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Empowering Navajo Veterans through Service - Part 2
August 18-19, 2026
AZ DAV Chapter 24 and Department of AZ leaders bring a Truckload of Relief and Hope to the Navajo Veteran Community
DAV members from STAR Chapter 24 (Sun City/Surprise) and Department of Arizona leaders assembled prior to the Chapter 24 Executive Committee meeting to load boxes of supplies bound for the Navajo Nation on the 18th. Believe it or not, we were able to fit all the boxes into the 26' truck, which already had new furniture loaded for a Navajo Veteran's family so that they could move into the house they have had for 8 years. They had been living with their sons during those years because they had no furniture or essentials to be able to live in the house. That problem is being solved, thanks to Chapter 24 and their community partners in the northwest Phoenix metropolitan area!
We arrived at Chinle in the Navajo Nation late in the afternoon on the 18th, parked the truck, checked into the hotel, and went to dinner. It was a long day--especially for Lorrain Browning (Marine Veteran) and Tineke Hage (Air Force Veteran) in the heavily laden truck that they compared to "The little engine that could" when going uphill. But the truck and two cars all made it about the same time Tuesday afternoon.
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Shown in the photo on the left are members of Chapter 24's loading team: Rod Hage (Ch 24 Treasurer & Department Sr. Vice), Tineke Hage (Ch 24 member), Thomas Dawson (Ch 24 Jr. Vice), Brian Novinger (Ch 24 Commander), and Lorrain Browning (Ch 24 member and former professional truck driver).
On the morning of August 19th, The truck was expertly backed up to the Pinon Wellness Center storage area, where the truck's gate was unlocked and the donations became visible to the very thankful Navajo party.
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We're pretty sure that the load was within limits for the truck itself, but maybe not so much for a few of the roads we traveled on...
As we started to commence the offload, Department Sr. Vice Rod Hage took a picture with Pinon Chapter Commander Barton Hosteen and All-Navajo Veteran Auxiliary President Sara Josley (our liaison with the Navajo Nation). While the offload was going on at the Pinon Veteran Wellness Center storage unit, Carl Forkner (Department Adjutant | CEO) was inside assisting Veterans and their families with VA disability claims, explaining the financial assistance process, and answering general inquiries about the VA, DAV, and Veterans benefits.
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Follow-up? Yes! We will be returning next weekend to finish setting up the Ganado Remote Service Office systems (located in conjunction with the local VA Vet Center) and we are hosting an NSO Seminar in Chinle in November 4th!
August 19, 2026
Paying our respects to Navajo Veterans and their Community
On the way back to our hotel after getting the initial setup completed for the Ganado Remote Service Office, we stopped and paid our respects to Navajo Veterans and their Community. In the forward part of the cemetery are gravesites of members of the Navajo Nation. In the far end of the cemetery are the graves of Navajo Veterans from many eras.
