Operation Choppers to help vets with dental care costs

The Alaska State Council of the Vietnam Veterans of America and Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2509 in Palmer are raising money to help veterans take a bite of health care costs.

Operation Choppers is a fund-raising dinner and auction set for this weekend at VFW Post 2509 across from the Alaska State Fairgrounds. Funds raised will go to help veterans with dental work.

Organizers said that the federal Veterans Administration will pull a veteran's teeth if they are in bad shape, but will only make dentures for veterans if they are already rated at 50-percent disabled.

"I've got a buddy that doesn't have teeth," Bob Moore, president of the Alaska State Council of the Vietnam Veterans of America, said. "They take your teeth out but they don't give you any money to put them back in your mouth."

Moore and officials from VFW Post 2509 came up with the idea recently and sprang to action.

"It's another case of veterans helping veterans," Moore said. "We were sitting around talking about it and decided to get the steak feed organized."

The steak dinner on Saturday starts at 4 p.m. (with live music) and a Sunday brunch that runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. is planned. At 2 p.m., another steak dinner will be held.

All dinners are $12.50 per person. Two local dentists, will be on hand Saturday to be "auctioned" off. There will also be a pun contest relating to Operation Choppers.