DAV volunteer makes a difference.

A medical center director once praised John Ognie as one of his best employees. This came as a rather humorous surprise to John who was a volunteer at the center, not an employee.

After nearly two decades of volunteering at VA medical centers, its not surprising John might be mistaken for an employee. He has donated more than 6,600 hours to the VA Voluntary Service (VAVS) program.

A disabled veteran who served in the Vietnam War, John learned about the DAV in 1968 while a patient at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Colorado. After speaking with a DAV National Service Officer (NSO) he joined the organization. Spice that time, he has served in most Chapter and Department leadership positions. including DAV Department of Colorado Commander in 2002, and he currently serves as Commander for DAV Chapter 7, Denver, the DAV VAVS Representative at the VA medical center in Denver, and as the VAVS State Chairman.

"John Ognie certainly epitomizes what a volunteer from a veterans' organization should be," said Randall B. Emerterio, Chief of Voluntary and Pastoral Care Service at the Denver VAMC. "He is not only committed to service to veterans through his work in the VAVS program, but has expanded service to veterans and the DAV by taking various leadership roles in the organization ... far beyond just his volunteer hours."

For John, volunteering is a chance to give something back to veterans and his community.

"There are many people who need help, and someone needs to be there for them--volunteers are the people who are there for the," John said.

John first became Involved in volunteering in 1986 through the recreation department at the Denver VAMC, where he helped out at picnics and the Golden Age Games. As part of his volunteer work for the Golden Age Games, he volunteered to drive a group of older veterans to the games in Kansas City and, later, accompanied the finalists on the flight and assisted them during the games held at the VAMC in Indianapolis.