16th Veteran of the Quarter, Darryl Ostrom, US Army
September 21, 2014
Nominated by Chaplain (Colonel) Paul Vicalvi
I have known Chief Warrant Officer W-3, Darryl Ostrom for approximately three years. I first met him when he contacted me about joining the newly forming Disabled American Veteran’s Chapter in Branson.
Darryl enlisted at the age of 17 in May 1963 and served two tours in Vietnam on active duty as a Hawk missile technician, a tank crewmember, a helicopter avionics repairman, and finally a UH-1 Hey and AH-1 Cobra Gun Ship Pilot. He retired twenty years later in October 1983 as a Chief Warrant Officer, W-3.
In October of 2011, Darryl moved to Branson and quickly saw that many veterans here needed help. He became aware that they especially needed help getting to their VA appointment in Fayetteville, Arkansas and began immediately to do something about this need. He was the driving force that helped DAV Chapter 68 to be organized and officially recognized in Branson. In 2012, this newly formed chapter borrowed a DAV van from the Springfield chapter, talked the Branson VA Clinic into giving the Branson Chapter free office space, and started taking veterans to their hospital appointments through Missouri and Arkansas. The Branson DAV Chapter now has three vans of their own and ten volunteer drivers to haul veterans. In just two years under his leadership, the Branson DAV has grown to 114 members and 30 Auxiliary members (spouses and family members of vets). As the adjutant for Chapter 68, Darryl has been the one who is behind all of this success. The new DAV Chapter is the first one to be formed in Missouri in over 25 years.
Chief Warrant Officer Darryl Ostrom, US Army Retired, would be your best choice for Branson Bank Veteran of the Quarter. His sacrificial work on behalf of disabled veterans is without equal and he demonstrates courage, heroism, and bravery each and every day as he seeks to provide the best care for our nation’s veterans.
To nominate a local veteran for the Branson Bank Veteran of the Quarter, please visit: www.bransonbank.com or stop by a Branson Bank location to pick up a nomination form. Veterans are chosen by a panel of peers.
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