George Sinkovich doesn't agree with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' decision to deny a claim he filed.
To appeal it, the Pottsville Vietnam veteran would need to travel almost two hours or hire a lawyer to get the process started.
Either way, Sinkovich would be out time and money.
Instead, he took a short drive to Tamaqua, stopped at the Disabled American Veterans' mobile service office and received free help for his appeal.
He was back on Route 209 in less than an hour.
That's the beauty of the office on wheels, said Jeff Petherbridge, the DAV national service officer who pulled the van into the Tamaqua American Legion's parking lot Wednesday morning.
"The mobile service office is an outreach program for veterans who can't come to see us," said Petherbridge.
The nonprofit DAV has a national service office in Philadelphia and department state offices (DSO) in Wilkes-Barre and Camp Hill.
"Sometimes people can't travel out there and DSOs are limited. When it comes to more complicated cases - that's when I step in," Petherbridge said.
The office travels to communities to educate disabled veterans and their families about veterans' benefits and services. In the course of a day, officers like Petherbridge assist veterans in completing required applications, provide counseling on issues and help prosecute claims for veterans benefits administered under federal, state and local laws.
Often, veterans are confused about what benefits and services are available. DAV officials train weekly to stay abreast of the latest laws and changes pertaining to veterans.
Leocadio Arruza, of Mary D, received a letter alerting him of the visit.
"I wanted to come over to see what it's all about," said Arruza, who served in the Korean War with the U.S. Marine Corps. "I have no idea."
Petherbridge said he welcomes "newcomers" like Arruza to the DAV mobile office.
"That's another reason we like to come out. Maybe people have never seen us before and we can help them and get them familiarized with who we are as an organization versus, you know, maybe the VFW or the American Legion," he said.
Over the past week, the mobile service office also made stops in Hatboro, Easton and Johnstown.
"I'd say the majority of people we see are people that are just getting out (of military service) and a lot of Vietnam veterans," Petherbridge said.
Robert W. McClellen, a DAV national service officer in Philadelphia, said the mobile service offices program was established years ago.
"When it began it was actually a big motorhome. Workers actually slept in it," he said. The current unit is smaller and more high-tech. Inside, he said, are two offices equipped with computers, fax machines, telephones and Internet service.
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