After being wounded during the WWI Meuse-Argonne Offensive in November 1918 then Capt., now Superior Court Judge, Robert Marx hosted a Christmas party in 1920. During the party, discussion concerning disabled veterans from the “War to End All Wars” came up and the idea to form the Disabled American Veterans was conceived. While on tour with the election campaign for Democratic presidential nominee James M. Cox, Judge Marx spread the word about the new veterans organization.

The ranks of the new organization swelled and it held its first national convention on June 27, 1921. Judge Marx was appointed the first national commander. On Sept. 25, 1921, the Disabled American Veterans of World War (DAVWW) held its first national caucus in Hamilton County Memorial Hall in Cincinnati, Ohio. The DAVWW was officially created.

In 1922 the site for the second national convention would be San Francisco. Even with public transportation available, California was a great distance to travel for the veterans, especially those with severe disabilities, and that was not accounting for the cost to the veterans. Henry Ford organized a caravan of 50 Model T Fords to take DAVWW members to the national convention. This charitable gesture by Henry Ford has had a lasting effect and strong partnership with the DAV and the Ford Motor Company.

On the June 17, 1932, the United States Congress issued a federal charter to the DAVWW as the official advocate for the nation’s wartime disabled veterans. Gaining the national charter was a goal long in coming since the first convention in 1921.

With the start of WWII, the organization realized that it would play a major role with disabled veterans returning from war. They also realized that there would have to be a great expansion of the organization and the name of the organization needed to be changed to include all veterans returning from any war zone or conflict. In 1941, the name was officially changed to Disabled American Veterans.

Henry Ford’s gesture, providing transportation for the disabled veterans has had a long-lasting effect on the DAV. The nationwide transportation network logs millions of miles every year taking disabled veterans to medical appointments. The DAV Dunger Smith Chapter 44, Cortez, is part of the transportation network that provides transportation services for veterans in Montezuma County. With a dedicated group of volunteer drivers, the DAV van, which is a Ford Explorer, takes our veterans to the Durango VA Clinic, Farmington VA Clinic and the Albuquerque Raymond G. Murphy VA Hospital for medical appointments.

The Ford Explorer that Chapter 44 is responsible for is two years old and has 100,000 miles on it, as of this writing. In April of 2016, the chapter will have to have a little more than half the monies when a new vehicle is ordered. DAV National negotiates the deal with the Ford Motor Company and provide the vinyl graphics, and the chapter must pickup the vehicle and drive it back to Cortez.

By August or September 2016, we should have a new vehicle. The older vehicle will then be given to the chapter to sell. The proceeds from the sale go to start the vehicle fund all over again.

In order for the chapter to gain the funds needed, the chapter must have fund raisers. One of the projects going on right now is a Veterans Business Directory. It will be similar to a phone book but much easier to use. This is how it works: A business signs up to be in the directory for two years as a veteran-owned or veteran-supporting business for a very small fee. A two-year planning calendar is also included, as well as space for advertisements for the businesses. Distribution will be handled by the DAV Chapter to all the businesses and veterans in Montezuma County. The purpose of this directory, besides raising the needed funds, is to support those businesses that support the vehicle fund and the veterans of Montezuma County. The pool of veterans in Montezuma County is quite substantial. The directory program dead line is July 15.

One of the other projects is raffle for a beautiful quilt or Framed American Flag picture. Tickets are on sale now for $1 per ticket or six for $5. The raffle drawing will be held at the Blue Star Mothers George Geer Memorial Car Show at Centennial Park in Cortez on Aug. 10. For information on the Veterans Business Directory, contact Bob Sanders, (970) 560-2794, or Davis Johnson, (970) 560-5843. For tickets or information concerning the raffle contact, Darla Sanders, (970) 560-2793; Bob Sanders (970) 560-2794; Bert Valencia, (970) 560-1891, or Sandi Valencia, (970) 560-2572 For information on the Blue Star Mothers George Geer Memorial Car Show, contact Sandi Valencia, (970) 560-2572. Robert Valencia is a retired Army Sergeant First Class, a member of the American Legion, the Disabled American Veterans and the Veterans of Foreign wars. He can be reached at (970) 560-1891. Please tune into Veterans Forum at 8:30 a.m. on the last Friday of the month on KSJD 90.5 FM radio.