When you talk to Retired Lt. Col. Jerry Jochum about the U.S. Army Special Forces, commonly known as the Green Berets, you walk away with the impression that they’re quite an elite group.

They are trained in five primary missions: unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, special reconnaissance, direct action and counter terrorism, work with foreign military, know foreign languages and go behind enemy lines.

Their training is intense, and approximately three percent of individuals who try out make it into the program. Each unit, or group, is trained for a particular region of the world. They’re taught the languages and cultures of that region. The job can be extremely stressful and requires an exceptional individual. They’re often called the “quiet professionals.”

But there is another side to the Special Forces. Here in North Texas a group of former and retired U.S. Army Special Forces personnel and their associates make up Special Forces Association Chapter 31.

As part of their Vet to Vet program, on the last Wednesday of every month, Chapter 31 visits the Spinal Cord Injury Unit of the Dallas VA Medical Center on 4500 South Lancaster Road in Dallas.

“I’ve never seen a group of guys with a bigger heart for the downtrodden,” said Lt. Col. Jochum, who is senior vice president of the chapter. “We don’t hold ourselves above anyone else, but you won’t find a more giving group.”

Lt. Col. Jochum is also Senior Army Instructor of the Poteet High School JROTC. While SFA 31 has been visiting the hospital for the past 12 years, Jochum has brought along students from his JROTC for the past three years.

The group arrives in high spirits, bringing fried chicken, drinks and baked goods for the veterans.

After a hearty meal, they all play bingo from their rooms as the numbers are called out over an intercom system. “The veterans tell us that they enjoy our visits for the camaraderie they feel while we’re there,” Jochum said.

Justin Baehler, a freshman private in the Poteet JROTC who plans to join the military after his junior year, has visited the hospital twice since the school year began.

“I’ve enjoyed being in the ROTC, especially since I get to meet people like these veterans,” he said. “I feel honored to meet them.”

Lt. Col. Jochum emphasized that the students enjoy the monthly visits.

“Once they do it, they come back every time,” he said. “They love doing it. We bring a little light and entertainment to some vets who desperately need it.”

Mike Simmons is a Marine Corps veteran who has been in the Spinal Cord Injury Unit for seven weeks.

“This place is rich with human interest stories,” he said. “What the Green Berets do is out of this world. Great food and great fellowship.”

Chapter 31 of the Special Forces Association also has an annual fundraiser on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, from 6:30 p.m. until closing time at Dick’s Last Resort in downtown Dallas. The SFA sells tickets to the event, which includes a buffet dinner, open bar and live music. There will also be an auction of items donated by various local businesses, individuals and sports organizations as well as collectable military memorabilia.

Anyone is invited to attend. Tickets are available by visiting sfa31.org or at the door for $25.

If you cannot attend the event but would like to make a donation, you can contribute using PayPal, Visa or MasterCard on the Web site. The money raised goes to support the Vet to Vet program as well as provide scholarships for veterans’ families.