By Harvey Mann
The 830 Times
Val Verde County veterans crowded into the Del Rio Civic Center March 29 as the Val Verde County Veterans Service Office rolled out the red carpet for them.
“The purpose of this event is two-fold,” Adrian Bitela, Val Verde County Veterans Service officer, said. “First we want to thank these veterans for their service and what they did for their country. Second, we want to ensure they are aware of all of their benefits and are taking advantage of the services organizations offer them.”
Veterans Administration representatives were on hand offering free medical exams plus the VA reps helped veterans decipher the benefits process. Other organizations had job information available, helped people register for the Meals on Wheels feeding program and offered free legal assistance.
The San Felipe Lions were on hand providing vision exams, United Medical Center provided blood pressure checks and COVID vaccines and one local barber provided free haircuts.
Bitela said it was impossible to thank one person for the success of the event. “There are so many people who made today happen,” Bitela said. “This is a community that is always ready to support its veterans.
Two organizations that teamed up to support veterans were El Patio Restaurant and the Bad Company Motorcycle Club. El Patio provided breakfast and lunch and the Bad Company members delivered.
Bitela said that while ensuring people were fed was important, there was another purpose.
“It’s always good for our veterans to be able to sit down and just talk with each other, share their experiences,” Bitela said. “We always hope that mealtime is also an informal support group.”
