Eagle file photo Chris Labhart

It is five in the morning on a cold winter day. Vets from Dayville, Seneca, John Day and Mt. Vernon gather at the Elks Lodge parking lot in John Day. They board the Vet van to begin Thursday’s 3-1/2 hour trip to the VA Hospital in Boise, Idaho.

We stop in Prairie City at the Bank of Eastern Oregon 15 minutes later to pick up another vet. It is a full van today. After a short rest stop in Vale, we continue to Ontario and catch Interstate 84 to Boise.

We arrive at the VA Hospital about 9:50 a.m., Boise time, and pull up front to let the vets out. They have appointments scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. One of the vets needs assistance and I ask for a “blue shirt.” These are volunteers who help the vet navigate the hospital and answer any questions they might have. I park the van and turn in paperwork at volunteer services. I usually have time for a quick bite and then wait for the vets to finish their appointments.

As I sit in the waiting room, I am amazed at how busy it is and the ages and condition of the vets seeking services. I sit across from the pharmacy dispensary area. Each vet has a number that lets them know when their prescription(s) is ready to pick up. It is a never-ending line.

A young veteran and his service dog sit next to me. He is very quiet and his dog lies at his feet. A small child comes by and his mom asks if he can pet the dog. The young man respectfully says no and the reason why. After the child leaves, the vet turns to me and says he hopes that the child understood why he couldn’t pet the dog. I said he handled it well. He tells me the dog was given to him for his PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). The young man says the dog saved his life, emotionally. It calms him and is his constant companion.

An older gentleman sits across from me. He has prosthetic legs. Striking up a conversation, he says he recently moved to Boise from British Columbia to live closer to his daughter. He is a World War II veteran.

I ask how he lost his legs. His injury didn’t happen in the war. He went bird hunting by himself on Christmas Day. He fell and broke his pelvis and lay out in the elements for three days before a search party found him. By that time, frostbite had set in on both feet and they had to amputate just below the knees. He had a great attitude and moved well with the prosthetics. He was amazed at the services he was receiving from the Boise VA Hospital.

This sentiment is universal from all the veterans I transport and visit with at the hospital. It is nice to hear that our veterans are getting the services they have earned serving our country.

I take a lunch break in the hospital cafeteria. Prices are reasonable, the place is clean and they have a good selection of hot and cold foods. Wheelchairs and walkers navigate amongst the people enjoying their lunch. The staff is very helpful and courteous.

It is 1:30 and my vets gather in the waiting area. I retrieve the van, and we load up for the trip back to John Day. Three and a half hours later, we arrive back in John Day. The van is unloaded and I thank each of the veterans for their service. I gas up the van, fill out the reports and park the van at Doug’s Motor Vehicle Repair.

It has been a long 12-hour day, but I have enjoyed every minute of it. Allowing our veterans to travel to the Boise VA Hospital free of charge is a very rewarding experience. We also transport our vets to the VA clinic in Burns as needed.

These men and women have served our country and I hope that we can take care of them, no matter the cost and the need. The next time you see a vet, thank them for their service and remember, freedom is not free, it is earned.

Chris Labhart is a driver for the Disabled American Veterans van service that transports Grant County veterans to and from appointments at VA medical facilities in Boise and Burns.