“(Bacon) got a little more confidence,” Dorsey said. “After he had it a few days, he was driving it all over town.”

Dorsey is among a few military veterans in the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 29 in Fort Dodge who are well acquainted with Bacon, 88, who served in the Army, with considerable time in West Germany. DAV member Larry Harklau, of Fort Dodge, has known Bacon about 50 years, and recalls when he showed horses in rodeos.

Both Dorsey and Harklau had a hand in the DAV buying Bacon his new three-wheel mobility scooter, which has a range of 20 miles when charged. And both knew the story of how Bacon came to have no individual transportation options earlier in 2024.

Harklau periodically drives Bacon to Des Moines to the Veterans Administration clinic, so he’s heard about Bacon’s life.

“I watch out for him,” Harklau said. “He’s a good guy.”

Bacon had given up driving a van some time ago, then moved to three-wheelers to get around Fort Dodge. He had three at one point.

Most were cobbled together by Bacon to stay operational, but they kept breaking down, often at the same time, Dorsey said.

Worse, Harklau said, “the most reliable one — some jerk stole it.”

So the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 29 guys leaped into action. They paid out of their own pocket for a top new scooter they scouted online, then a DAV grant reimbursed them.

“(Bacon) is very thankful,” Harklau said. “He couldn’t afford it.”

The new unit goes 20 mph and helps Bacon maintain his independence for running errands. Harklau said the scooter already has more than 150 miles.

“Art loves it,” Harklau said. “He drives to church on the north side. He drives to Dollar Tree, to WalMart. He is real self-sufficient.”

“It has worked out well for him,” Dorsey added.

Harklau said Bacon has a sense of humor about his new mode of transportation: “You know what he named the thing? Dangerous Toy.”

The Disabled American Veterans has also provided aid to other Iowans this year. After historic, damaging floods struck north central and northwest Iowa in June, the organization gave awards of at least $1,000 to 29 veterans and their families who were impacted by flooding.

Rob Peterson, a DAV official in the Des Moines office, said that was important help at a crucial time, as the group also worked with some county veterans groups to reach people.

Those 29 veterans live in towns such as Jefferson, Huxley, Storm Lake, Spencer and Sioux Rapids. They went through an application process and were approved by the DAV Disaster Relief Program.

“This can help families who are dealing with immediate needs,” Peterson said.

That program for the 2024 summer flooding is now closed. People who want more information on Disabled American Veterans programs can go online at DAV.org.