EVANSVILLE, Ind. ― Larry Gries joked that a few years ago, he was the University of Southern Indiana dental hygiene students’ guinea pig.
Once Gries, 67, retired from being a student housing mail man for USI, he started taking advantage of the dental program’s services.
On Monday morning, Gries was one of 36 veterans signed up for USI’s Dental Hygiene Clinic’s free dental cleaning, fluoride and X-rays. The free services take place again Wednesday for 36 more veterans.
This year’s appointment schedule, which is full, was expanded to include evening hours in hopes to serve more veterans. This is the second year for free services, but discounted services were available before.
Gries served as a private in the Army in the Vietnam War from 1969-70. He was stationed in Quang Tri province and was part of a transportation division.
“We supplied the fire bases between North and South Vietnam,” he said.
Gries worked as a USI student housing mail man for 20 years before retiring nine years ago. That’s how he learned about the services offered to veterans through the university’s dental program. This was his third year getting his teeth cleaned, as well as grabbing an exam and fluoride treatment.
