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By Chuck Baker 
(Las Vegas, NV) – Several years ago blinded American Jim Stovall authored a book called “You Don’t Have to Be Blind to See.” His words show blinded individuals, and virtually anyone else, how to choose new paths that are aimed at promoting success in every area of their lives. It’s a powerful, inspiring book that can help blinded veterans and anyone without eyesight to dream big dreams, and define success for themselves. That’s the same message the Southern Nevada Regional Group of the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) offers to its members. 
 
Veterans who have lost their eyesight can enjoy camaraderie and positive thinking in the BVA. The long time President of the local organization is Joe Tasby, a Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam war and a recipient of three Purple Hearts. Tasby is a veteran who did not lose his sight because of a combat incident. Rather, he began losing his vision after he returned to civilian life. Any veteran who is legally blind, due to combat or not, is eligible to join the BVA. And Tasby is there to show them that “no one has to be blind to see.”  
 
“We meet the second Wednesday of every other month,” Tasby said. “Our next meetings are scheduled for July, and then September.” The group gathers at American Legion Post 8, at 733 Veterans Memorial Blvd., in Las Vegas. And while it’s not a secret to anyone who invests the time to check, individuals without eyesight are great examples of motivation. The members of the BVA are active 12 months each year helping other veterans. “We attend each and every stand down put on by US VETS and the Catholic War Veterans,” Tasby said of the BVA. “We distribute items to the local VA clinic, such as water and clothing. And we give out hygienic products, and blankets, socks, and things like that at Christmas.” The BVA works closely with the Blind Lions organization collecting prescription glasses to give to needy veterans. Recently Tasby was interviewed on local TV Channel 8, and said that opportunity was a big help in getting the general public to reach out and provide additional assistance to his group. 
 
“We have 120 members,” Tasby said. “But it’s difficult to sign new members. We work with the VA eye clinic, that’s pretty much were we get our new members. And we always are working to get the word out.” In addition to BVA meetings, the VA also reaches out to blinded veterans by hosting an informational session on the first Friday of each month. The sessions are held at the VA clinic in North Las Vegas in its auditorium, and are supervised by the VA’s Visual Impairment Specialty Team, or VIST. In an accompanying photo, members of the BVA and VA VIST coordinator Monica Grote (third from right) are shown: From left, BVA 1st Vice President Dave Meyrick, Sgt.-At-Arms Carl Evans, Auxiliary President Dolores Minor, President Joe Tasby, Secretary/Treasurer Al Nelson, Grote, Chaplain Johnny Crosby and Past Vice President Steve Smith. 
 
The national BVA organization, headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area, prefers that veterans who join the group be legally blind. “But we sometimes accept veterans who only have limited vision,” Tasby said. Although he admits to stretching the rules, he feels limited vision veterans also deserve to be involved with BVA. It’s a two-way street. The group can help them, and they can contribute to the group. 
 
On a broader level, the BVA reaches out and works with blinded veterans both domestically and internationally. In nearby California, the BVA receives support from the Annual Major Rob Soltes Memorial Golf Tournament. Soltes was a Public Health Commander with the 426th Civil Affairs Battalion in 2004 in Mosul. He was the first optometrist killed in action while on active duty in the U.S. Army. Among other BVA activities, the thousands of dollars the tournament raises each year (soltesmemorial.com) helps to support Project Gemini, an exchange program established with the UK Blinded Veterans. A unique program unlike any other, this past May BVA officials and medical personnel visited England and produced a seminar entitled “Life Beyond Sight Loss.” 
 
Major Tom Zampieri, (Ret.), a director of the BVA and a blinded veteran himself who helped coordinate the program, said the annual event allows blinded veterans “to share experiences and knowledge about matters such as blind rehabilitation and readjustment training, as well as vision research and adaptive technology for the blind.” Such information is passed down to the various BVA regional groups such as the one in Las Vegas. 
 
Also taking part in the international event were war blinded veterans from the Saint Dunstans Organization in South Africa. And a special participant this year was international model and businesswoman Caprice, who has an affinity with those who have lost their sight. She was diagnosed and treated for a brain tumor, and experienced sight loss and blurred vision as part of her symptoms. She said, “I only had the problems with my sight for a short period of time but it really brought the issue home to me.” Zampieri said Caprice has indicated that she has a willingness to assist in an on-going capacity with the BVA. Her father, uncle and grandfather all served in the military, and she explained, “I feel passionately about supporting Blind Veterans UK and its sister charities around the world.” (In an accompanying photo, Zampieri and Caprice pose for the camera while in England.) 
 
Back home, Zampieri, a frequent visitor to Nevada, noted that “By bringing together experts and blinded veterans from different countries, we can learn lessons from each others healthcare systems and veterans’ services, and influence changes that best support blind veterans in each nation.” 
 
Tasby is encouraged by worldwide advances being made in healthcare for blinded veterans, and said the BVA currently is reaching out with a limited offer to prospective members. “The national organization is offering lifetime memberships for only twenty dollars,” he explained. He hopes those who are eligible in Nevada will join his local chapter. “They can call me personally at 702 869-8637, and I’ll be glad to sign them up!,” Tasby concluded. He is anxious to share his personal internal vision to help other blinded veterans; he knows that no one has to be blind to see.