By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

A NEW Guam chapter of the Disabled American Veterans, or DAV, one of the nation’s largest veterans organizations, is forming on island, with a recruitment meeting set for Friday, Feb. 9, 2007.
With more than 1.2 million members, DAV is an organization of disabled veterans who are focused on building better lives for disabled veterans and their families.
DAV is the foremost representative of the interests of disabled veterans and their families, their widowed spouses and their orphans, lobbying before federal, state, and local governments.
The organization provides free assistance to veterans in obtaining benefits and services earned through their military service. It is fully funded through its membership dues and public contributions.
All interested veterans who want to join can call Berno Atalig or Art Mesa at 472-3455/6.
Sen. Antonio Unpingco, R-Santa Rita, the head of the Legislature’s military committee, said the establishment of a DAV chapter on Guam is a welcome development as this would enable the concerns of local veterans to be heard in Washington, D.C.
In particular, Unpingco said the establishment of a DAV Guam chapter would hopefully speed up the establishment of a new veterans clinic for the island.
Unpingco said this project should be prioritized because Guam veterans are not getting the treatment they need.
According to the senator, the island’s veterans have had numerous problems in getting access to the current clinic at Naval Hospital.
These problems include being put on a low priority at the clinic and difficulties in finding the treatment and services they need to address their medical problems.
The proposed site for the clinic is in Agana Heights, next to the current Naval Hospital, which has been used for years by veterans.