On parade, the 41st Engineer Regiment at Fort Bragg (now Fort Liberty), North Carolina, in a color guard ceremony. National Archives photo. July marks 60 years since the Civil Rights Act became law, ending legalized racial segregation in the United States. It was a major milestone for social justice and an outcome championed by well-known activists including the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. Lesser known, though, is the movement’s connection to Black veterans of World War II who suffered mistreatment and the many who broke barriers on multiple fronts in uniform. Th ..read more

Second Lt. Jane Perlowin Weller gets an autograph from Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz while Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal confers with Vice Adm. Richmond Turner following the secretary’s arrival on Saipan in February 1945. Perlowin Weller served as an aircrew flight nurse in the South Pacific during World War II. Susan Weller was at her wits’ end when she walked into the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Houston looking for help with benefits for her 103-year-old mother, Jane Perlowin Weller. Jane served in the Army Air Corps as a flight nurse during World War II but hadn’t f ..read more

Dr. Melissa Tinney and Army veteran Adam Greathouse Ask Adam Greathouse what saved his life, and he’ll tell you it was attending the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic for the first time in 2012. A bacterial infection in his lungs almost killed him during a deployment to Kosovo in 2001. He went into acute respiratory distress, which led to a traumatic brain injury from lack of oxygen. After coming out of a two-month coma, he had uncontrollable, involuntary twitches and a hard time remembering things. He had lost nearly 100 pounds. A far cry, he said, from the 10-foot-tal ..read more

Terry Hillard All eyes were on Terry Hillard as he told a room packed with Chicago civil servants why he waited half a century to file his first Department of Veterans Affairs claim. The Marine Vietnam veteran and former Chicago police superintendent explained that he feared termination if the police department discovered a documented disability. “You know, policemen, you must be the specimen of doggone physicality,” said Hillard. “Just like with firemen, going up and down stairs with all those oxygen tanks and equipment.” “I wanted to keep my job because I got a family to support ..read more

The DAV Department of Arkansas donated a vehicle to the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System in Little Rock, which will be used to transport veterans to and from their VA medical appointments at no cost. This vehicle is part of a nationwide fleet that makes up the DAV Transportation Network, which is operated by a network of volunteer drivers. If you are interested in driving veterans to and from their VA appointments, visit volunteerforveterans.org to learn how you can get involved. The post Van Services for Veterans appeared first on DAV ..read more

The following information is intended to inform membership about the announced candidates for national office. It does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by DAV National Headquarters of any candidate to the exclusion of others who may stand for election. DAV members may announce their candidacy at any time, up to and including the time of election at the 2024 DAV and Auxiliary National Convention, which will be held Aug. 3–6 in Phoenix.   Daniel Contreras, a service-connected disabled Army veteran, is a past commander of the Department of California and currently serves a ..read more

ERLANGER, Ky. – DAV (Disabled American Veterans) has received a $25,000 donation from Veteran Debt Assistance to support the organization’s mission of empowering America’s ill and injured veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. DAV provides an expansive range of programs, such as benefits assistance, transportation to and from VA medical appointments, caregiver support, employment and entrepreneurial assistance and more – all at no cost to veterans and their families. Through their partnership, Veteran Debt Assistance aims to improve the lives of our nation’s veterans ..read more

DAV’s annual national convention is a place to discuss ideas and find new ways to use them. Your attendance not only improves the public’s perception of DAV and veterans in general but also provides volume to the voices setting our organization’s agenda for the coming year. So what can you do to make sure you get the most out of going to Phoenix this year? I’d like to break it down into three sections: before, during and after. Before you go, gain visibility for you and your chapter. Start by keeping an eye on the Events page on dav.org so you know exactly when registration ope ..read more

Stephanie Duncan outside of her apartment building in Cincinnati. With the rising cost of housing nationwide, the practice of couch surfing or doubling up with friends, family or loved ones has become more common. But these temporary living arrangements can leave someone just an argument away from being on the streets. That was the case for Navy veteran Stephanie Duncan. After losing her husband, Ken, in 2019, Duncan began to drink. Her alcohol consumption steadily increased over time to the point where she became hooked. “I knew I was no longer in control, so I decided to leave my j ..read more

Now is a great time to remind everyone we have a tool that can make our time at the 2024 DAV and Auxiliary National Convention an unbelievable experience. You’ll have all the local deals in the palm of your hand! In fact, in one download or three easy steps you can save money and be the “fun expert” in Phoenix! I’m talking about the DAV Member Advantages program. It doesn’t matter if you’re DAV or an Auxiliary member, our technology helps you save money while conducting important business at this year’s convention. Downloading the My Deals app gives you the most flexibility and personalizatio ..read more