President George W. Bush will meet Bill Boyd, 71, Charlie Cavender, 69, John Lockhart, 68, LeRoy Sayre, 71, Stanley Shaffer, 47, and Donald Southall, 69, when he arrives in Ripley, West Virginia on July 4th. Each is a veteran, and together they are working as volunteers for a program to help drive veterans to medical appointments.

In his State of the Union address, President Bush called on all Americans to dedicate at least two years of their lives—the equivalent of 4,000 hours—in service to their communities, our country and the world. President Bush is recognizing individuals around the country who are answering the call to service, and will recognize these six gentlemen and their project as an example of the dedication to service he is hoping to instill in all Americans through his USA Freedom Corps initiative.

Three years ago Sayre worked with the State of West Virginia and the Disabled American Veterans to obtain a van and start a driving service for veterans to carry them to medical appointments at VA medical facilities in Charleston and Huntington. Sayre and Southall were the first drivers and Cavender serves as scheduler for the group.

Together, the six men schedule and drive more than 1000 people each year to their medical appointments and spend approximately 180 hours each month on the road. They are involved in other volunteer activities that support veterans, such as pallbearer teams and rifle squads. In addition, many are active as volunteers with their churches and other civic organizations.

President Bush created the USA Freedom Corps office at the White House to foster an American culture of service, citizenship and responsibility. Through the USA Freedom Corps, President Bush wants to help every American answer the call to service by strengthening and expanding service opportunities to protect our homeland, support our communities and extend American compassion around the world. Interested volunteers can find information on the USA Freedom Corps at www.usafreedomcorps.gov or by calling 1-877-USA-Corps.

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