer, they need help

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<v Speaker 1>or how can they get in touch with you?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, they could go online as well. You can go

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<v Speaker 3>online and help volunteer. Dav has A has a great Uh.

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<v Speaker 2>What what really helps me with Dav.

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<v Speaker 3>Is they they have so many avenues. So many programs

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<v Speaker 3>that can help veterans. One of the you know, besides

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<v Speaker 3>the family caregiver support that's very big to be able.

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<v Speaker 3>They can call online register any issues or province they

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<v Speaker 3>may have that family caregiver with the veteran. They can

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<v Speaker 3>call there and they can request support there. But we

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<v Speaker 3>also have one thing that we do on our volunteer

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<v Speaker 3>website and DAV dot org.

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<v Speaker 1>Uh.

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<v Speaker 3>It's a fact that at veteran if they're having issues

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<v Speaker 3>or anything like that and there's somebody out there that

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<v Speaker 3>wants to volunteer, they can go on there. They can

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<v Speaker 3>basically you know, tap in and everything like that and

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<v Speaker 3>say hey, I'm here to help. I'm here to volunteer,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, and a lot of veterans will go on

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<v Speaker 3>there they need support, like to redo a patch of

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<v Speaker 3>roof or you know, help with long care or anything

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<v Speaker 3>like that that they come up. So DAV has kind

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<v Speaker 3>of thought of all of it when it goes on

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<v Speaker 3>their website, the DAV dot org. All kinds of things

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<v Speaker 3>that they can do on there and if you you know,

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<v Speaker 3>very simple, all you have to do is email us

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<v Speaker 3>at office at Davcolorado dot org. It's the office symbol

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<v Speaker 3>at Davcolorado dot org and you can request that. And

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<v Speaker 3>I have a very very very good support staff over

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<v Speaker 3>there in department, and they know exactly what to do

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<v Speaker 3>and how to take care of veterans. They've been doing

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<v Speaker 3>it for a very long time, and they can get

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<v Speaker 3>you in the right direction to our NSOs or where

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<v Speaker 3>or the correct chapter to help support you.

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<v Speaker 1>And I just want to reiterate because there are so

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<v Speaker 1>many people who think, oh, I'm not that bad off,

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<v Speaker 1>or oh, you know, sure, I have horrible tonight's in

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<v Speaker 1>my ears, or I having this issue, or my back

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<v Speaker 1>is shot, or I have arthurright, all of these excuses.

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<v Speaker 1>You need to understand that there's a lot of help

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<v Speaker 1>for you out there. And this is one of the

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<v Speaker 1>things that that I think people don't re is that

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<v Speaker 1>as we get older, all of those physical issues get

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<v Speaker 1>harder to deal with, and if you're going to need

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<v Speaker 1>some kind of help in long term care and things like,

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<v Speaker 1>it's better to get in the system now and go

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<v Speaker 1>ahead and get your rating taken care of.

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<v Speaker 2>And Scott, I cannot tell you how.

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<v Speaker 1>Much I appreciate you, all of the volunteers, everybody at

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<v Speaker 1>DAV for what you do It's an incredibly important thing

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<v Speaker 1>to take care of veterans who not only served but go.

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<v Speaker 2>Jacked up in the process. Need need some support because.

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<v Speaker 1>They wouldn't have necessarily had those injuries otherwise. I really

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<v Speaker 1>appreciate it, and I hope you can come back soon.

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<v Speaker 1>We'll talk about the next events where people can come out,

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<v Speaker 1>but if they need help now, just reach out Dav

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<v Speaker 1>dot org. I just added it to the blog for

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<v Speaker 1>some reason forgot to add it earlier. Scott, thank you

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<v Speaker 1>so much for making time for me today.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you, Thank you very much, and thank you for

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<v Speaker 3>the time. Yes again, thank you very much for everything

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<v Speaker 3>you're doing. You're awesome and I truly to appreciate all

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<v Speaker 3>the support that you have given us these past forms.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh it's my pleasure. Scott Fell, thank you so much

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<v Speaker 1>for Dav