Vietnam veteran's DMV visit leaves him in tears. But they're tears of joy.

Frank Lennon
·6 min read

Ed Campbell of Tiverton is a 79-year-old Vietnam veteran who had an experience with the Department of Motor Vehicles recently that drove him to tears.

“What’s so unusual about that?” you may ask. Many of us have been ready to cry after dealing with that agency.

But Ed’s story is somewhat different. His tears were tears of joy, a reaction to how well he was treated by the staff at the Middletown DMV office.

Ed graduated from Northeastern University in 1967 and was commissioned through the Army ROTC. By 1969 he was in Vietnam serving as the executive officer of an ordnance company, ensuring that other units had the weapons, ammunition and equipment they needed to fight the war.

He also earned a master's degree in an education-related field from Indiana University, but he decided that path was not for him. He joined the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, launching a lifetime career as a federal crime investigator. By the time he retired, he was performing inspector general duties for agencies such as the Small Business Administration.

Standing in the driveway of his Tiverton home, Vietnam combat veteran Ed Campbell holds his Bronze Star plate starting with “4F.” In Selective Service jargon, 4F means “unfit for military service.”
Standing in the driveway of his Tiverton home, Vietnam combat veteran Ed Campbell holds his Bronze Star plate starting with “4F.” In Selective Service jargon, 4F means “unfit for military service.”

It's not a variety plate ... it's simply 'unfit' for a veteran

When Rhode Island authorized special veterans plates for those service members who had earned a Bronze Star medal, Ed decided to order one. When he went to the Middleton DMV office to pick up his plates, the first thing he noticed was that the first two letters on the plate were “4F.”

As any old soldier knows, 4F is the Selective Service abbreviation for “unfit for military service.” Taken somewhat aback, Ed tried to explain to the young woman who had just given him the plates that giving a 4F plate to a combat veteran was just not the right thing to do.

“Perhaps she was too young to understand the significance of what I was telling her,” Ed told me, “But she was very kind and very polite, and promised to bring it to the attention of her supervisor.”

So Ed went home with his plates and thought little more of it. The following day he received a call from a DMV supervisor named Jessica, who fully understood Ed’s point and apologized. She asked Ed to return to the DMV office so he could be given new plates.

He did so, and was stunned by the reception he received. Once he signed in, he was whisked to the front of the line. “Everyone knew who I was,” Ed said.

Recognizing extraordinary service at the DMV

In addition to the new plates, Ed received an apology card signed by the office staff and a $25 Dunkin' gift card.

“All anyone ever hears about the DMV is horror stories,” he added. “I cannot tell you how moved I was by this experience. Everyone was great to me, and I started to cry.”

Since it was close to Valentine’s Day, Ed went out and bought a box of chocolates for the people who had treated him so well.

Ed especially singled out Supervisory Customer Service Agents Jessica and Erin, whom I was able to identify as Erin Neville and Jessica Ramsay.

Spokesman Chuck Hollis said the DMV has created a dedicated tab on their website to make it easier for veterans to navigate through their transactions.

“We appreciate the service they have provided to protect our freedoms, and if we can make their transaction or time at the DMV better, we will do what we can to assist them,” he concluded.

Journal staff writer Antonia Noori Fazan first learned about this story and introduced me to Ed via email.

USS Yosemite AD-19 to hold reunion in RI from April 24-27

This World War II-built destroyer tender spent much of its naval career based in Melville and Newport, so for the many veterans who served on it a return to Rhode Island is appropriate. The USS Yosemite Association invites all local vets or families to attend.

Reunion HQ is the Crowne Plaza hotel in Warwick.

The job of a destroyer tender was to service destroyers in, or near, battle areas and keep them fit for duty. Launched in 1942, Yosemite saw action in the Pacific during World War II.

USS Yosemite (AD-19) moored in her homeport berth at Pier One, Naval Station Newport, in the mid-1960s. The ship was based in Melville or Newport from 1946 to 1969.
USS Yosemite (AD-19) moored in her homeport berth at Pier One, Naval Station Newport, in the mid-1960s. The ship was based in Melville or Newport from 1946 to 1969.

In 1946 the ship was assigned to Newport, where it served as the flagship for the Commander, Destroyers, Atlantic Fleet until 1962. During the Cuban missile crisis, Yosemite deployed to Kingston, Jamaica, where it tended the ships engaged in that operation. For six more years Yosemite was assigned to Newport, until its homeport was changed to Mayport, Florida.

Yosemite was decommissioned in 1994, and nine years later was sunk as a target in a naval exercise.

For further information, call Tina Briones Smith, USS Yosemite Association secretary, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, at (734) 308-0402 or by email, tinabriones@hotmail.com.

Alana Cerrone O’Hare of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau is the local contact for the reunion. She can be reached at (401) 486-3582.

Calendar

Wednesday, March 27; Noon and 1 p.m. serving times. Free “Welcome Home” Lunch for Vietnam veterans at Texas Roadhouse, 1200 Quaker Lane, East Greenwich. Join us to commemorate Vietnam Veterans Day. The Mobile Vet Center will be onsite that day to explain services. Staff from the Veterans Benefit Administration will be on hand to assist with claims and to answer questions about VA benefits. Personnel from the Providence VA Medical Center will be available to enroll eligible veterans in medical assistance programs. The R.I. Chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America will have its memorial wall on display; Operation Stand Down will be present as well. Resources will be located in the Texas Roadhouse parking lot along Route 2. While everyone is welcome to visit the resources outside, there are limited spots available for lunch, and reservations are required. Email Missy Beaudoin at 278marketing@texasroadhouse.com or call/text (860) 465-6364. Questions? Reach out to Veteran Outreach Program Specialist Ed Smith at (401) 739-0167, or email  edward.smith6@va.gov

Thursday, March 28; 10:30 a.m. National Vietnam Veterans Day Observance at the State House (House Chamber). Hosted by Rhode Island State Council, Vietnam Veterans of America. Join veterans, lawmakers and guests for light refreshments in the House of Representatives lounge immediately following the ceremony. Parking is tight, so please consider carpooling.

Tuesday, April 23; 6-7 p.m. Veterans Coffee Social at Warwick Public Library, 600 Sandy Lane, Warwick (large meeting room). Helen Smith from the Rhode Island Genealogical Society will present a genealogy workshop centered on family and relationships. Discussion will encourage the sharing of personal stories. All veterans and their families and friends are invited to join.

To report the outcome of a previous activity, or to add a future event to our calendar, please be aware that the deadline for this Monday column is 5 p.m. the previous Wednesday. Email your details (including a contact name and phone number/email address) toveteranscolumn@providencejournal.com.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: DMV delivers: Vietnam veteran's tale of exceptional customer service