Email from Dale Bailey in Tomah:

I met the Dutchman in Tomah, Wisconsin July 10th and a friend and I hauled him to Madison in a pickup truck because the motor on his wheelchair burned out and could not be repaired. A wheelchair recycling outfit in Milwaukee with a warehouse in Madison is donating another chair for him to use. I was able to equip him with a 12-volt power cord for his phone so he can charge it up off the big battery on the cart.

What a wonderful job he is doing to raise awareness for Veterans. I am a Navy veteran from 1971-1977 and have a leaking heart valve, but nothing to be faced like the veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Please never forget the effort Dutchman is taking to help the vets. The Dutchman can certainly use encouragement and sharing over the phone.

Dale Bailey, Tomah, Wisconsin.

The Dutchman made it to Ixonia as of about 6pm on July 15th. Ixonia is east of Watertown on Highway 16. I'd been dispatched to check on him ... I ended up talking with him for about 15 minutes. Great dude, excellent cause!

Vaughn Johnson
Jefferson Co. Sheriff's Office, WI

My son and I met the Dutchman in the parking lot of Burger King on M-46 in Muskegon, MI. We were initially attracted to his "rig" as my 87 yr old father lost his mode of transportation and has recently resorted to using an electric chair. Initially we wanted to check out his set-up, noticing it was pretty nifty! He informed us he was the Rolling Dutchman and was on a mission to raise money for diabled veterns. He was very determined and asked only for directions to a nearby campground. My son sketched him a map, and we then parted, shaking hands. He wanted to pass along to my father a veterns card of encouragement. A couple hours later, we checked the Wolf Lake Campground to see if he made it there. He had not yet arrived at 5:30 p.m. The weather was turning and rain was in sight. We decided to go look for him and found him making his way on a less traveled back road. We stopped to let him know that he was almost there and re-confirmed the directions to the campground. He invited us to visit him there later in the evening. My opinion was that he was sincere, had a great sense of humor, and was not looking for a personal hand-out, but rather was truely focused on his goal. He was truly inspirational, and I think he's going to make it! Amazing Person, great cause!

'Dutchman' on a mission

Friday, July 27, 2007

By Susan DeMaggio

A life-changing accident inspired a Minnesota man to reach out to others.

The 49-year-old hot dog vendor from St. Paul lost his leg last year when a city bus drove over him while he exited the veterans hospital where he visited his dad, a disabled veteran.

Confounded by his new life as an amputee and dependent on a wheelchair to get around, Robert VanVranken II, better known as The Rolling Dutchman, grew sympathetic to the daily news reports of servicemen and women returning home after losing limbs in Iraq.

He resolved to help.

So he left St. Paul on June 1 and is traveling across the country to New York City in his wheelchair to raise money and awareness for disabled veterans and their families. Specifically, he is soliciting donations and pledges for the new Spinal Cord Injury/Disorder Center under construction on the campus of the Minneapolis VA Medical Center.

His "drive" was further motivated by the fact that his girlfriend -- who was severely injured in a bomb explosion in Iraq -- still worked for the Army/Air Force and the reality that his two sons, ages 19 and 21, had to register for selective service.

On Wednesday night, he passed through Muskegon on his quest eastward, crossing Lake Michigan from Milwaukee on the Lake Express ferry. He spent the evening at Lake Sch-Nepp-A-Ho Family Campground in Dalton Township on the advice of a fellow ferry passenger who recommended the park.

"We were happy to accommodate him," said Paul Wing, co-owner of the camp who donated the night's stay. "We got him set up and were pleased to chat with him. He's a great guy. I wish I could meet a hundred people like him a day."

Back on the road Thursday morning, VanVranken proceeded east toward M-46 in his motorized wheelchair. He stopped at Veterans Memorial Parkway.

Along the way he said he has met "warm-hearted generous people" who have lent him their electric outlets for recharging the battery on his wheelchair, invited him to dinner, given him a thumbs-up, or offered him a beer or a hot dog.

"If I meet a veteran, I hand him this card: 'Thank You for your service and dedication to our country.' They all tear up when they read it.

"I took the bike path from Madison to Milwaukee which I highly recommend. The only bad experiences were the swarm of deer flies I cruised into and the snake that bit me while I was sitting on the ground fixing my battery wires."

The Dutchman said he is New York City bound where he will end his mission by shaking hands with Al Roker on the "Today Show." He hopes to get there on the vehicle that can hit 9 mph, before the snow flies.

He said he wants people to know that he is not a Republican, not a Democrat, not for the war, not against the war. "I'm only for the veterans and their families," he said.

"If you just give $10, when a wounded vet is back and he goes to the veterans hospital and reaches into his wallet to get the co-pay for his meds or treatment, the hospital can say, 'Don't worry about that, it's already been taken care of.' "

Steve Johnson, a spokesman for the Minneapolis VA Medical Center, said the hospital is aware of the Dutchman's journey and "gladly receptive of any funds he raises to help veterans."

As of yet, however, Johnson said no money has come in.

"But it is the nature of pledge drives to produce funds after the fact," he said.

"We wish the Dutchman the best and hope he gets back safely."

Follow the Dutchman's journey at myspace.com/dutchmanrolling

To make a donation

Send checks to Minneapolis VA Medical Center -- 135, One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN, 55417.