The beginning of this story starts when the VA granted Billy Cooper, a terminally
ill Vietnam Veteran at the York VA Medical Center Hospice in Murfreesboro, TN, wish to have one more ride in a Big truck before
he died. After a few phone calls from the VA staff, Peterbilt employee Bruce Dawson drove a new truck down to Murfreesboro
to take Billy Cooper for a ride around the medical center. Two days later Billy Cooper died.
Joe Howell was inspired by this story and felt that if this small thing was so important to one
man, there must be others that had a simple wish that could be granted before they died, and hopefully he could see to it
that other terminally ill Veteran's could receive a helping and caring hand. With help of a lawyer A Veteran's Special Wish
was born and has become a non-profit organization with 8 board members and still growing.
It takes funds to make these wishes come true. If anyone would like to donate to this special
organization, contact Joe Howell, founder of A Veteran's Special Wish, at 5014 Little Adams Run, Muefreesboro,
TN 37129, (615) 848-9014.
Joe served in Charlie Battery 1/14th 1970-1971
