Disabled American Veterans Chapter 47 will hold its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1 at the Oak Harbor Library in the community meeting room.

In addition, DAV Local Chapter 47 will conduct its annual “Forget Me Not” drive in Oak Harbor from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Veterans Day, Sunday, Nov. 11, at various local businesses throughout the community.

Members say the financial support the DAV receives through the donations of the local population, both military and civilian, is paramount to sustain the work of the local chapter, which operates on an all-volunteer basis.

The first time DAV members sold the little blue Forget-Me-Not flowers to the public was Feb. 24, 1926. The drive was held to raise funds to support DAV services and provide assistance to veterans disabled in World War I.

Since then, members say the group’s mission has not wavered: The DAV supports veterans of all conflicts and wars. Locally the group helps veterans who served in World War II through the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Every penny donated goes directly to the Transportation Program and the purchase of the DAV’s next van, which helps ferry local veterans to the Seattle VA hospital. The current van has 130,000 miles on it. VA regulations dictate the usable service life of the van to be 200,000 miles. For more information, call 360-257-4801.