The DAV National Leadership Team

DAV’s Mission Statement

We are dedicated to a single purpose: empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. We accomplish this by ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them; fighting for the interests of America’s injured heroes on Capitol Hill; and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life.

This mission is carried forward by:

Providing free, professional assistance to veterans and their families in obtaining benefits and services earned through military service and provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other agencies of government.

Providing outreach concerning its program services to the American people generally, and to disabled veterans and their families specifically.

Representing the interests of disabled veterans, their families, their widowed spouses and their orphans before Congress, the White House and the Judicial Branch, as well as state and local government.

Extending DAV’s mission of hope into the communities where these veterans and their families live through a network of state-level Departments and local Chapters.

Providing a structure through which disabled veterans can express their compassion for their fellow veterans through a variety of volunteer programs.

Our mission as a Disabled American Veterans organization is not fulfilled until all our country’s war-time disabled, and their dependents and survivors, have been adequately cared for.

The DAV Story

The DAV was founded in 1920 by a group of World War I veterans who saw a need to support their fellow soldiers. After returning home from the war, many of these veterans were struggling with serious injuries and disabilities. At the time, there weren’t many resources available to help them rebuild their lives.

The founders of the DAV had a simple but powerful vision: to ensure that disabled veterans received the care, respect, and benefits they deserved. They believed that no veteran should be left behind, and they were determined to make a difference.

More than 100 years after its founding, the DAV continues to honor its original mission: to empower veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. The organization has helped millions of veterans and their families, and its impact is felt in communities across the country.