(June 16, 2016) The National Association for Black Veterans’ Berlin chapter continues to help an ever-increasing number of military members get access to the benefits they’ve earned. Now, the nonprofit hopes to expand its mission.
NABVETS Walk Through the Valley Chapter #0093 Commander James Briddell said the group began in 2008 when a multitude of Vietnam-era military vets from the area took part in a number of local patriotic celebrations.
“We were part of the Memorial Day parade and Veterans Day program,” he said. “We had a heart for seeing to it that other veterans knew about the different benefits that they were entitled to.”
It started with Briddell and the other veterans offering to carpool when heading to the western shore.
“As I would go to Baltimore, or some of the other members would go, we would take other veterans with us,” he said. “We would try to get them signed up with the VA so they might be able to get their healthcare. We would take veterans to the federal building and help them file for disability claims.”
What Briddell and his cohorts began to discover was numerous military members lacked knowledge of and access to benefits.
“We realized the veterans didn’t have a way to get back and forth to the Veterans Administration, to the hospital, to the clinic,” he said. “The mission we are on is providing this transportation for veterans back and forth to these different clinics and hospitals.”
Until last year, Briddell said members of his group used their own vehicles exclusively, but in February 2015 received a van from a community donor.
“From March until the end of the year (2015,) we were using this vehicle, plus our own, to help veterans get back and forth,” he said.
This year the group’s fleet has grown to three vans after two more vehicles were donated.
“For the month of May, we’ve made 42 trips between the three vehicles. In April it was basically the same thing we had over 40 trips.” he said. “These vehicles are on the road just about every day.”
In some instances, Briddell said the vans make multiple stops in the same day. For example, this past week Briddell drove to Cambridge twice in the same day.
“I took a veteran in van three into Cambridge. He had to be there at 9:30, brought him home, turned right back around and picked up another man in Salisbury and took him to Cambridge,” he said. “At the same time, van two had picked up three people and was in Baltimore.”
Van one is the generally driven by chapter chairman Abner Snell, a Berlin resident and Viet Nam veteran, whom Briddell said deserves praise for his diligence.
“From day one when we got van one he jumped in and went to work,” he said. “He was going three to four days a week. He personally made 73 trips from March of last year to December.”
Chapter co-chairman Orlando Smack Jr. took the reins for van two when it was donated earlier this year.
“He was making trips in his pickup until such time as we got the van,” he said. “We were doing this before we became an organized nonprofit.”
In 2013, Briddell said the group received a charter from NABVETS after Gabe Purnell, husband of County Commissioner Diana Purnell, informed members of the national group.
“I saw that their main focus was the same vision we had as a group here on the Eastern Shore,” he said. “We made contact with them through Diana Purnell and found out what we had to do to get a charter so that we would be a national association organization.”
Greg Purnell, NABVETS Berlin chapter publication chairman, said today’s group is echoing the efforts of Joseph Purnell who pioneered the mission nearly a half century ago.
“Mr. Purnell was the solitary veteran in the ’60s and ’7’s that single-handedly took veterans to register for benefits and to their subsequent appointments,” he said. “People were somewhat leery back then of his work because it was unheard of in the black community and black veterans of all wars actually thought the benefits were just for white soldiers primarily.”
Briddell was a cousin of Purnell and it appears a natural progression to maintain his mission.
“Because of what Mr. Purnell had done then, Commander Briddell picked up the mantle and has carried it forward,” he said.
Compared to the early days of uncertainty and suspicion surrounding the mission, NABVETS Berlin chapter has been embraced by the community, Briddell said.
“We partner with different organizations, the American Legion Post here in Ocean City, the Vietnam Veterans, the American Legion in Berlin, Veterans of Foreign Wars and others,” he said. “We’re using them not only to help us with our financial needs, but also as an outreach program where they also are letting every veteran, male, female, black or white, know we are providing this service for them and that we are actually searching for them.”
Briddell said the group is still operating in the red and could use more volunteer drivers.
“Orlando and Abner have been the mainstays of this program,” he said. “They’re the ones that’s been getting up in the morning and they’re doing it out if the goodness of their heart.”
Hoping to alter what he feels is an inaccurate public perception, Briddell said knowledge empowers.
“People give our government a bad rap for how they take care of our veterans,” he said. “The bad rap is maybe they’re not getting the information out here to the veterans of what they have to offer.”
Briddell said most, if not all, combat veterans experience some level of post-traumatic stress disorder, and many are not receiving treatment, because they are not aware of available options.
“It’s where we found the need and where we found we do the most good,” he said. “If you’re a veteran and you need to go to the doctor, call us. We’ll get you there. We cover all of the veteran’s hospitals and clinics within an 150-mile radius.”
For more information contact James Briddell at 443-366-8534 or email jabriddellsr@gmail.com. Tax-deductible donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 413, Berlin MD 21811.
NABVETS Walk Through the Valley Chapter #0093 Commander James Briddell said the group began in 2008 when a multitude of Vietnam-era military vets from the area took part in a number of local patriotic celebrations.
“We were part of the Memorial Day parade and Veterans Day program,” he said. “We had a heart for seeing to it that other veterans knew about the different benefits that they were entitled to.”
It started with Briddell and the other veterans offering to carpool when heading to the western shore.
“As I would go to Baltimore, or some of the other members would go, we would take other veterans with us,” he said. “We would try to get them signed up with the VA so they might be able to get their healthcare. We would take veterans to the federal building and help them file for disability claims.”
What Briddell and his cohorts began to discover was numerous military members lacked knowledge of and access to benefits.
“We realized the veterans didn’t have a way to get back and forth to the Veterans Administration, to the hospital, to the clinic,” he said. “The mission we are on is providing this transportation for veterans back and forth to these different clinics and hospitals.”
Until last year, Briddell said members of his group used their own vehicles exclusively, but in February 2015 received a van from a community donor.
“From March until the end of the year (2015,) we were using this vehicle, plus our own, to help veterans get back and forth,” he said.
This year the group’s fleet has grown to three vans after two more vehicles were donated.
“For the month of May, we’ve made 42 trips between the three vehicles. In April it was basically the same thing we had over 40 trips.” he said. “These vehicles are on the road just about every day.”
In some instances, Briddell said the vans make multiple stops in the same day. For example, this past week Briddell drove to Cambridge twice in the same day.
“I took a veteran in van three into Cambridge. He had to be there at 9:30, brought him home, turned right back around and picked up another man in Salisbury and took him to Cambridge,” he said. “At the same time, van two had picked up three people and was in Baltimore.”
Van one is the generally driven by chapter chairman Abner Snell, a Berlin resident and Viet Nam veteran, whom Briddell said deserves praise for his diligence.
“From day one when we got van one he jumped in and went to work,” he said. “He was going three to four days a week. He personally made 73 trips from March of last year to December.”
Chapter co-chairman Orlando Smack Jr. took the reins for van two when it was donated earlier this year.
“He was making trips in his pickup until such time as we got the van,” he said. “We were doing this before we became an organized nonprofit.”
In 2013, Briddell said the group received a charter from NABVETS after Gabe Purnell, husband of County Commissioner Diana Purnell, informed members of the national group.
“I saw that their main focus was the same vision we had as a group here on the Eastern Shore,” he said. “We made contact with them through Diana Purnell and found out what we had to do to get a charter so that we would be a national association organization.”
Greg Purnell, NABVETS Berlin chapter publication chairman, said today’s group is echoing the efforts of Joseph Purnell who pioneered the mission nearly a half century ago.
“Mr. Purnell was the solitary veteran in the ’60s and ’7’s that single-handedly took veterans to register for benefits and to their subsequent appointments,” he said. “People were somewhat leery back then of his work because it was unheard of in the black community and black veterans of all wars actually thought the benefits were just for white soldiers primarily.”
Briddell was a cousin of Purnell and it appears a natural progression to maintain his mission.
“Because of what Mr. Purnell had done then, Commander Briddell picked up the mantle and has carried it forward,” he said.
Compared to the early days of uncertainty and suspicion surrounding the mission, NABVETS Berlin chapter has been embraced by the community, Briddell said.
“We partner with different organizations, the American Legion Post here in Ocean City, the Vietnam Veterans, the American Legion in Berlin, Veterans of Foreign Wars and others,” he said. “We’re using them not only to help us with our financial needs, but also as an outreach program where they also are letting every veteran, male, female, black or white, know we are providing this service for them and that we are actually searching for them.”
Briddell said the group is still operating in the red and could use more volunteer drivers.
“Orlando and Abner have been the mainstays of this program,” he said. “They’re the ones that’s been getting up in the morning and they’re doing it out if the goodness of their heart.”
Hoping to alter what he feels is an inaccurate public perception, Briddell said knowledge empowers.
“People give our government a bad rap for how they take care of our veterans,” he said. “The bad rap is maybe they’re not getting the information out here to the veterans of what they have to offer.”
Briddell said most, if not all, combat veterans experience some level of post-traumatic stress disorder, and many are not receiving treatment, because they are not aware of available options.
“It’s where we found the need and where we found we do the most good,” he said. “If you’re a veteran and you need to go to the doctor, call us. We’ll get you there. We cover all of the veteran’s hospitals and clinics within an 150-mile radius.”
For more information contact James Briddell at 443-366-8534 or email jabriddellsr@gmail.com. Tax-deductible donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 413, Berlin MD 21811.