DAV member makes good on his pledge to serve fellow veterans

Grethel Humphrey has spent his life serving his country, and continues to do so after following through on a promise made to a stranger.
Grethel Humphrey has spent his life serving his country, and continues to do so after following through on a promise made to a stranger.

Grethel Humphrey served 20 years in the Air Force before retiring in 1992. But despite becoming a DAV life member in 2001, joining Chapter 16 in Jacksonville, N.C., he was not active due to the demands of his second career at the U.S. Postal Service.

One day in 2012, Humphrey was working at the post office when noticed a patron wearing a familiar emblem. “I noticed his DAV shirt, and told him I was a member of DAV,” said Humphrey.

That man was John Bryant, Commander of DAV Chapter 16 in Jacksonville, N.C. On the spot, Humphrey pledged to dedicate more of his time to serving the organization after his retirement. Two years after that initial encounter, Humphrey retired from the post office and kept true to his word.

When Bryant asked Humphrey how active he planned on being in the chapter, he replied simply, “As active as possible.”

“Right then, I knew DAV had someone who was going to step up for the veterans of Onslow County,” said Bryant. “He is always looking for ways to help veterans and he does it with a smile. His volunteer service is outstanding because he is always willing to tackle the hard assignments. He truly cares and believes in our cause.”

Since becoming active in 2014, Humphrey has volunteered 185 hours driving 40 veterans over 5,000 miles to and from their VA medical appointments. Humphrey’s volunteer time does not end there, as he has also given over 780 hours through DAV’s Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service (VAVS) program since 2014, and another 32 hours through DAV’s Local Veterans Assistance Program (LVAP), assisting veterans in various ways.

“I volunteer because I believe in the mission of helping veterans,” said Humphrey. “We might not wear the uniform anymore, but we are still brothers and sisters. We need veterans to get involved and be active participants.”

“We could use more volunteers like Mr. Humphrey,” said DAV National Director of Voluntary Services John Kleindienst. “His commitment to his fellow veterans is something we all could learn from. However, what I take away from his story is that when he was able to help—he did.”

“Every little bit helps—every hour someone can donate to supporting their local veterans is a great thing,” added Kleindienst. “Trust me, it adds up and your volunteer time does make a difference.”

Humphrey is what Bryant calls “a veterans’ veteran,” carrying on the fight to be sure veteran’s get the benefits they earned through their military service.

“He promotes the mission of our organization by showing other veterans that we are here to assist them,” said Bryant. “Veterans need to know they are not alone and somebody cares and can be a voice for them. Mr. Humphrey represents that through his personal actions.”

“I enjoy it,” said Humphrey. “For me, it’s just about being there to help someone—weather its paperwork or driving them to their appointment—the satisfaction I get is simply knowing I helped a comrade.”

If you or someone you know would like to learn more about volunteer opportunities please e-mail [email protected] or visit https://www.dav.org/help-dav/volunteer/volunteer-locally-help-veterans/.