By Mike Brewer
Special to the Alpine Mountaineer
The Rim of the World Veterans Outreach, aka RimVets, is now seven years old!
The veterans support group was founded in 2017 by Cliff “Doc” Bennett, a Fleet Marine Force combat medic and Purple Heart recipient who served in Iraq and now works at Mountains Community Hospital (MCH), and Tom Nytko (RIP brother Tom), an Army combat veteran.
After learning about a veteran who had committed suicide, Doc figured there must be more that could be done to curb veteran suicides. He started inviting military veterans from the mountain to meet for informal dinners to share coping strategies and feel they are not alone.
MCH, with many veterans on its staff, has been a very gracious supporter of its mountain veterans and has allowed us to meet in the conference room and rose garden for dinners.
Ernie “Wingnut” Poulin, an Air Force veteran who served on many med-evac missions out of Afghanistan and Iraq, met Doc and Tom during one such dinner a few months in. The three served as administrators of the RimVets Facebook group. Later, a community support group was also formed (fb.com/groups/rimvetssupport).
Ernie was instrumental in getting RimVets its nonprofit veterans organization status (87-3002190) with the help of VetsLegal.org and the pro bono assistance of ArentFox Schiff Law Group in Los Angeles. Ernie, now vice chairman, was then elected as the first president of RimVets.
Today RimVets boasts nearly 200 members who served in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and the Cold War – but estimates many more live on the mountain. RimVets invites veterans from the communities of Upper Waterman all the way to Sugarloaf to join them to share in the camaraderie.
RimVets does NOT support that which causes us to fight. We had enough of that in war. Remember, we are human beings, of all walks of life, who served side by side, with only the care of watching one another’s “6.” Remember the tough things you went through with your brothers and sisters in arms and remember that political, religious and other affiliations did not matter to you, then. Don’t let it start now.
“Bringing back that sense of camaraderie among veterans really adds to our quality of life,” said Doc, who is in his second term as RimVets president, “as it is hard to find in other arenas.
“For myself,” Doc added, “I am reassured in my sense of purpose and mission to reach out to veterans in need and to provide ongoing moral support for the transition to civilian life.
“I would like to believe that we are somewhat of model organization that enhances and collaborates with the other fraternal organizations, as we do with the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars. Disabled American Veterans, Marine Corps League, Orenda Home for Veterans, the Mountain Homeless Coalition and the Elder Warrior Retreat program for combat veterans,” Doc said.
“Rim Vets gives me the opportunity to give back to others when they need us,” said outgoing president Alex Mendoza, a 24-year retired Army E-8 First Sergeant.
Former Navy Lieutenant Dennis Brown, who served on the Navy destroyer U.S.S. Arnold J. Isbell during the Vietnam War, shared that “RimVets affords me the opportunity to contribute alongside those who contributed so much more.”
“Joining ranks with locals from all the branches of the Armed Forces and hearing life stories is the most enjoyable,” said 88-year-old James “Bim” Bickman, a former Marine captain who was an early advisor in Vietnam. “And tons of gratitude to Mountains Community Hospital who provides a free supper once a month.”
And former Navy Lieutenant Gordon Claudius, a Command CIC Officer aboard the U.S.S. Koontz, said that “the thing I like the most is just the people and uplifting aspect of camaraderie.”
The often-heard phrase in the military and veterans community – “I’ve got your back” – permeates the group.
Resource: Ernie Poulin, RimVets historian
0 Comments