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"When the troops came home from World War I, 300,000 carried grim reminders of war: disabling injuries, battle scars, gas-seared lungs, and prolonged illnesses. Following a tumultuous hero's welcome, America wiped the horror of war from its mind almost as quickly as the ticker tape was swept from the streets of New York City. The nation's makeshift response to the needs of its disabled heros soon broke down. These angry young veterans took matters into their own hands, starting local self-help groups that soon emerged to become the DAV."
"After forming a national organization headquartered in Cincinnati in 1920, the DAV began planning a Washington, D.C. office to work towards needed legislation and expedite veteran's claims. During its first six months of operation in 1922, this office handled 7,000 claims for veterans across America. These young disabled veterans also worked with other organizations, initating legislation that led to a centralized goverment agency to handle all veterans' affairs: the Veterans' Bureau, forerunner of today's Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)."
"In 1935, the DAV began stationing veterans' benefits experts in Veterans' Bureau claims offices and hospitals across the country. When the spector of World War II raised its ugly head, the DAV upgraded its facilities and training programs to meet the new demands about to be placed on its service programs. As the first disabled veterans returned from World War II, a formal program to train DAV National Service Officers (NSOs) was started at American University. There, disabled veterans studied the disciplines they would need to help other returning veterans."
"Today, the DAV employs 270 NSOs in 72 offices across the United States, providing numeorus services to veterans and their families FREE OF CHARGE. Veterans need NOT be members of the DAV to take advantage of the FREE services of the DAV's veterans benefits experts. DAV NSOs do much more than just counsel veterans and their families on veterans' benefits and services. They function as attorneys-in-fact for the veterans and families they represent. They assist veterans in filing claims for VA disability compensation, death benefits, pension, and other benefits provided under federal, state and local law. In the last year, the DAV secured benefits for more than 213,000 veterans and members of their families, accounting for more than $1.7 billion dollars in new and retroactive benefits to America's veterans."
"Veterans disabled during the Vietnam War make up a third of DAV's membership, and 16 Vietnam veterans have served one-year terms as national commander, the DAV's highest office. Veterans who served during Vietnam or later make up all of DAV's management and professional staff at its headquarters in Washington, D.C., and Cincinnati, Ohio, as well as its offices nationwide."
"Today, the DAV currently has over 2,000 local chapters, has an active DAV Auxillary for women and over 100,000 volunteers nationwide. The DAV also assists in other areas such as disaster relief for disabled veterans affected by events like tornados and earthquakes and special programs for those who face special problems with aging. The DAV legislates for removal of barriers to all handicapped people and has an outreach program to Native American veterans who are homeless. In addition, the DAV has an active transportation network (a program to transport veterans to VA medical facilities for treatment), supports the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic and the Special Olympics. The DAV also publishes its own magazine monthly for organizations' members filled with historical and interesting and/or timely articles which is mailed to all members bi-monthly. A subscription to the DAV Magazine is included in the membership fees."
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THE DAV VISION STATEMENT
"The DAV is committed to fulfilling our mission of building lives for America's disabled veterans and their families through our core values of SERVICE, QUALITY, INTEGRITY and LEADERSHIP in representation and advocacy services now and in the future. We WILL maintain the highest ethical standards as a charitable organization through which our society can express its gratitude to the men and women who continue to pay the price of our nation's freedom."
MEANING OF THE DAV SYMBOL
Columbia, (describes the new nation which was to become the United States) is the symbolic figure of a woman dressed in flowing garments and holding an American flag. In the DAV emblem, she is knighting a World War I soldier. She is honoring him for his bravery in protecting humanity, as a group of soldiers stands at attention in the background.
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