"We Serve All Who Served": VA Driver's Unwavering Dedication to Veterans

One such story involves Essex Bosan, a driver with the Omaha VA's Veterans Transportation Service (VTS), who went to extraordinary lengths to ensure a Veteran made it to his medical appointment on time the next morning.

Bosan, a 21-year U.S. Army Veteran, was scheduled to pick up a Vietnam Veteran residing in Griswold, Iowa, for transport to the VA hospital in Omaha. However, when Bosan arrived at the Veteran's property, he found the access road completely blocked by a massive fallen tree, likely brought down by the previous night's storms.

"It was huge, man,” said Bosan. “It was probably… maybe like four or five feet in diameter. But it was an old tree because you can see where it came down at."

Rather than turning back or rescheduling the Veteran's appointment, Bosan walked to a neighboring farm and asked the owner, who was out on his tractor if he could help move the fallen tree. 

"I asked him if he could get the tree out the way," Bosan said, "because he [the Veteran] was going to walk with his walker a half-mile away from his house."

The neighbor obliged, bringing over his tractor which had mechanical arms capable of lifting the heavy tree. In about 15 minutes, they were able to clear a path for Bosan's vehicle to get through and reach the Veteran's house.

While this effort may seem like Bosan going the extra step to serve Veterans, it’s really just another in a long line of Bosan’s efforts focused on getting Veterans to where they need to be. 

"My father's a 26-year Veteran. He was a Vietnam Veteran and Purple heart recipient," said Bosan. "So, my thought process is - what if this is my dad?"

This sense of personal connection and duty to the Veterans he serves stems from Bosan's own military background and his family's history of service. "My dad was a military guy. Even my father-in-law, is a military Veteran, 26 years Air Force," he explained. "So, it's just what I wanted to do. I always wanted to work at the VA."

Bosan's commitment to serving Veterans is rooted in a deep respect and appreciation for their sacrifices. 

"We serve all who served. That's what I want everybody to know who about this VA hospital. We serve everybody. No matter your status, creed, color, your race, no matter your sexual preference, it doesn't matter. We serve all who serve no matter what…" he clarified. "You wrote a blank check when you joined the military. This is what we're going to do for you for doing what you did for us - for this country."

Bosan’s dedication to this mission was evident as he described his mindset on Aug. 1.  "We’ve got to go get this Veteran. He must come in because he's too far away. He doesn't have transportation," Bosan explained. "So, whenever it's time for him to come to his appointment, I go get him, make sure that he gets to his appointment."

Even faced with a seemingly impassable obstacle, rescheduling, or skipping the appointment was simply not an option in Bosan's mind. "My thought process was, hey look, I got to get this guy to his appointment."

Thanks to Bosan's quick thinking and dedication, the Vietnam Veteran was able to safely make it to his medical appointment that morning despite the aftermath of the severe storms. Bosan described the heartwarming scene during their drive: "I played oldies in my van, and he's just back there tapping and humming. He's in his own zone."

For Bosan, completing his mission and getting the Veteran the care, he needed was immensely fulfilling. "It just made me feel, you know, good inside," he said. "It was awesome. Getting him to where he had to go."