American Legion Grant Chauffeuring Vets to Appointments Near and Far

The Ripon American Legion Clinton McCausland Post 190 is about to venture into a new support mission

Similar van that the American Legion will be receiving.

with a multi-passenger transport van taking vets and or their spouses to their medical appointments and recreational sites near and far throughout the region.

The transport vehicle was made possible for the Veterans Emergency Assistance Program through a government grant of $175,000 with the basic vehicle cost of $72,000 for the new vehicle.

The Ripon post of 120 members is expecting to send several of its 14 active members to pick up vets from throughout San Joaquin County for medical and other appointments as well as for recreational needs in the Bay Area and beyond with the added use of Legion’sthe Auxiliary and the Sons’ Squadron.

The Legion will take delivery of the new van in the upcoming March of 2022, according to a spokesman for the Ripon Legion post who said the vehicle was built by a national manufacturer based in Oakland.

“If we receive a request for the van from Lodi or Tracy we will go,” the spokesman said. They are in need of volunteer drivers who must have a CPR card and American Red Cross First-aid card in their possession.

The members of the Ripon post include Commander Brad Cook with members of the van committee include John Chandar, Ed Ormonde, Gary Dias, Denise Alvarez, and Mike Zurich.

The post is currently processing a non-profit status 501-C3 status to add their operation to a 501-C19 which carries all veterans associations.

The post was started in 1927 by World War I veterans, a post spokesman noted.