When three of the four vans serving local disabled veterans crossed the 200,000-mile mark some time ago and a third van had topped 196,000 miles, Larry Smith decided it was time for some new wheels.

Smith, the local area coordinator for the Flathead Valley Chapter of Disabled American Veterans, turned into a fundraising dynamo, bringing in $44,495 in just six weeks. That was the amount needed for the national DAV organization to match half the cost for three new vans.

“These vans have served the vets well,” Smith said about the worn fleet. “The guidelines for replacement for the DAV is 200,000 miles. Our oldest van had 246,000 miles. It was used strictly for local runs, not for long hauls.”

The local DAV held a ceremony on Friday during which top donors were presented plaques for their generosity. Those donors included Plum Creek Timber Co., Kalispell and Whitefish VFW posts, and the Babb family.

Tracy Babb, a Navy veteran, had decided to donate to the van project before she died, so her brother John Babb, of Kalispell, saw to it that the family chipped in $14,000. The Babb family’s donation also honors Ronald Babb, an Army veteran, and John Bartlett, a Whitefish Vietnam veteran who died last year.

“We’ve had lots of smaller contributions, too, from as far away as Charleston, South Carolina,” Smith said.

Last year 2,100 veterans received transportation services from the DAV vans. It’s common to put on 12,000 miles a month, Smith said. The smaller vans transport veterans locally to the Veterans Center on Meridian Road, Kalispell Regional Medical Center and the VA Clinic on Three Mile Drive, while a larger, 12-passenger van takes veterans regularly to facilities in Missoula and the VA Medical Center at Fort Harrison west of Helena.

Through October this year, the vans were driven 79,314 miles to transport 1,809 passengers. Volunteer drivers have put in 4,954 hours so far this year.

“A lot of veterans have their own vehicles, but the three-and-a-half-hour trip to Helena is too much for them,” Smith said. “We’re able to make it all in one day.”

Trips are scheduled by reserving a time; disabled veterans should call Stan Rube at 212-9162 to arrange a trip.

Now that Smith has three new vans up and running, he has set his sights on the fourth van stationed at the VA Clinic in Kalispell.

“I’m going after donations,” he said, noting that he intends to raise $15,000 so the national DAV will match the other half of the cost.

Smith, 67, served with the Navy from 1968 to 1974 and is a Vietnam War veteran. He joined the Navy Reserves in Missoula in 1980 and served in the Gulf War before retiring from the military in 1992.

He’s 100 percent disabled due to exposure to the chemical Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.

Smith’s disability hasn’t prevented him from making a difference in the lives of other disabled vets, though. This year the Montana DAV named him Volunteer of the Year.

Donations for the remaining van to be replaced can be sent to the Flathead Valley DAV, in care of Smith, at 1705 Eighth Ave. E., Kalispell, MT 59901, or call Smith at 755-2192 and he will make arrangements to pick up donations. Donors also may contribute by depositing money into the DAV’s account at Park Side Federal Credit Union. Those needing a tax-deductible receipt need to call Smith.

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.