Senator Collins Attends Disabled American Veterans’ 100th Anniversary Celebration in Bangor

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Bangor, ME — U.S. Senator Susan Collins commemorated the Disabled American Veterans’ (DAV) centennial anniversary at a celebration at the Cole Land Transportation Museum.  The event, which was hosted by DAV Maine Chapter 6, included a small parade to honor Richard Proulx, a 92-year-old veteran who has been a DAV member for 72 years.  During the event, Senator Collins presented Mr. Proulx of Hampden with a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol to honor him for his service in World War II.

“Every year, DAV helps more than one million veterans, from providing them with access to the health care and education benefits they earned through their service, to connecting them to meaningful employment opportunities,” said Senator Collins.  “As the longest serving DAV member in Maine, I was honored to have the opportunity to thank Richard for his unwavering service to our country and to our state.  It was especially touching to learn that Richard fought in the Battle of the Bulge, just as my father did.”

“It is fitting that this incredibly moving celebration was held at the Cole Land Transportation Museum, which was founded by Galen Cole, a veteran who devoted his life to serving other veterans,” Senator Collins continued.  “His passing earlier this year was a great loss to the State of Maine, but his contributions continue to inspire us.”

Senator Collins, along with her colleagues, recently introduced the Veteran Benefits Enhancement and Expansion Act of 2020 to improve benefits for veterans in the areas of education, pensions, and survivor benefits, among others.  The legislation includes elements of the bipartisan Veteran Pension Protection Act, legislation Senator Collin co-authored that would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to systematically track victims, scammers, and trends to proactively protect veterans and survivors across the country from predatory pension poachers.

Following a bipartisan push by Senator Collins, veterans who receive Compensation and Pension (C&P) benefit payments automatically received their CARES Act rebate check and were not required to file a tax return. 

Founded in 1920, DAV is a veteran service organization that provides a lifetime of support for veterans of all generations and their families, helping more than one million veterans in positive, life-changing ways each year. 

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