2011

F eb r uar y
January
THE OFFICIAL VOICE OF THE DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS AND DAV AUXILIARY

Breaking Ground
A Groundbreaking Ceremony Marks the Beginning of the
Public Tribute to Millions of Disabled American Veterans
 2011 Mid-Winter Conference
Commanders and Adjutants Association • February 27 — March 2
We’ve made tremendous strides working
with lawmakers to improve the quality and
accessibility of veterans health care and toward
ensuring sufficient, timely and predictable
funding for the VA medical system.
We’ve also developed our own 21st Century
Claims Process to create a more efficient,
faster solution to helping veterans receive
the benefits they’ve earned.
Join National Commander Wallace E.
Tyson as he delivers the DAV’s Legislative
Presentation to Congress. The support and
direct action of Chapter and Department
leaders from across the country is critical to
supporting our agenda on the national level.
The Mid-Winter Conference at the Crystal
Gateway Marriot in Arlington, Virginia,
February 27 – March 2, is the place to be.
Tell our government to make veterans a
national priority, and do so face-to-face! 1700 Jefferson Davis Highway
Join us for Mid-Winter. Arlington, Virginia 22202
703-920-3230
Single/Double Room: $197.00
Cut-off date for reservations is February
4, 2011. Check-out time is 12 noon.
Rooms will not be available for check-in
until after 3 p.m. Reservations requested
beyond the cut-off date are subject to
availability. Rooms may still be available
after the cut-off date, but not necessarily
at the same rate. Please apply 10.25%
sales tax to room rate.

Agenda
Saturday, 2/26/11
Tuseday, 3/1/11
C&A Registration 12-4pm
National Service Foundation 9am-10am
Charitable Service Trust
Sunday, 2/27/11
Immediately following National Service Foundation Meeting
C&A Registration 8am-noon
National Commander’s Presentation 2:00pm
C&A Business Session 9am-noon
to the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committees
Legislative Workshop 1:30pm-4pm
National Commander’s Reception 6:30pm-8:30pm
Monday, 2/28/11
Wednesday, 3/2/11
Service Workshop 9am-10:30pm
DAV Board of Directors Meeting 9am-10am
IG/Adjutants Workshop 10:30am-12pm
DAV National Executive Committee Meeting
Membership Workshop 1pm-2pm
Immediately Following Board of Directors Meeting
Voluntary Services Workshop 2pm-3pm DAV MAGAZINE
Communications Workshop 3pm-4:30pm

Entry deadline June 30, 2010.

Telling the DAV’s Story With Social Media
f r o m t h e N AT I O N A L C O M M A N D E R
We have long sought ways to serve our fellow veterans more effectively, to
strengthen and broaden grassroots initiatives and to tell the DAV story to more
and more veterans, family members, and survivors.
F or those of you interacting with family and
friends online, there are some important
but simple things you can accomplish for the
organization with just a little extra effort.
Well more than half of American adults now
actively use social networking, and the fastest
growing demographic is 50 and older. Facebook
is widely considered the most accessible form
of social media to the Vietnam era generation
— those of us who didn’t grow up with the In-
ternet. And studies show as much as 95 percent
of the generation currently serving in uniform is
using at least one social network.
Veterans need each other for support, and
now the DAV Facebook page is a place where
you can find that. I’ve heard directly from
people who’ve found other veterans that they
served with 30 years ago and now are “Face-
book friends.”
Facebook.com is the largest, fastest growing
network in history. For that reason, the DAV
has a concerted effort to reach out to our stake-
holders on Facebook, offering the latest news
on veterans issues, informational materials and
legislative alerts. More so, we listen to and ad-
dress concerns raised by veterans, their families
and friends.
Many DAV members are using it to talk to
each other about their problems and successes,
JANAURY/FEBRUARY 2011
WALLACE E. TYSON
and it’s been great for camaraderie, doing a good
job of bridging the generational gap. This tool
has allowed members to help each other, ask
for help and ultimately create new connections.
There are a great deal of questions posed about
benefits assistance, membership eligibility and
current happenings in Washington. But the
most common posts are from veterans telling
their stories, praising the DAV and expressing
their support for veterans.
We are working hard to harness social net-
working to improve our grassroots advocacy.
Social networking has surpassed email as the
number one way to communicate electroni-
cally. Gone are the days when sending out mass
emails was the best method to spread the word.
If you are on Facebook, I encourage you
to find your elected officials’ Facebook pages.
We have a tab labeled “Congress” on the DAV
Facebook page that can help you find your
Representative and Senators on Facebook. Not
only will visiting their pages help you stay up
to date with their positions and actions, it will
give you an opportunity to publicly state your
stance on the issues. The officials and their staffs
will receive the message, but it will also educate
their other constituents about your concerns.
Grassroots campaigns should include encour-
aging supporters to post on the elected officials’
(Continued on page 32)
1
 J anuary/February 2 01 1

CONTENTS

National Commander Wallace E.

1 Tyson cites use of social networks Dispatches from
Afghanistan
to tell DAV’s story. PAGE 20

National Adjutant Arthur H. Wilson

3 lauds VA claims improvement
efforts and urges greater
stakeholder involvement.
Golden Corral
PAGE 28
DAV, VA join forces to aid
5 disabled veteran’s family seeking
Our Cover:
long-term care assistance. Groundbreaking
Wallace E. Tyson
ceremony marks
National Commander
Educating new members of milestone for
American Veterans
6 Congress on critical issues key Disabled for Life
Arthur H. Wilson
National Adjutant & Publisher
to protecting veterans’ benefits, Memorial.
PAGE 8
services.
Gary Weaver
National Director
Dozens of pilot projects are of Communications
11 underway aimed at deciding
claims right the first time. David E. Autry
Deputy National Director
National Legislative Director of Communications
12 Joseph A. Violante stresses
renewed grassroots efforts to Arvel “Jim” Hall
build support in Congress for Assistant National Director
of Communications
veterans’ issues.

Auxiliary National Commander
17 Susan M. Henry discusses
importance of leadership at all
levels.
Disabled veterans attending
Thomas L. Wilborn
Assistant National Director
MAGAZINE • January/February 2011 of Communications
Contact Us: www.dav.org • Toll Free 877.426.2838 •
3725 Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring, KY 41076 Volume
53, Issue 1, DAV Magazine (ISSN 0885-6400) Editorial Rob Lewis
Office: DAV Magazine, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, Marketing & Special Events
OH 45250-0301. Telephone (859) 441-7300 or toll free Manager
(877) I AM A VET. Published and circulated bimonthly

24 Arkansas State University benefit
from tailored programs.
Mobile Service Offices expand
bulletin by the Disabled American Veterans, a Con-
gressionally-chartered, nonprofit organization, P.O. Dan Clare
Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301. DAV Home
Assistant National Director
Page is www.dav.org. Available on recording for
the blind and those with physical handicaps that of Communications
preclude reading printed material. The magazine is

34
mailed free to DAV and Auxiliary members who are
Department, Chapter service paid subscribers. Nonmembers may subscribe for Joseph Chenelly
outreach. $15.00 per year. Periodical postage paid at office Assistant National Director
of publication, Newport, KY 41071, and at additional
offices. Printed in U.S.A. Change of Address: When
of Communications
notifying a change of address, send former as well as
new address, including zip code, to: DAV Magazine,
DAV National Headquarters, P.O. Box 145550, Cin-
James A. Chaney
cinnati, OH 45250-5550. POSTMASTER: Send address Production Manager
changes to DAV Magazine, DAV National Head-
quarters, P.O. Box 145550, Cincinnati, OH 45250-5550.
 Fast Forward on Claims
f r o m t h e N AT I O N A L A D J U TA N T
It is gratifying to see that the VA is moving ahead with its pilot programs
aimed at resolving disability claims faster and more professionally.
I t is this type of action that has been urged by
the DAV for years. The crisis created by the
massive backlog of claims and the congressional
intervention to improve the process, urged by the
DAV, is now showing some resolution.
Still in their infancy, more than three dozen pilot
programs are underway designed to get veterans’
claims decided right the first time. It is rewarding
to see that some seem to be working very well.
Our Washington Headquarters staff and National
Service Officers are working hand-in-hand with
the VA to ensure these pilots are working in a way
to improve the system and benefit veterans.
As we have urged for years, the VA is using es-
tablished business practices to help decide claims.
They hope to eliminate the backlog of hundreds of
thousands of claims, and to decide claims within
125 days from receipt with a 98-percent accuracy
rate. It is a big goal, but one that is worthy and
within the reach of the VA.
In this issue of DAV Magazine, you can read
about a number of programs that are underway
(see page 11). The results are encouraging so far,
but there is much that remains to be done.
Among the most promising programs is the fast
track system, which uses advanced electronic au-
tomation to decide Agent Orange claims for B-cell
leukemia, Parkinson’s disease or Ischemic Heart
disease. The VA estimates as many as 200,000 vet-
erans will be assisted by the new automated system
that cuts processing time and increases accuracy.
The fast track system is just beginning. If it
works well, it can be expanded to handle claims for
JANAURY/FEBRUARY 2011
AR THUR H. WILSON
other presumptive service-connected disabilities.
The associated Disability Benefits Question-
naires (DBQs) for the Agent Orange related
disabilities are available at the VA’s Web site and
are designed for use by both private and VA
physicians. Using it, doctors provide specific
information needed to evaluate a disability claim.
VA says the DBQs improve timeliness, and have
the potential to improve decision accuracy.
Meanwhile, other questionnaires related to
other disabilities are in the final stages of approval
and should become available to veterans this year.
Our NSOs are leading the way with their in-
depth knowledge of the new pilot programs. They
stand ready to assist as veterans go through the new
processes with new forms and quicker decisions.
The VA claims process is still a daunting en-
deavor and should not be negotiated without the
professional and skillful help of our National Ser-
vice Officers. They help a veteran through each
step of the process doing all they can to ensure
success.
These pilot programs launched by the VA are
realistic and the first of many others that will ul-
timately improve the timeliness and quality in the
delivery of earned benefits to deserving veterans.
Each new step taken will give way to more new
ideas in handling claims. Without question, VA is
on the verge of remarkable long overdue changes
in the system. It’s encouraging that the VA is
working diligently to resolve the problem of the
claims backlog. Veterans will benefit from their
hard work.
3
 Help Veterans Get the
Credit They Deserve
Several veteran groups are implor-
ing legislatures, governors, boards
of regents, and presidents of uni-
versities and colleges to do right by
servicemembers and veterans when
it comes to obtaining university and
college credits for having completed
comparable, equivalent federal mili-
tary school and courses. Universities
and colleges should ask prospective
students for evidence of “Military
Schools and Courses completed.”
The practice should be part of the
application process. Military service
members and veterans, by virtue of
completing an armed forces service
school, are often American Council of
Education eligible for credit at tech-
nical, associate, baccalaureate and
masters levels, reducing the number
of courses they need to graduate.
Charles Hyder, Lawrenceville, GA
Years ago, DAV helped me to secure
disability compensation check from
VA after I left military service. I had
no idea I was entitled to anything
as I refused a medical review for
disability retirement when I left the
Army. They told me that if I did not
stay on duty for two more months I
was waiving claim to any payment I
might be entitled to from the Army
for injuries. I only wanted to leave
and leave immediately. This monthly
check arrived at a time when I was
struggling to start a new life for my
family as a civilian after eight years
in the Army. The back payment that
came with that first check was enough
for a down payment on a home for
my family and the monthly com-
pensation paid the house payments
each month. I just finished paying
off the last of the student loans for
sending my three children through
college and finally have a little extra
4
money each month. So I thought it
appropriate to say thanks by mak-
ing a monthly contribution from this
point on to the DAV. I realize this is
not that much and it certainly does
not express the amount of gratitude
my wife and I hold in our hearts for
the help DAV provided us in getting
that monthly compensation check. I
said it back then and I will say it again
now—thank you for the aid your orga-
nization furnished me and making it
possible for me to buy a home for my
family. Ed Seward, Rochester, NY
Burn Pit Story Stirs Outrage
I just received your November/
December issue of DAV Magazine.
After reading the stories about burn
pits, I am appalled but not surprised
DAV Magazine welcomes let-
ters. However, due to the vol-
ume of mail, we are unable to
acknowledge every letter. Letters
are subject to editing for clarity,
style, accuracy, space, and pro-
priety. Letters involving individual
claims are referred to the DAV
Service Department, DAV Maga-
zine, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati,
Ohio 45250-0301.
at what has been and is going on.
What does surprise me is that this
information has not gotten traction
with the American public. It should
be headline news. Other than some
veterans, who really knows that
these horrors still exist and are al-
lowed to continue? Why haven’t any
legislators spoken out about these
atrocities? Joe Demarco, Jay, NY
I have just finished reading the ar-
ticles on burn pits, and I am shocked
that these men and women have to
be turned away for treatment, or
given some excuse as to why their
illness is not military related. I am
a Vietnam veteran, and I can see
that these men and women are get-
ting just as much jacked around as
we Vietnam vets have been. I was
totally saddened by the fact that
Tech. Sgt. Tim Wymore is suffering
as much as he is. So where and what
is the VA doing to help this hero and
all of the others? DAV Magazine
sure hit home again this time. I am
saddened by the way they are being
treated. I salute you, Tim Wymore
and everyone else. Dave Betti, Oak
View, CA
Concurrent Receipt
Still an Issue
I saw in the November/December
edition of DAV Magazine the DAV’s
Legislative Agenda for 2011. I
see that concurrent receipt is still
on there but what is being done?
The pledge to support legislation
to remove the prohibition against
concurrent receipt of military retired
pay and VA disability compensation
has been on the back burner long
enough. I retired in 1994, and be-
came eligible to draw my retirement
at age 60 in 2006. When will this
be corrected? Charles D. Lathem,
Carthage, MS
DAV MAGAZINE
 By Jim Hall
DAV Aids Disabled Veteran Suffering Alzheimer’s
J ean Courniotes watched as her
father, David B. Alexander,
began to lapse into Alzheimer’s
disease in 2009. Jean’s mother was
also suffering from the disease, and
over the course of a year it became
apparent her parents would soon
need to be cared for
in an assisted living
facility. Unfortunately,
Alexander and his wife
had already spent down
their savings to get by,
and some other means
would have to be found
to pay for long-term
care.
Since her father was
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
David Alexander and his
daughter, Jean Courniotes tour
the assisted living facility on
David’s first day in residence.
The DAV assisted Alexander and
his daughter with the disability
claim that enabled him to move
into the assisted living facility.
Below, Alexander as a young
Navy sailor, circa 1950.
a Korean War era veteran, Jean and
her husband, Greg, sought help
from the Department of Veterans
officer told us it would likely take
several months to resolve the claim.”
The claim for benefits was sub-
Affairs. Jean had power of attorney mitted in Boston on Dec. 29, 2009.
and guardianship of her parents and The Courniotes live in Florida,
could file a claim on her father’s and Jean had been traveling back and
behalf. She located a local veterans’ forth to West Springfield to care for
service representative in her parents for months. She needed
West Springfield, Mass., to resolve the need for her parents’
where Alexander lived, long-term care as quickly as pos-
and began the process. sible.
“The gentleman came “Even had we still lived in Massa-
to my father’s house chusetts, we would have still needed
shortly before Christmas to resolve the need of caring for
to help us fill out the my parents,” Jean said. “After four
forms and gather sub- months waiting to hear about the
stantiating documents,” claim, we decided to call and learned
Jean said. “The service it had been sent to the VA in Phila-
(Continued on page 31)
5
 LEGISLATIVE ISSUES
Veterans, Government Face Critical Issues
By Dave Autry
E ven before the 112th Congress convened, the
DAV was gearing up to educate lawmakers and
the administration about critical issues facing disabled
veterans and their families and the resources needed to
meet their needs. The focus is on polices and funding for
veterans health care and the benefits delivery system in
the year ahead.
“The needs analysis and recommendations by DAV
and the other authors of The Independent Budget Criti-
cal Issues Report for Fiscal Year 2012 are designed to alert
policymakers and the public to the issues we believe
deserve priority attention,” National Adjutant Arthur
H. Wilson said. “This report is intended as a guide for
policymakers so they can provide adequate funding and
enact policies that will enable the Department of Veter-
ans Affairs to fulfill its mission.”
“A more detailed needs assessment and funding and
policy recommendations in The Independent Budget
also will be released in February when the President
sends his budget request to Congress for fiscal year
2012,” National Legislative Director Joseph A. Violante
said. “Through these efforts, we believe the VA will be
better positioned to meet the challenges of the future.”
A major challenge is the growing number of veterans
from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq who are eligible
for VA medical care and benefits. Another is that vet-
erans from previous eras are turning to the VA for the
first time because of a turbulent economic environment.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki warned
in a letter to Congress last July that the advance ap-
propriations for veterans medical care in fiscal year 2011
may not be sufficient to meet the demands VA will face.
Shinseki emphasized that the recent Caregivers and Vet-
erans Omnibus Health Services Act and the health care
reform law will increase the workload for VA, which
would require supplemental funding.
DAV’s grassroots efforts are crucial to building public
and government awareness and support for vital veter-
6
ans programs and services, Washington Headquarters
Executive Director David W. Gorman notes. “But with
so many new members of Congress and a restructuring
of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees,
our efforts are even more important.”
In addition, the VA faces an uncertain future with
growing pressure to curb federal spending because of
mounting national debt. “Yet continued investment
in crucial VA programs is imperative,” Gorman said.
“After all, the ongoing cost of caring for the men and
women who have served and sacrificed for our country
will not diminish just because of challenging financial
times. Therefore, we must do everything we can to
make sure the VA has all the tools and resources to meet
today’s needs and tomorrow’s.”
Heading the list of critical issues is the benefits claims
processing system. The Veterans Benefits Administra-
tion is at a crucial juncture in its efforts to reform an
outdated, inefficient and overwhelmed claims process-
ing system. After struggling for decades to provide
timely, accurate decisions on veterans’ claims, the VBA
has taken the first steps along the path toward transfor-
mation and modernization. They include developing a
paperless Veterans Benefit Management System, ongo-
ing claims processing pilot projects and other initiatives.
The DAV welcomes those efforts and strongly urges
VA to involve veterans organizations throughout the
processes of developing, planning, implementing and
evaluating such programs and projects. “After all, the
DAV and other veterans service organizations bring
to the table a wealth of experience and expertise in the
claims system,” National Service Director Garry J. Au-
gustine said. “We share a common interest in ensuring
that the benefits delivery system works better and more
efficiently to serve disabled veterans and their families.”
In addition, Congress must provide sufficient funding
and oversight of pilot projects and initiatives to ensure
that the best practices are adopted and integrated into
a cohesive new claims process. The VBA also needs to
provide effective training and continuing evaluation and
DAV MAGAZINE
accountability at all levels. Of vital importance is that
quality control be built in at every step of the benefits
delivery process so veterans’ claims are decided cor-
rectly the first time.
Another critical issue veterans face is ensuring that
VA receives sufficient, timely and predictable funding
for medical and health care services. Fortunately the
Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency
Act funded VA medical care this year even though Con-
gress failed to pass the Military Construction and Veter-
ans Affairs Appropriations on time. As of this writing,
Congress had not passed the 2011 VA appropriations
because of political wrangling
and legislative deadlock. As a
result, the larger VA system’s
budget has been temporarily
funded at the previous year’s
level.
To ensure that VA is not
further hampered in provid-
ing services and that advance
appropriations for fiscal year
2012 are provided for veterans
medical care, Congress must
complete work on the overdue
spending bill as soon as prac-
ticable. Lawmakers also must
provide supplemental fund-
ing in fiscal year 2011 and in
subsequent years to meet new
demands projected as a result
of the caregivers legislation and
the new health care reform law.
The Administration, Congress and the Government
Accountability Office must fully implement all provi-
sions of the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and
Transparency Act to ensure sufficient, timely and pre-
dictable funding for VA health care. The Administration
and Congress also must provide adequate resources
for VA health care now and in the future so all eligible
veterans would receive medical services without undue
delays or restrictions.
“Meeting the needs of new generations of war vet-
erans and their families is a continuing challenge for
our government,” Gorman said. “The Department of
Defense (DoD) and VA must work together to sustain
effective care for all military beneficiaries and veterans
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
and ensure that injured and ill service members make a
seamless transition from military to civilian life.”
Among the report’s recommendations in this area:
DoD and VA must continue to support the development
of a system that allows them to share electronic medical
and military service records. This will require vigorous
oversight by Congress to ensure a seamless transition.
The critical issues report recommends particular
attention be paid to the needs of war veterans with a
variety of “invisible wounds” such as mild to moder-
ate traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress
disorder. Although great strides and advances have
been made in the care for the
physically wounded, both the
military and VA health care
systems must close gaps in the
diagnosis, treatment and reha-
bilitation of less visible injuries.
DAV also urges Congress to
authorize VA to provide a full
range of medical, psychologi-
cal, financial and social support
services to family caregivers
of veterans, especially those
with brain and severe physical
injuries.
In addition, the VA must
continue to expand and enhance
treatment programs aimed
at meeting the unique health
needs of women veterans. The
number of women serving in
the military is at unprecedented levels, as is the rate at
which they enroll in VA health care after discharge.
“While our government must ensure that programs
are sufficiently funded and adapted to meet the needs of
those who have served in the current wars, our nation
must continue to meet the needs of earlier generations
of war veterans,” Gorman said. “That is something the
DAV has stressed and will continue to do so as we work
with the administration, Congress, DoD and VA to ad-
dress the critical issues facing disabled veterans and their
families.”
The Independent Budget Critical Issues Report for
Fiscal Year 2012 is available at www.independentbudget.
org, as will The Independent Budget when released in
February.
7
 Ground Broken
for Disabled Veterans Memorial
By Joseph R. Chenelly
W ashington, D.C., is a city of monuments and
memorials. There are more than 100 such sites in
our nation’s capital, but not one pays homage to living
disabled veterans. That is about to change.
A groundbreaking ceremony Nov. 10 marked the
formal beginning of the first permanent public tribute
to the more than 3 million living disabled American
veterans and the countless heroes who have died.
Under a sunny sky in Washington the day before
Veterans Day, hundreds of DAV members, veterans’
advocates, politicians and dignitaries gathered across
8
from the U.S. Botanic Garden to witness the first dirt
moved at the future site of the American Veterans Dis-
abled for Life Memorial. The memorial, which will be
within view of the Capitol, is expected to be completed
in November 2012.
“Our nation needs this memorial to be reminded of
the sacrifices disabled veterans continue to make,” said
National Adjutant Arthur H. Wilson, who is co-founder
and President of the Disabled Veterans’ LIFE Memorial
Foundation. “Further, our veterans deserve this memo-
rial so they can be reminded they live in a grateful nation
where citizens respect and appreciate their service.”
“Long after the fighting on the battlefield ends, our
DAV MAGAZINE
 Right, actor Gary Sinise,
the American Veterans
Disabled for Life Memo-
rial’s national spokes-
man, addresses hundreds
of disabled veterans
and active duty military
members on hand to wit-
ness the historic event.
Below, a military color
guard opens ground-
breaking ceremonies.
Bottom, National Com-
mander Wallace E. Tyson
stated “We are grateful
for all the support shown
by so many over the
years.”

disabled veterans continue to fight to reclaim their

lives and readjust to society,” said Foundation Chair-
man Lois Pope. “This memorial will ensure that their
sacrifices will always be remembered, while educat-
ing future generations about the human cost of war.”
Mrs. Pope partnered with National Adjutant
Wilson and then-Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jesse
Brown in 1997 to establish the Disabled Veterans’
LIFE Memorial Foundation to raise the necessary
funds to create the memorial in Washington.
“Members of Congress and their staffs will pass
by this memorial each day they go to the Capitol,
keeping fresh on their minds the sacrifices so many
veterans continue to make for our nation,” Adjutant
Wilson said. “Visiting this memorial will offer a
place to look at our proud time in uniform and let

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 9
 our families and friends know about the courage and include the sale of commemorative coins. They are no
selflessness we saw. It will be a spot on which we can longer available through the United States Mint, but
reflect upon the brothers and sisters we loved, the con- the Disabled Veterans’ LIFE Memorial Foundation and
tributions made on behalf of our fellow Americans.” DAV still have a limited supply available online. For a
The memorial’s official spokesman Gary Sinise said virtual tour of the planned American Veterans Disabled
the tribute is long overdue. Sinise, star of TV’s “CSI: for Life Memorial and information on purchasing coins,
NY,” may be best known in the veterans community for visit www.avdlm.org or www.dav.org.
his role in the box office blockbuster “Forrest Gump,” “We are grateful for all the support shown by so many
in which his character, Lt. Dan Taylor, loses both legs in over the years,” said National Commander Wallace E.
Vietnam. Tyson. “DAV Departments, Chapters and individual
“We have many monuments and memorials to members have given so generously in this long, hard-
honor our fallen warriors from various wars, but there fought push to make the memorial a reality. Now, we
is nothing that has been done to pay tribute to disabled are almost there.”
veterans,” he said. “They have to live the rest of their
lives with the scars of the battle. [Building the memorial]
is the least we can do.”
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki said
the memorial “will stand as an enduring tribute to the
towering courage, selfless sacrifice and steadfast loyalty
of all our disabled veterans.”
The Disabled Veterans’ LIFE Memorial Foundation
board members include DAV Past DAV National Com-
manders Gene A. Murphy and Dennis A. Joyner; Diane
Musselmann, widow of Past National Commander and
Board member Kenneth Musselmann; Gordon Mans-
field, former Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs; and
Allen Kent, Adjutant General of the Veterans of Foreign
Wars. DAV members attend the groundbreaking ceremony.
The foundation still needs to raise $3.2 million to
complete construction. Additional fundraising efforts

Canadian Ambassador to the United States Gary Doer welcomes

Disabled Veterans’ LIFE Memorial Foundation Chairwoman Lois B.
Pope, National Adjutant Arthur H. Wilson and former VA Secretary Past National Commander Dennis A.
Anthony Principi during a special reception at the Canadian Em- Joyner is secretary of the Disabled
bassy in Washington after the groundbreaking ceremony. Veterans’ LIFE Memorial Foundation.

10 DAV MAGAZINE
 VA Extends Efforts:
Get Claims Decided Right the First Time

T he VA has hit the ground running

with more than three dozen pilot
programs aimed to accelerate claims
computerized processing system and
streamlined the review system. Final
rating decisions and payments will
this year. Another 57 will be finalized
and available in the spring. The program
has the potential to reduce medical exam
handling and eliminate the massive be made by Rating Veterans Service times by 25 to 50 percent, in addition to
backlog. One of the most successful is Representatives, but the computerized increasing claims accuracy.
a fast-track system to decide disability fasttrack program develops a draft rating The Fully Developed Claims program
and compensation for the Agent Orange- proposal for their review. attracted more than 3,000 claims in 2010,
related presumed service connection The automated system allows with more than 700 completed within 34
for ischemic heart disease, veterans to file their claims days. To participate in this program a
hairy cell and other chronic and supporting evidence veteran must submit sufficient evidence
B-cell leukemias and electronically using VA forms that allows VA to swiftly review the claim
Parkinson’s disease thanks available at its Web site on and quickly decide it. The VA provides
to a computerized claims the Internet. Those without veterans with the necessary forms to
system that streamlines the computer skills may still fully develop all relevant and pertinent
process. prepare the information evidence and substantiate their claims.
“The other pilot claims and take it to their nearest “These are the kinds of initiatives the
processing programs DAV National Service Office DAV has urged to streamline the claims
proving successful are where it is mailed or faxed to review process to eliminate backlogs,”
Augustine
the disability benefits VA. All paper documents will Augustine said. “But modernizing the
questionnaires, the quick decisions on be scanned into the fast track system. claims handling procedure is only one
fully developed claims and rapid evalu- The VA estimates it can complete a step. Training for VA claims officers
ation of claims,” said National Service claim for any of the three new presump- and accountability for decisions made
Director Garry J. Augustine. “These tive illnesses within 60 days of the claim correctly the first time go hand-in-hand
pilot programs now or soon to be used date. The claim date is the earliest proof with new technology.”
nationwide have the goal to eliminate the of receipt at a VA facility or fast track “We are also aware that each pilot
claims backlog by 2015 with a scant two location. Other disabilities within a claim program has its own level of bureaucracy
percent error rate.” will be processed separately. and red tape,” he said. “It’s a new game
“One VA official told the DAV that The new Disability Benefits Question- and disabled veterans need to understand
the fast-track program paid millions in naire for the Agent Orange presumptive which program would work best for them,
compensation to disabled veterans the service connected disabilities are and how to best use the services offered.”
first day it became effective,” Augustine available at the VA’s Web site and are “The DAV is urging all veterans to
said. “These were claims that had been designed for use by both private and VA contact their nearest DAV National
filed earlier by our veterans. Overall, the physicians and raters. It requires doctors Service Office before using any of
VA hopes to increase claims production to provide specific information needed these new programs,” Augustine said.
by at least 20 percent in 2011.” to rate the claim. Included as part of the “Our national staff has been a vital
The VA estimates that as many fast-track program, VA says it improves part of the development of these pilot
as 200,000 Vietnam veterans could timeliness and quality of claims, and has programs, so our NSOs are fully aware
be eligible for health care and dis- the potential to improve rating accuracy. of the requirements and needs of those
ability compensation for the three new Meanwhile, 19 questionnaires related veterans.” DAV National Service Offices
presumptive diseases. To process that to other conditions are in the final stages can be found using our Web site at
many new claims, the VA ordered a of approval and should become available www.dav.org.”

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 11
 DIRECTOR’S COMMENTARY
JOSEPH A. VIOLANTE
f r o m t h e N AT I O N A L L E G I S L AT I V E D I R E C T O R
Turnover in House Makes Grassroots Even More Vital
T he mid-term elections in November saw
drastic changes throughout Congress.
More than half of the members of the House
Veterans’ Affairs Committee in the 111th
Congress lost or did not seek reelection.
Just 12 of the 29 Committee members will
return to the House for the 112th Congress,
and it is possible some of those 12 will leave
the panel. And with the House majority
changing hands, a new chairman will be se-
lected.
A largely new Committee Congress means
the task of informing the members of our pri-
orities will be more arduous than it has been
for many years. Not only are the issues ever
evolving, but many members of the com-
mittee will be unfamiliar with the matters at
hand as well as the veterans community itself.
Also significant is the fact that many of
those elected ran on promises to cut govern-
ment spending. We must make it clear that
reducing the national debt cannot be done
on the backs of disabled veterans or their
families.
A great deal of effort has been put into
educating Committee members and staffs
over the past several years. That outreach
paid off extremely well, achieving several his-
toric legislative victories, including advance
appropriations, the caregivers act, improved
treatment for women veterans and laws regu-
12
12
lating burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We cannot allow this changing of the guard
to affect the momentum we have built. It is
now even more important for our members
to step up, contact their Senators and Repre-
sentatives and let them know you care about
the issues. We also need you to share with
your elected officials information about the
DAV – who we are and what we do for our
nation’s service-connected veterans and their
families and survivors.
I hope you will come to Washington for
the Mid-Winter Conference. If you can,
be sure to schedule time to meet with your
Representatives, Senators and their staffs. We
will provide you with the information and
talking points you need to ensure you are
up to date on the issues and have the most
accurate information and positions.
We have informative materials online to
keep you, as well as your fellow veterans and
family members, aware of the issues. There
are also tools online that can make contacting
your Members of Congress quick and easy.
The information and tools can be found
at www.dav.org/voters or facebook.com/
TheDAV. While you are there, please join the
Commander’s Action Network for the latest,
breaking information via email.
The task ahead of us will require every-
one’s help.
DAV MAGAZINE
 Turning Up the Heat
for Veterans ...
Two plumbing heating and
cooling organizations ran
campaigns in the fall to
raise funds for DAV Na-
tional Service Programs.
Top,Wesley Holm, owner of
Thompson Plumbing, Heat-
ing and Cooling on far right
next to Barry Jesinoski,
DAV Director of Human
Resources with Thompson
Leadership Team and
Veterans holding the 2010
check for $30,240. Thomp-
son is headquartered in
Cincinnati, Ohio.
Bottom,Kenny Bell (far left)
and Jerry Bell (center),
owners of Bell Brothers
Heating & Air Condition-
ing, present a check of
$32,900 to Stephen Garrett
(far right), DAV National
Service Officer. Bell Broth-
ers is headquartered in
Sacramento, Calif.

DAV Soars
in 2010
The DAV Flight Team wrapped
up the 2010 airshow season
with a four-show swing through
Florida. This season saw the DAV
display, supported by the B-25
bombers Panchito and Special
Delivery, making stops at 23
airshows across the country.
The attendance at these shows
was nearly 3.5 million and the
DAV was able to directly reach
hundreds of thousands of at-
tendees to spread our message
of service to disabled veterans
and their families.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
Fisher House
Foundation
Vice President
for Community
Relations and
Media Affairs
Cindy Campbell,
gets a tour of
the new Wash-
ington, D.C., VA
medical center
facility from site
superintendent
Jerry Silk.

Fisher Houses Provide Home-Like

Setting for Recovering Veterans
By Thom Wilborn what lies ahead. You have something tion was created in 1990 more than
deeply in common.” 130,000 veterans and their families

F or David P. McCain and his wife

Carla, the welcoming environ-
ment of a Fisher House is like home
when they travel to Washington,
D.C., to get care for disabilities he
suffered in a parachute jump.
A member of Chapter 3 in North
Carolina, the 58-year-old Army
veteran makes frequent trips to
Walter Reed Army Medical Center
for medical care. The disabilities re-
sulting from injuries received at Fort
Bragg, N.C., in the early 1980s have
worsened over the years. At times
he’s unable to walk and needs Carla
at his side.
When the McCains visit Walter
Reed, Carla has to drive from their
home in Roseboro, N.C. “It means
a lot to have my wife with me,” Mc-
Cain said. “You need some kind of
support. At Fisher House, I have the
privacy to sit and talk with her about
Driving into the night on the long
trip from North Carolina, the Mc-
Cains arrive late at the Fisher House
at Andrews Air Force Base near
Washington, D.C. “It is comforting
to know that your room will be
open,” McCain said. “It’s like com-
ing home again with your mom say-
ing, ‘your room is ready’ and finding
the covers turned down.”
“I have great appreciation for
a system that allows my wife to
be there with me,” he said. “It is a
blessing for us.”
“I never know what will happen
to me during my care,” McCain
said. “I could be paralyzed. At
Fisher House, you know your fam-
ily is taken care of if you don’t come
back from the hospital. You can’t
know how much I appreciate the
volunteers there.”
Since the Fisher House Founda-
have resided at their facilities at no
cost. “Veterans and their families
have stayed more than 3 million days
which saved these families more
than $150 million in lodging and
transportation costs,” Washington
Headquarters Executive Director
David W. Gorman said.
McCain was unable to find an
opening at the Walter Reed Fisher
Houses because of the number of
injured in the wars in Iraq and Af-
ghanistan being treated there. But he
finds the Andrews facility close and
homey. “Fisher Houses have veterans
from all services,” he said. “It’s just
perfect. You can cook your own food
and save a lot. You have a safe envi-
ronment and they treat you so well.”
In the nation’s capital, there are
three Fisher Houses at Walter Reed,
two at Bethesda National Naval
Medical Center and one at Andrews

DAV MAGAZINE
14
Air Force Base. Another to be
opened in February at the Washing-
ton, D.C., VA medical center will be
the 55th in the nation.
“Fisher houses were established to
be homes away from home for sick
and disabled veterans and their fami-
lies,” said Fisher House Foundation
Community Relations and Media Af-
fairs Vice President Cindy Campbell.
“When a veteran needs long-term
medical treatment and rehabilita-
tion, the homes provide temporary
residences that are professionally
decorated and equipped with com-
mon areas as well as private suites.”
The houses are 5,000 to 16,000
square feet with as many as 21
suites,” she said. “The house at the
Washington, D.C., VA medical cen-
ter will have 20 suites for resident
veterans.”
“Fisher Houses are built and do-
nated to the military or VA facility
to ensure that veterans are not bur-
dened with unnecessary expenses
when receiving care far from home,”
Gorman said. “They provide the
comfort of having family nearby as
veterans recover and rehabilitate.”
During a tour of the Washington,
D.C., VA medical center Fisher
House under construction, Camp-
bell noted that each 20-suite home
will serve an estimated 1,000 families
a year. “They are built to last,” she
said. “This Fisher House will serve
veterans who haven’t been born yet.”
“The homes create an instant
community for its residents,” said
Campbell. “The residents are united
by their common mission supporting
a sick or disabled loved one, but the
homes also provide each individual
with a secure and private refuge after
a long day at the hospital.”
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
“In addition to the structures,
Fisher House volunteers provide
meals and snacks for residents,
help with housekeeping chores,
organize drives for products, and
offer babysitting service and play
with the children to give parents a
break,” said Gorman. “Volunteers
also garden around the houses and
plant seasonal flowers and shrubs.”
Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher es-
tablished the Fisher House program
in 1990 to fulfill the needs of veter-
ans for temporary lodging facilities
for families at major military and
VA medical centers. The first Fisher
House opened its doors at Bethesda
National Naval Medical Center in
1991 and became the model for the
network. Many more are planned,
mostly at VA medical centers.
“Fisher House takes away all the
anxiety and the economic stress of Artist concept of Fisher House
at the Washington, D.C., VA
your health care,” said McCain. medical center.
“Your family is there to take care of
you, and they have your care in their
highest interests.”
“I want everybody to know how
good Fisher House is,” he said. “Vet-
erans go to them from everywhere. I
wish everyone has the chance to use
Fisher House if they need to. It adds
so much to your care. Fisher House
makes you feel like a human being
and that you and your family matter.
It means everything to me.”
15
 Deep brain
stimulation is a
treatment often
recommended for
patients who no
longerRecord Breaking
respond
(Continued from page 15)
well to Parkinson’s
medication alone.
Study Shows Promise in
Parkinson’s Treatment
R esearch into treatments for Parkinson’s disease finds
deep brain stimulation using implanted electrodes
dramatically improves movement-related symptoms in
patients.
Deep brain stimulation is a treatment often recom-
mended for patients who no longer respond well to
Parkinson’s medication alone.
The study, conducted by VA and the National
Institutes of Health was reported in the New England
Journal of Medicine. Researchers report that deep brain
stimulation is equally effective at either of two sites in
the brain. Although the study found that the treatment is
somewhat riskier than carefully managed drug therapy,
it may hold significant benefits for some patients.
“Parkinson’s disease is a heartbreaking disability that
affects the veteran’s ability to interact with those around
him,” said National Adjutant Arthur H. Wilson. “VA
research, conducted with other research organizations,
should continue to search for ways to lessen or eliminate
the effects of the disease and to offer better care for our
veterans.”
“The quality of life of our disabled veterans should
16
be paramount as researchers delve into this long-term
debilitating disease that robs our disabled veterans of
their quality of life,” said Adjutant Wilson.
The study involved 299 randomly selected patients
with advanced Parkinson’s disease to undergo deep
brain stimulation. The primary benefit of the treatment
was the change in motor function. Other reported
benefits included increased function, quality of life and
neurocognitive function.
The researchers found that patients with Parkinson’s
disease showed similar improvement in motor function
after the deep brain stimulation. Those involved in the
study will be observed for several more years to deter-
mine the benefits and risks of deep stimulation treatment.
Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological dis-
order, affects some 1.5 million Americans, with 50,000
new cases diagnosed annually. VA treats at least 40,000
veterans with the disorder each year. Most patients are
over age 50, but some forms of the disease can strike
younger adults.
Symptoms included slow movement, poor balance,
shaking and muscle stiffness. Other signs may be a stiff
facial expression, shuffling walk, muffled speech and de-
pression. Symptoms may worsen over time. The disease
is caused by a loss of brain cells that make dopamine,
a chemical that helps control movement, emotion and
other functions.
DAV MAGAZINE
 Leadership is Important at All Levels
f r o m t h e A U X I L I A R Y N AT I O N A L C O M M A N D E R
L eadership is important at all levels of our orga-
nization, and it is up to each of us to make sure
the Auxiliary has the best possible leaders.
Leadership comes in all sizes, shapes and forms.
Leaders need to be knowledgeable, informed, ener-
getic, cooperative, dependable and consistent. They
must work well with others, be open to new ideas
and opinions, and be flexible to be effective.
In the next few months, many Units will be
holding nominations and annual elections. During
this process we must make sure that those who
are elected are willing to consider the will of the
members over themselves. They should also reflect
knowledge of the elected or appointed position, as
well as being dependable, energetic and passionate
about doing what’s best for those we serve and
what’s best for the organization.
A necessary goal of leadership is the maintenance
of the organization. Sometimes it means chang-
ing hats and, rather than being the classic leader,
becoming the teacher. It means stepping back and
allowing and encouraging others to take on the
mantle of leadership. In those instances it becomes
our responsibility to aid and assist others to become
strong, capable, effective leaders. We must properly
instruct potential leaders in background activities
and planning that make the great things your Unit
does seem effortless. It is an awesome responsibility
to train members for multiple jobs and tasks, and
develop them into future leaders, but it is also a
truly rewarding experience for you, as a leader.
Good leaders also plan for the future. This can
be accomplished by evaluating current activities
to determine if they are really meeting the goals
of the Auxiliary. Are members participating? Do
activities highlight the Auxiliary and improve the
image of the organization to the public and those
we serve? If not, leaders must reevaluate and find
the right activities and projects to get the job done.
JANAURY/FEBRUARY 2011
SUSAN M. HENRY
Remember, now is the right time; it is up to good
leaders to make the right things happen to build
better lives for America’s disabled veterans and
their families.
The recent Auxiliary Fall Conference was a great
success, and it included a real emphasis on addi-
tional training for members. This year we added a
Commanders and Adjutants training session, and a
National Representative training session. In addi-
tion to the National Chairman’s presentations, we
also had a carnival for program chairmen to further
present their information in a fun format. Add to
this a leadership presentation by Action Coach
Wayne Bergman, and it was easy to see that leader-
ship training is an Auxiliary priority.
In today’s Auxiliary, good leaders must also be
good administrators. The maintenance of the orga-
nization includes doing required tasks and paper-
work in a timely manner to make sure Departments
and the National Organization are aware of the
great service local Units are providing.
Leadership is indeed a great honor and an
equally great responsibility. I am deeply honored
to serve as your National Commander, and I feel
very privileged to do so. But like voting, it is also a
responsibility, one I take very seriously.
As the year progresses Auxiliary leadership must
carefully and thoughtfully make decisions. The de-
cisions must be made, not just by doing what is easy
or what we have always done, but by doing what is
best for the future of the organization. It is neces-
sary to be fully informed of the situation, assess the
costs and benefits and make the best decision for
the Auxiliary. The best solution is the one which
maintains the organization’s integrity, stability and
continues our service to help build better lives for
America’s disabled veterans and their families. To
do this we need the best leaders possible now and
in the future, and I encourage you to become one.
17
 Achilles Freedom Team
Wraps Up 2010 Season
The Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Veterans
enjoyed a race season of unprecedented success
thanks in part to the financial support of the DAV’s
Charitable Service Trust. The mission of the team
is to provide racing opportunities and athletic
equipment to newly injured veterans. Over the past
year, nearly 300 veterans raced or trained with
Achilles and the team participated in races across
the country, including the New York, Boston and
Marine Corps Marathons. Adding to an unprec-
edented year of success was a special visit from
Britain’s Prince Harry, above, who brought two
injured British soldiers to take part in the Achilles
Hope and Possibility five-mile race in New York.

DAV MAGAZINE
18
Testimonial Dinner for Commander Wallace E. Tyson

D isabled American Veterans National Com-

mander Wallace E. Tyson will be honored at a
testimonial dinner, Saturday, April 16, 2011, at the
Hilton North Raleigh/Midtown Hotel, Raleigh,
North Carolina.
The event will begin with a social gathering on
Friday evening, April 15, 2011, “North Carolina
Barbeque,” sponsored by the DAV
Department of North Carolina, to
begin at 7:00 p.m. Casual attire is
recommended for this event.
The testimonial dinner will be
held on Saturday evening, April 16,
2011, at 7:00 p.m. The total cost of
this package is $70.00 per person.
Dinner choices are chicken, beef
or vegetarian option with salad, seasonal vegetables
and dessert. Reservations are required, and you must
purchase dinner tickets no later than April 1, 2011.
Make your check payable to North Carolina DAV
Campaign Fund and mail to the DAV Department of
North Carolina, P.O. Box 28146, Raleigh, NC 27611,
ATTN: Rodney Tucker. For additional information,
contact the Department of North Carolina Head-
quarters at (919) 833-5567. Be sure to indicate your
dinner choice with your reservation.
Room reservations shall be made directly with the
Hilton North Raleigh/Midtown Hotel, 3415 Wake
Forest Road, Raleigh, NC 27609-7330. Phone: (919)
872-2323 and be sure to ask for the DAV room rate.
The room rate is $85.00, plus tax, per night for double
or single. The cut-off date for room reservations is
April 1. Complimentary self-parking is available at the
hotel.
For those interested, a tour of downtown Raleigh
and Chapel Hill will be available at 9 a.m. on Saturday
morning. Contact Rodney Tucker at (336) 248-6841
or the DAV Department of North Carolina Head-
quarters for additional information.
The hotel is located about 20 minutes from the
Raleigh International Airport. Hotel Shuttle service
is available. Attendees contacting the DAV Depart-
ment of North Carolina Headquarters advising of
their arrival and departure dates and times, will be
provided transportation from and to the airport by
department aides.

Testimonial Dinner 23. Make your check payable to night for a double or a single. Valet
for Auxiliary Commander DAVA Department of Tennessee parking is $10 per day. The cut-off
Testimonial Dinner and mail to date for room reservations is March
Susan Henry Ruth Henry, 4465 Tracy Lynn Dr., 17.

A uxiliary National Commander

Susan M. Henry will be
honored at a testimonial dinner
Saturday, April 9, at the Doubletree
Hotel in downtown Memphis,
Tenn.
The event will begin with a social
hour at 6:00 p.m. with dinner to fol-
low at 7:00 p.m. The cost is $50 per
person. Dinner choices are chicken,
pork, fish/seafood or a vegetarian
option with salad, seasonal veg-
etables and dessert. Reservations are
required, and you must purchase
dinner tickets no later than March
Memphis, TN 38125-3509. For
additional information, contact
Ruth Henry at 901-309-8007. Be
sure to indicate your dinner choice
with your reservation.
Room reservations should be
made directly with the
Doubletree Hotel, 185
Union Ave., Memphis,
TN 38103. Phone:
1-800-222-8733 or 901-
528-1800 and be sure
to ask for the DAVA
room rate. The room
rate is $109, plus tax, per
For those interested, a tour of
Graceland (Elvis Presley’s home) and
downtown Memphis will be available
at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning.
Contact Ruth Henry for additional
information.
The hotel is located
about 30 minutes from the
Memphis International
Airport. Taxi service to the
hotel is available from 5:30
a.m. until the last flight of
the day. Cost per taxi is
$34-35. Shuttle service is
not available.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 19
20
DAV MAGAZINE
PHOTO: OUTPOST RESTREPO
 Dispatches from Afghanistan’s

Valleyof Death
By Rob Lewis
Photographer Tim Hetherington shares his experiences from Outpost Restrepo

I
n 2007, the war in Afghanistan ran a distant second to Iraq in competition for the attention of the American
public, even though a fierce battle was raging against a resurgent Taliban and an increasingly powerful al
Qaeda.
That same year, author Sebastian Junger (The Perfect Storm) and acclaimed photographer Tim Hetherington
dug in with the soldiers of Battle Company of the 173rd Airborne in the Korengal Valley, a stark, craggy basin of
Kunar Province often referred to as the deadliest place on Earth.
Perhaps “dug in” isn’t the right term. The company leaders made a bold decision to go farther into the “Valley
of Death” than soldiers on previous rotations. This meant Battle Company soldiers engaged in an average of four
to five firefights a day for nearly 14 months.
One of Battle Company’s first losses was its spirited medic, Pfc. Juan Restrepo. To honor their fallen comrade,
the soldiers named their new home Outpost Restrepo. The glorified bunker served as a home and a thin line of
defense for the soldiers, who formed a close bond under hellish conditions.
The assignment at Restrepo turned out to be a wealth of inspiration for the two civilians. The assignment
was originally for a Vanity Fair article on soldiers fighting in the Korengal. Junger interviewed the soldiers and
handled the written word while Hetherington captured dozens of rich and
expressive photographs.
Hetherington also used his keen eye to capture hours of video footage
which was combined with post-deployment interviews of Battle Company
soldiers to create the documentary film “Restrepo.” The award-winning
documentary premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and went on to
earn high praise from critics for its unblinking soldier’s eye view of relentless
combat.
“Restrepo” received a nationwide theatrical release last year and is available
on DVD. For more information, visit http://restrepothemovie.com/.
Tim Hetherington Next came Junger’s book, War, a visceral and thoughtful meditation on life
and death at Restrepo as well as the very nature of man and battle. The book
was met with critical acclaim and still holds a spot on various bestseller lists.
And now comes the release of Infidel, an exquisite bound collection of Hetherington’s camera work in the
Korengal Valley. Infidel captures life for the often weary Battle Company soldiers with an almost surreal intimacy.
The book is now available for sale at stores and through online booksellers.
Hetherington recently sat down with DAV Magazine to talk about Infidel and the life-changing experience at
Outpost Restrepo.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 21
 DAV: Your time in the Korengal Valley was longer and
more intense than many embeds. Were you prepared
for this experience by past assignments, or was this
something completely different?
 
Tim Hetherington: I’ve covered conflicts for over ten
plus years and have been in some pretty demanding situ-
ations, but every war has a different dynamic, so it’s hard
to make comparisons about this one being more or less.
What was certainly different was the amount of time
I spent with the guys, about five months in total, all of
it in the Korengal Valley during their deployment. Get-
ting to know them, being accepted into the group and
sharing experiences with them was a profound experi-
ence and one which I will carry for the rest of my life.
That was certainly different. I mean, I was once embed-
ded with a rebel army in Liberia but did not manage to  soldiers. It’s a warts-and-all view of things out there
share as much as I did with the men of second platoon.
I definitely didn’t expect the experience to be as ki-
netic as it was. Remember that my colleague Sebastian
Junger and I went there in 2007 when the world was
firmly focused on Iraq. I thought I was going on a quiet
assignment for Vanity Fair, and I expected there would
be a lot of walking in the mountains, meeting elders and
drinking cups of tea and occasionally getting shot at.
Nothing prepared me for the reality that the war in
Afghanistan was slipping out of control, and by the end
of October 2007, about a fifth of all fighting across the
entire country was taking place in that six-mile-long
valley.
DAV: What was it like to be an artist in the midst of
warriors? Did you find yourself or your perception of
the American military changing?
This was my first time with American soldiers, and I
was really impressed by them. They were a disciplined
and tough bunch, but being up at Outpost Restrepo
with them was also fun because they all had a great sense
of humor. When I did need to leave the Korengal, I’d
always end up missing being there and was constantly
wondering what was going on. Also, as a European,
I’d had East and West Coast experience of the U.S., but
within the platoon there were people from all places and
backgrounds, so I was keen to learn a lot more about
the U.S.
I guess one of the main things, is that I really expected
to be much more heavily controlled by the military in
terms of the work I was making. In fact, we weren’t
censored at all, and that was important because we’ve
managed to make a work that is honest to us and to the
— the good and the bad — but it’s also done with a lot
of affection. And that really resonates for the civilians
back  home who don’t really understand the experience
of what it’s like to be a soldier but who don’t want to be
fed military propaganda.
 
DAV: How do you think being British colors your
perspective of the American soldier? Did this change
after your experiences at Restrepo?

Hetherington: You get all types of people in life, and

the military is no different. There were a number of
guys in the platoon that also had an artistic sensibil-
ity: Misha Pemble-Belkin was always drawing, and
Vinny Cantu was a great tattoo artist. In fact, that’s
where the title of my book Infidel comes from. Vinny
brought a tattoo gun up to the Korengal, and a number
of guys had the word “Infidel” inscribed in large let-
ters across their chests. I asked one of them why, and
he replied, “Well, it’s what the enemy calls us on the
radio, so why not?” They wore it like a badge of honor.

DAV MAGAZINE
22
Hetherington: I spent eight years living away from the
U.K. and haven’t been embedded with British troops,
so I can’t make a military comparison. However, I think
Brits are culturally more cynical that Americans; it’s in
our genes to be pessimistic. Think of all that bad weather
and the fact that Britain has already fought wars in Af-
ghanistan. So I’d have these conversations with Sebastian
about whether the U.S. was going to succeed building a
road through the valley as they had planned. Sebastian
was the optimistic American saying that they’d succeed,
and I was the pessimistic Brit saying that it wouldn’t work.
But as for the soldiers themselves, I liked them from
the start and found a common bond. Sometimes I think
being a Brit actually helped because I was not part of
their society but at the same time a bit of an object of
curiosity... I mean they all used to [give me a hard time],
and I’d throw it back at them for being Yanks, which all
made us laugh.  risk but are so focused on the job that they can overcome
DAV: How much are journalists accepted by the mili-
tary in Afghanistan? At Restrepo? Is it different there
than at other parts of the combat theater because of
the intensity and the intimacy of that small firebase?
Hetherington: It’s hard for me to make sweeping gen-
eralizations, but on the whole I think the U.S. military
understands that journalism is important and that trying
to censor journalism is really something that we expect
from places like China or Iran. The soldiers get this too,
and often on Facebook I read postings by soldiers say-
ing that they were fighting to support democratic ideals
like freedom of speech. You know, one of the really
amazing things about the guys out there is that they
also understood that they were fighting for people who
opposed the war, and they accepted that. Their tolerance
is something society at home would do well to emulate.
Perhaps this was because all that was important was
being a good soldier and making sure that you didn’t
get anyone else, or yourself, killed. I think that being
in so much combat in a remote outpost like Outpost
Restrepo did have some kind of positive effect on them.
I mean, the group bond was incredibly strong. As one
soldier said, “There are guys in the platoon that outright
hate each other, but they would all die for each other.”
So he’s talking about a brotherhood rather than a friend-
ship that is particularly profound and which adds a lot
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
of significance and meaning to their lives. It’s no wonder
they come home and actually miss being “out there,” a
fact that most civilians can’t get their heads around. 
 
DAV: Describe what it is like to view war through a
lens. How is it different than, say, a sniper who also
sees much of combat through a lens?
Hetherington: I’ve never been a sniper or carried a
weapon in war, so it’s hard for me to make a comparison.
What I do know is that I would put myself in very dan-
gerous situations when filming or photographing. It’s like
I have an “off” switch in my head that I hit when I have
to go and do something that is dangerous which leaves
me able to focus on the job I’ve got to do. In some ways,
I imagine it’s a bit like soldiers who are trained to stand
up in a firefight and shoot back. They put themselves at
their fear. I remember one time in the Korengal when Tad
Donoho was firing a [grenade launcher] from his knees
as we were being attacked by insurgents. I was about a
foot or so from him also on my knees and filming him.
Later he asked me if I had seen the tracers pass between our
heads. I hadn’t, but I later returned to the spot where we’d
been and saw the trees were completely chewed up. I hadn’t
noticed it at all because I’d been so consumed with what I
was filming. I felt pretty shaken up thinking about it.
 
DAV: Tell us one story that best sums up the experi-
ence of being there in that firebase with those soldiers.
Hetherington: There are so many that it’s hard for me
to pinpoint something that could be representative. I
was on the same combat operation where Sal Giunta
earned the Medal of Honor (he’s the first living recipient
since Vietnam) for stopping insurgents from dragging
away his friend Joshua Brennan during a close quarter
ambush. Sal represents the best of Battle Company —
tough and humble. He’s quick to remind people that
other soldiers, including all the guys in First Platoon,
were also part of that action. Like I’ve been saying, it’s
a big family.
“Restrepo” is available on DVD. Sebastian Junger’s
War and Tim Hetherington’s Infidel are available from
bookstores and online retailers.
23
 Becky Keith, associate professor
of physical therapy at Arkansas
State University and Beck
PRIDE Center physical therapy
coordinator, conducts physical
rehabilitation with disabled
veterans Dustin Stinson and
Shannon Doyle Reed.

Arkansas State University Program

Empowers Disabled Veterans
By Jim Hall services to disabled veterans. resources for counseling, advocacy
Located on the campus of Arkan- and financial assistance.

A s thousands of veterans use

their Post-9/11 GI Bill educa-
tion benefits to build a solid future,
campuses nationwide are recogniz-
ing veterans are good students and
good business.
Many colleges and universities are
building programs to meet the needs
of the growing veteran population
on campus. One such program is the
Beck PRIDE Center for America’s
Wounded Veterans at Arkansas State
University. The center offers first
class educational programs and
sas State University at Jonesboro,
Ark., the center focuses on Personal
Rehabilitation, Individual Develop-
ment and Education (PRIDE) to help
disabled veterans achieve their educa-
tion goals. The center is named in
honor of Buddy and Charlotte Beck
of Fairfax Station, Va., who provided
initial funding to their alma mater for
a center to meet veterans’ needs in the
university setting. Among the variety
of programs and services available
to disabled veterans are access to
the higher education experience,
The DAV Charitable Service
Trust awarded the center a $37,500
grant in 2008 to provide specialized
rehabilitation services, mental health
counseling, educational support
and additional support services for
veterans injured in military service.
DAV National Service Officers
regularly visit the center to provide
claims assistance to the veterans.
A recent article in Military Times
Edge magazine named Arkansas State
University among the top ten of 101
colleges and universities listed as best

DAV MAGAZINE
24
for vets in 2010. Areas ranked to de-
termine the best for vets rating were
financial assistance, academic flex-
ibility, campus culture and support
services. The university netted five
out of five stars for support services.
The Beck PRIDE Center was
founded in October 2007. It is a
non-profit program housed in the
College of Nursing and Health
Professions. The program, designed
to supplement VA and other federal
and state programs, is a one-stop
shop for veterans to have their needs
assessed and provides resources
and referrals to meet those needs.
The services are provided free to
wounded veterans, including those
with traumatic brain injury (TBI)
and post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD).
The university also recently
became a participant in the Yellow
Ribbon Program, created by the
Post-9/11 Veterans Educational
Assistance Act of 2008. The pro-
gram allows institutions of higher
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011
learning to enter voluntarily into an
agreement with VA to fund tuition
and fee expenses that exceed the
highest public in-state undergradu-
ate tuition rate. The institution can
contribute a specified dollar amount
of those expenses and VA will match
the same amount as the institution
not to exceed 50 percent of the
difference. This adds even greater
financial aid opportunities for veter-
ans attending the university.
Services include but are not limited
to counseling veterans on their edu-
cation benefits, as well as GED refer-
ral; college enrollment, financial aid
and scholarships; advising, planning
and tutoring; disability accommoda-
tions; a veteran work study program;
student-soldier networking and
advocacy; and mentoring.
Among other opportunities avail-
able is the Governor Mike Beebe
Veterans Scholarship Fund. Scholar-
ships are awarded through the Sigma
Pi Educational Foundation. They
are designed to fund post-secondary
The DAV Charitable Service
Trust awarded the center
a $37,500 grant in 2008
to provide specialized
rehabilitation services,
mental health counseling,
educational support and
additional support services
for veterans injured in
military service.
Staff Sgt. Dustin Stinson (in
uniform), with fellow combat-
wounded veteran Shannon
Doyle Reed, right, and other
veterans undergo orientation
on accommodation services
for veterans with hearing
disabilities. Stinson and Reed
were injured while serving in
the 875TH Arkansas National
Guard Combat Engineer
Battalion in Iraq.
25
 financial assistance for wounded
and disabled veterans participating
in the Beck PRIDE program.
Beyond education assistance,
the center provides personal reha-
bilitation services such as physical
therapy, nutrition counseling and
other health related services; men-
tal health services, which include
resources for individual, family and
group counseling, substance abuse
treatment resources, and other
information and seminars; informa-
tion about community services, vet-
erans’ benefits, employment, finance
services and more; and small busi-
ness development services covering
a variety of veteran-entrepreneur
education and training courses such
as business development, financing
and operations guidance.
“It behooves institutions of
higher education to address the
needs of returning veterans and
their dependents,” Beck PRIDE
Center Director Susan Tonymon
said. “Veterans have earned benefits
to pursue higher education, and we
need to deliver on it. That’s what we
are trying to do.”
26
“When a veteran signs up for
the program, we take on the whole
family because families, spouses and
children often need assistance, too,”
Tonymon said.
Assistance for family members
can include child care, housing and
individual and family counseling
in an effort to help the veteran and
family succeed.
But it’s not all about educating the
veteran. The institution also benefits
from the veteran experience.
“It’s so rewarding to provide vet-
erans with education opportunities
and see them pursue their passion
and work to achieve it,” Tonymon
said. “I am most impressed by the
character and drive wounded veter-
ans have as they transition from the
military to realize their post-combat
career dreams. As educators, we face
a challenge, too. We need to under-
stand military culture and how to
get the most out of the rich experi-
ence veterans bring to the education
environment.”
Since opening the center has pro-
vided opportunities and assistance
for nearly 200 disabled veterans, like
Dustin Stinson.
Stinson is a staff sergeant in the
Arkansas Army National 875th
Combat Engineer Battalion. He suf-
fers a hearing loss, TBI and PTSD as
a result of a roadside bomb in Iraq.
“The center is awesome,” Stinson
said. “When I first came to the cen-
ter, I had problems with depression
and anger. I wasn’t sure I could do
this, but Ms. Tonymon put me on
the right path to the resources I
needed to succeed.”
Stinson finished a telecommu-
nications program last year and is
currently in his freshman year at the
university working toward a major
in computer information technology.
“The atmosphere here at the
center is very comfortable,” Stinson
said. “You are around other veterans
and everything is geared to help
you succeed. At first, I didn’t think
I would have the money to go to
college, but they showed me how
to find the resources to afford it and
provided the assistance to get the
paperwork to the right people.
“I’m hoping to stay out of fac-
tory work and build a productive
career in an atmosphere that is PTSD
friendly, and the center is helping me
to get there.”
Helping the veterans “get there”
and achieve their education, career
and life goals is what Beck PRIDE
is all about.
For more information about the
Beck PRIDE Center at Arkansas
State University visit their Web site at
www2.astate.edu/cpi/beckpride.
Beck PRIDE Center Director Susan
E. Tonymon discusses benefits with
Arkansas Army National Guard
Staff Sergeant Dustin Stinson
at the Arkansas State University
Jonesboro Campus.
DAV MAGAZINE
 DR. CHARLES W. EDWARDS, JR.
CHAPLAIN’S CORNER
f r o m t h e N AT I O N A L C H A P L A I N

Your Attitude is the Key to Your Success

I woke up early today excited about all the many things I would do before the clock strikes midnight.
I have many responsibilities to fulfill today. My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.
Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that the grass is getting
watered free.
Today I can feel sad that I don’t have more money in my pocket or I can be glad that my finances
encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.
Today I can grumble about my health or I can rejoice that I am still alive.
Today I can lament over all that my parents didn’t give me when I was growing up or I can feel
grateful that they allowed me to be born.
Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate that thorns have roses.
Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new
relationships.
Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.
Today stretches ahead of me waiting to be shaped, and here I am the sculptor who gets to do the
shaping.
What today and 2011 will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day and year I will have.

I extend to all of you God’s blessings for this another year, 2011.

Fin chart 1210_Fin chart 41707 12/6/10 9:53 AM Page 1

Disabled American Veterans Taps Tapes

Unaudited Statement of Financial Position • September 30, 2010
Unrestricted Assets
Current Assets
Investments, at Market
Land, Buildings and Equipment,
Net of Depreciation
Other Assets
Other Assets
Total Unrestricted Assets
Life Membership Assets
Current Assets
Investments, at Market
Total Life Membership Assets
National Headquarters “Taps” tapes for memorial services and military
funerals are available from Jane Riel, daughter
of late DAV life member George Gregory of
Unrestricted Liabilities
$ 24,604,593 Current Liabilities $ 75,528,464 Lapeer, Michigan.
282,620,152 Total Liabilities
Unrestricted Net Assets
General and Net Assets Designated by the
75,528,464 Two tapes are available. One is an Army bugler,
7,489,414
539,800 Board of Directors 239,725,495 and the other is a recording of the “Taps”
Total Unrestricted Net Assets 239,725,495
played at President John F. Kennedy’s funeral.
$ 315,253,959 Total Liabilities and Unrestricted
Net Assets
$ 315,253,959 There is no charge, although contributions are
Life Membership Liabilities
recommended to offset the cost of producing
$ 1,138,167
54,526,546
Current Liabilities
Reserve for Future Distribution of
$ 267,613
55,397,100
the tapes. Write Jane Riel, 5362 Evergreen
Life Membership Dues
Trail, Petoskey, MI 49770.
Total Life Membership Liabilities and
Reserve for Future Distribution of CDs of the above recordings are also available
$ 55,664,713 Life Membership Dues $ 55,664,713
on request.

JANAURY/FEBRUARY 2011 27
 A Kentucky National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter lands at a lot adjacent to the Golden Corral in
Georgetown, Ky. The helicopter became one of several static military displays and part of an evening of
special events honoring veterans on Military Appreciation Monday.

Military Appreciation Monday

Nets $1 Million in Support
DAV Chapters, Departments and Golden Corral restaurants across
the nation reach high-water mark for donations while bringing the
veteran community together
By D. Clare agers and local DAV leaders expands every year, often
extending the event for a week or more before meals are

I n marking 10 years of serving free thank-you meals

for veterans and active duty military members,
Golden Corral marked a new milestone for charitable
contributions to DAV Chapters and Departments.
For the first time in the history of the event, the DAV
surpassed the million-dollar mark with $1,001,734 in
contributions. Golden Corral served meals to 374,458
veterans to show their gratitude and support for DAV
Chapters and Departments. Both the number of meals
served and the donations mark all-time highs for the
event, which has generated more than $5,088,670 to
support local service initiatives.
“It seems fitting, as this event has continued to
grow and evolve every year, that on this anniversary
we reached this incredible fundraising landmark,” said
National Adjutant Arthur H. Wilson. “Golden Corral
has been a partner to our members and has gone out
of its way to show a true commitment to veterans and
military members.”
The relationship between restaurant owners and man-
given for free. This is particularly true of DAV Chapter
12 and the Golden Corral restaurant in Georgetown,
Ky., where, Chapter Adjutant and Commander Michael
Sparks starts coordinating the event with the restaurant
in July.
“Before this event, we were just getting by with
$1,800 a year. Now, people in the five counties we serve
know who we are and what we do. The money we raise
is supporting scholarships at five high schools. It’s go-
ing into gift cards for disadvantaged disabled veterans.
We’re assisting veterans in getting the benefits they’ve
earned,” said Sparks.
“This event has been a godsend for the DAV. The
generosity of our partners at Golden Corral has brought
hope to countless veterans who have benefited from the
meal and the services the DAV has been able to offer
through the funds we raise that night,” said National
Commander Wallace E. Tyson.
The Commander visited five Golden Corrals in his
home state of North Carolina for the event before

DAV MAGAZINE
28
 settling in to assist outreach and fundraising efforts in
Fayetteville, N.C. As Department Adjutant, the Com-
mander said he knows firsthand how important Military
Appreciation Monday is for local DAV Chapters.
“You see more ‘free’ offers going out to veterans this
time of year, which is great, but no one comes close to
the impact Golden Corral has on the community as a
whole,” he said. “And it’s not just a free meal or fund-
raising. There’s outreach going on. People are learning
about their benefits and making friends. They’re getting
a ‘thanks’ for their service and sacrifices and feeling like
they’re a part of it all again.”
Commander Tyson said the event serves as a
springboard for benefiting Chapters and Departments
throughout the year.
“When the economy suffers, disabled veterans are
disproportionately impacted by unemployment. The
needs rise as the funds dry up,” he said. “Golden Corral
has stayed on course. They’ve been a steadfast partner
for 10 years now. And they’ve made the event bigger
every year. They’ve built a loyal following with veterans
and military members through this event. Their food is
fantastic, but it’s a place we can go where we feel ap-
preciated and know that people at every level value our
service.”
In addition to a free dinner, attendees at the George-
town, Ky., Military Appreciation Monday are treated
to a full agenda. A Blackhawk helicopter lands in an
adjacent lot, the Kentucky Air
National Guard assem-
bles a mini-replica C-130
Hercules Aircraft, a pa-
triotic singer performs,
speakers thank attendees
and raffles and other fun-
draising activities raise
money for the DAV.
(Continued on page 33)

Center, A Golden Corral employee takes a moment

to thank a Vietnam War veteran for his service at the
Military Appreciation Monday event in Georgetown,
Ky. Left, among the VIPs at Military Appreciation
Monday in Georgetown, Ky., were (from left) Retired
Army Sgt. Stephen Sanford, a life member and Dis-
tinguished Service Cross recipient of the War in Iraq,
Past National Commander Jim Sursely and Golden
Corral National Events Manager Dolly Mercer.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 29
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 DAV Service them and found the copy of the letter that illustrated
(Continued from page 5) the date of claim from our DAV office in Massachusetts
and called Pension Maintenance Center Manager Lucy
delphia. When we called Philadelphia, they were unable Filipov at the VA regional office in Philadelphia.”
to locate it. We kept trying, but the answer was the same: As she has many times in the past when rare situa-
Boston said they sent the claim to Philadelphia, and tions occur, Filipov walked over right away to see what
Philadelphia said they didn’t have it.” assistance could be rendered on her part. On hearing the
“We knew that if the claim could not be found we issue, she called VA employee William Barr, who arrived
might have to resubmit it and that would result in no promptly to assist with the issue.
retroactive payment to the date the original claim was “It was well after regular business hours, and William
filed,” Greg Courniotes said. and Lucy continued to work with me to ensure all of
Following a trip north in August 2010 to visit friends the necessary information was taken and the claim could
in New York, Greg and Jean decided to take all the proceed,” NSO McClellan said. “Lucy also stated that
documentation they had to Philadelphia to see if they the claim would get established and the Cournioteses
could find someone to help them. That’s when they met should be hearing something within the next four or five
National Service Officer Robert W. McClellan, Supervi- days.”
sor of the DAV National Service office in Philadelphia, The Cournioteses didn’t have to wait long.
and everything changed. “Two days later we received a call from William Barr
Late in the afternoon of Aug. 11, 2010, NSO McClel- stating the claim had been resolved and a check would
lan overheard a conversation in the hall outside his of- be forthcoming in several days,” Greg said. “It happened
fice. Someone was telling a receptionist they had driven exactly four days later.”
all the way from Massachusetts “We had a very frustrating
regarding a situation for their time trying to work through
father, who was in a nursing the local process for more than
home, suffering from severe a year, and in the end we were
disability and in desperate need not able to make it happen on
of financial assistance for the our own,” Greg said. “Our
high cost of care and bills that experience with the DAV and
needed to be paid. NSO McClelland was a God-
“My curiosity got the best send, and Ms. Filipov and Mr.
of me and I decided to see if I Barr were absolutely wonder-
could help,” NSO McClellan ful. Each knew what to do and
said. “I could not believe I they did it; they were there late
heard they had driven all the and they made it happen.”
way from Massachusetts to In October David Alexander
seek help.” and Pauline, his wife of more
NSO McClellan invited the than 58 years, settled into an
Cournioteses into his office, National Service Officer Robert W. McClellan assisted living facility near their
where he soon discovered they had attempted to file a home where they will be well cared for.
claim in December 2009 for Jean’s father for non-service For NSO McClellan the work he does to assist dis-
connected pension benefits for regular aid and atten- abled veterans and their families is a matter of individual
dance. pride and dedicated teamwork.
“I quickly understood that the claim may have been “Since coming on board to work as a National Service
lost in the transfer from Massachusetts to the Phila- Officer with the DAV in 2003, I have made it my mission
delphia Pension Maintenance Center for processing,” to ensure that we aid our fellow veterans in receiving the
NSO McClellan said. Realizing that things can be lost benefits they have earned in service to our nation, just as
in the mail, I checked the documents they brought with the DAV aided me in my claim for disability,” McClel-

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 31
31

lan said. “Hiring disabled veterans demonstrates true
compassion for our comrades, and it’s very important to
let those we serve know that we have been through the
medical examinations, received the VA letters and gotten
the decision that can change one’s life.
“I am also proud of the continuous effort of the DAV,
in association with good relations with the Department
of Veterans Affairs, proving once again that good com-
munication and big hearts, can win here at home. My
thanks goes out to Lucy and William, as well as the
many others working at VA regional offices across the
National Commander
(Continued from page 1)
Facebook pages with the aim of making the message
“viral,” which is when a strong, well placed message
is read and shared by so many it eventually spreads
to even larger audiences without any additional ef-
fort from the originators. The messages we have are
often strong enough to go viral— they just need to be
shared by more of you initially.
The communication revolution now underway
is serving as an excellent opportunity for every
member, every person who cares about the DAV to
stand up and be heard. Whether you are sharing your
32
David Alexander and Pauline, his wife of
more than 58 years, stroll through their
new assisted living facility residence. The
Alexanders suffer from Alzheimer’s disease
and were assisted by the DAV.
United States that assist in accomplishing our
mission, to build better lives for America’s
disabled veterans and their families.”
While lauding the efforts of NSO McClel-
lan and the VA in Philadelphia on behalf of
Alexander, National Service Director Garry
J. Augustine stressed that efforts currently
underway to modernize the claims process
that incorporates the use of electronic files
should drastically reduce or eliminate the loss
of claims files.
“This is paperwork that got misplaced
until NSO McClellan and the members of
the VA staff were able to locate it,” Augustine said.
“Unfortunately that is not always the case. The pro-
cess of brokering work from one regional office to
another sometimes results in work being misplaced
and in some instances lost. With electronic files the
claim can be accessed by multiple sites without moving
anything. Additionally, inquiries about a claim, such as
those made by the Cournioteses, should be able to be
verified and resolved faster and more thoroughly than
previously possible.”
experiences as a disabled veteran, reaching out to old
buddies or sounding off about legislative action, we
need you to make your voice heard.
Some Facebook pages you may want to visit
include facebook.com/TheDAV and facebook.com/
StandUpForVets. Additionally, many Departments
and Chapters now have their own Facebook pages,
which should offer further opportunities to connect
with veterans in your local areas.
As your National Commander, I now have a
Facebook page where you can come take part in
the Commander’s Action Network. Please visit me
online even if you are not registered with Facebook. I
am at www.facebook.com/DAV.Commander. I hope
to see you there.
DAV MAGAZINE
Golden Corral
(Continued from page 29)
In a three-hour period, some 529 veterans were
served, and from Sept. 27 to when the doors closed the
night of Nov. 15, the location raised $11,777 for local
DAV service initiatives. Both the number of participat-
ing veterans and the amount of money raised reflected a
steady increase from previous years.
According to Ray Wolf, General Manager of the loca-
tion in Georgetown, the event is the highlight of the year
for his staff members. In three hours, they serve more
meals than in any other single day of the year except
Department of Oklahoma Commander Paul Parham
Mother’s Day. presents a Navy cap to Brent Nash, operating partner
“It’s an extreme volume. It takes a lot of work. But we of the Warr Acres Golden Corral in Oklahoma City.
The Department raised more than $121,000 at
don’t cut any corners. We know we have some very spe- Golden Corral restaurants this year alone.
cial guests and we go all out,” said Wolf. “Our people are
wearing patriotic hats and attire. The staff is happy to give invited to the restaurant’s Christmas party,” Sparks said.
something back. They know many of our customers by “Each year we’re kicking out bigger and better ideas for
name, but they especially know who their veterans are.” the event and doing more in our community. The team
“We’re true partners. We work together on every- at Golden Corral believes in what we’re doing and we
thing. We’re treated like family. Our members are even couldn’t do it without them.”

Entrepreneur, Philanthropist Receives Commander’s Award ...

Marine veteran and CINTAS founder Dick Farmer receives a round of applause from National Commander
Wallace E. Tyson and National Headquarters Executive Director Marc Burgess, after receiving the DAV National
Commander’s Award for philanthropic support of veterans and military members. The foundation, led by Farm-
er family members, financed the Fisher House at the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Cincin-
nati, providing a 10,000 square foot, 16-bedroom facility for the families of hospitalized veterans. Since 2003,
it has provided more than $2.2 million in support of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. In 2005, the foundation
donated $250,000 to provide a mobile USO canteen for servicemembers and their families in Okinawa, Japan.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 33

MSOs Expand Department, Chapter Outreach
By Thom Wilborn
T he donation of seven Mobile
Service Offices to six Depart-
ments and a Chapter will greatly
expand the export of DAV service
to small towns and remote areas far
from our National Service Offices.
And it will give the Departments
and Chapter the opportunity to
provide even more of our outstand-
ing services to veterans who need
our assistance.
Created in 2001, the Mobile
Service Office Program evolved
from the DAV’s Field Service Units,
which began serving veterans in
1973. Todays MSOs are staffed by
NSOs and travel to remote locales
providing service to disabled veter-
ans wherever they were. Our MSOs
were at ground zero in New York
and at the Pentagon immediately
after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The Mobile Service Office Pro-
gram, where the rubber meets the
road for DAV service across the
nation, is getting better and larger.
34
After nine years of rolling to small
communities and large cities, the
MSOs have traveled nearly a million
miles increasing veteran accessibility
to benefits through our professional
National Service Officers.
“Last year, our MSOs traveled
more than 114,000 miles, visiting
727 cities and towns,” said National
Service Director Garry J. Augustine.
“Our NSOs interviewed 18,647 vet-
erans and other potential claimants.”
Seven of the ten MSOs in op-
eration since 2001 were donated for
continued use to the Departments
of Arkansas, Minnesota, Montana,
Oklahoma, Virginia and West Vir-
ginia, and to Chapter 1 in Portland,
Ore. These donated MSOs will be
staffed by Department and Chap-
ter Service Officers. Another was
donated to a program for homeless
veterans in North Carolina.
“With all these MSOs operating
in the continental United States,
we’re going to be available to many
more veterans, their families and
survivors,” said Augustine. “With
Razorbacks Set
to Roll ...
Department of Ar-
kansas Commander
John Donovan,
second from left, De-
partment Treasurer
Robert Ellis, left, and
Department Adjutant
James Parker, right,
accept the donation
of a Mobile Service
Office from Little
Rock National Service
Office Supervisor
Paulino Acosta.
the ten new vehicles staffed by our
NSOs and the others operated by
Departments and a Chapter, we are
going to reach deeper into areas far
from our National Service Offices.”
Supported with two $1 million
grants from the Harley-Davidson
Foundation, MSOs have also become
the hub of the Harley’s Heroes pro-
gram, appearing at special dealership
events across the country. “Most
important are the thousands and
thousands of veterans we’ve been
able to help with our professional
services and claims representation,”
said Augustine.
“All the donated MSOs to be used
for outreach efforts are roadworthy
and safe,” said Augustine. “The new
MSOs are equipped with laptop
computers donated by Hewlett-
Packard.
“This program is a great success,”
Augustine said. “Our NSOs are
working very hard in these com-
munities and at Harley-Davidson
events. The NSOs are doing com-
mendable work.”
DAV MAGAZINE

Reunions - Because of increasing
number of requests and the space limi-
tations of our magazine, we must limit
publications of unit reunions to one
time only. Send such notices at least six
months in advance to: Reunions, DAV
Magazine, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati,
OH 45250-0301. Thank you...the Edi-
tors.
ARMY
2ND INFANTRY REGIMENT-May 12-15, 2011,
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Contact: Juan Santiago,
Telephone: (321) 259-7494, Email: decoy64to70@
aol.com.
6TH & 7TH BATTALIONS, 15TH ARTILLERY,
VIETNAM 1967-1971-May 12-15, 2011, Branson,
Missouri, Contact: John Caldwell, Telephone: (703)
922-6324, Email: john6361@gmail.com.
73RD TANK BATTALION AND 73RD ARMOR
DIVISION-May 11-15, 2011, Pigeon Forge,
Tennessee, Contact: Curtis Banker, Telephone: (518)
643-2302, Email: dmbanker-curtis@northnet.org.
815TH ENGINEER BATTALION
(CONSTRUCTION)-May 12-13, 2011, Ft. Leonard
Wood, Missouri, Contact: Larry Saul, Telephone:
(706) 201-6001, Email: 815thEngr@gmail.com.
8605TH AAU; 5TH ASA FS; DET 5, 2ND SIG SVC
BN-April 7-10, 2011, Jacksonville, Florida, Contact:
Dick Dixon, Telephone: (601) 485-7567.
86TH CHEMICAL MORTAR BATTALION ASSN.-
May 4-8, 2011, Nashville, Tennessee, Contact:
George Murray, Telephone: (256) 820-4415.
ANZIO BEACHHEAD VETERANS OF 1944 -
WWII-April 27-30, 2011, Branson, Missouri,
Contact: Clyde E. Easter, Telephone: (276) 728-
7293.
ARMY COUNTER INTELLIGENCE CORPS
VETERANS, INC.-May 15-19, 2011, New Orleans,
Louisiana, Contact: Dick Snyder, Telephone: (813)
634-4489, Email: rsnyder63@tampabay.rr.com.
MID-ATLANTIC CHAPTER, 11TH AIRBORNE
DIVISION ASSN. AND FORMER MEMBERS OF
THE 11TH AIR ASSAULT DIVISION AND THE
187TH ARCT-February 27-March 2, 2011, Myrtle
Beach, South Carolina, Contact: Herbert Shapiro,
Telephone: (410) 827-6410, Email: HLSHAP@
atlanticbb.net.
USS CADMUS (AR-14)-May 12-15, 2011,
Savannah, Georgia, Contact: Robert Baschmann,
Telephone: (716) 655-5415, Email: mcaanreunion@
yahoo.com.
USS CAMBRIA (APA-36)-April 14-17, 2011,
Pensacola, Florida, Contact: Andrew Henry, Jr.,
Telephone: (703) 660-8602, Email: usscambria@
gmail.com.
USS CARPENTER (DD-825)-April 28-May 2, 2011,
Warwick, Rhode Island, Contact: Joel Weinbaum,
Telephone: (256) 351-8552, Email: smokycolors@
yahoo.com.
USS DUNCAN (DDR-874)-May 1-5, 2011, Las
Vegas, Nevada, Contact: David M. Walrod, Sr.,
Telephone: (513) 523-8880, Email: david_walrod@
hotmail.com, Web site: www.ussduncan.org or www.
MilitaryReunionPlanners.com/Duncan.
USS GEN. H. W. BUTNER (AP/TAP-113)-May 12-
16, 2011, Norfolk, Virginia, Contact: James M. Jack,
Telephone: (757) 488-2858, Email: jsailorjack@aol.com.
USS GENERAL W. A. MANN REUNION ASSN.-
April 28-30, 2011, Mobile, Alabama, Contact: Walter
Baker, Telephone: (850) 934-1671, Email: resjoy@
cox.net.
USS MARIAS (AO-57)-May 12-15, 2011,
Savannah, Georgia, Contact: Gillette Todd,
Telephone: (815) 238-8369, Email: mcaanreunion@
yahoo.com.
USS PAWCATUCK (AO-108)-May 9-12, 2011,
Chattanooga, Tennessee, Contact: David Willis,
Telephone: (623) 214-9835, Email: dwshs53@aol.
com.
USS PORTSMOUTH (CL-102) 1945-1949-April
28-May 2, 2011, Herndon, Virginia, Contact:
Walt Hohner, Telephone: (732) 463-1745, Email:
WPHohner@aol.com.
USS PURDY (DD-734)-April 13-17, 2011,
Chattanooga, Tennessee, Contact: Larry DiPasquale,
Telephone: (610) 433-4787, Email: chiefdi@juno.com.
USS SEMINOLE (AKA/LKA-104)-April 27-
30, 2011, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Contact: Nick Haas,
Telephone: (918) 398-9600, Email: chicksandcows@
windstream.com.
USS SOLEY (DD-707)-May 12-16, 2011, Nashville,
Tennessee, Contact: Harland H. Hamm, Telephone:
(701) 540-1178, Email: lthamm@yahoo.com, Web
site: www.usssoley.org.
USS STEINAKER (DD/DDR-863)-April 28-May 1,
2011, Jacksonville, Florida, Contact: Russell Noble,
Telephone: (231) 944-2148, Email: olnoble@att.net,
Web site: www.usssteinakerreunion.com.
USS TARAWA (CV/CVA/CVS-40)-April 28-May 1,
2011, Baltimore, Maryland, Contact: Cliff Gardner,
Telephone: (401) 539-1149.
USS YELLOWSTONE (AD-27)-May 18-22, 2011,
South Portland, Maine, Contact: Paul W. Bowen,
Telephone: (352) 854-1387, Email: bowp@att.net.
AIR FORCE
494TH BOMBARDMENT GROUP (H) REUNION
WWII – 7TH ARMY AIR FORCE-April 28-May 2,
2011, Northbrook, Illinois, Contact: Marshall L.
Keller, Telephone: (248) 626-3684.
601ST, 615TH AIRCRAFT CONTROL & WARNING
SQUADRON (GERMANY) — May 1-6, 2011, Biloxi,
Mississippi, Contact: Francis Gosselin, Telephone:
(352) 588-9295, Email: fgosselin@tampabay.rr.com.
FIREBASE AIRBORNE ASHAU VALLEY 1969,
101st AIRBORNE DIVISION, 2/319, 2/11
FIELD ARTILLERY, 2-501-1506-3-187
INFANTRY AND OTHERS-May 13-14, 2011,
Branson, Missouri, Contact: Dean Seematter,
Telephone: (785) 292-4922, Email: J.Herman33@
att.net.

MARINES
FOXTROT 2/1 NUI LOC SON, JAN-APR
1967-April 21-23, 2011, Virginia Beach, Virginia,
Contact: Mike Snyder, Telephone: (757) 652-7303,
Email: skcs1989@yahoo.com.
MARINE AMMUNITION COMPANY-May 11-13,
2011, Quantico, Virginia, Contact: Tom Crotty,
Telephone: (513) 451-4694, Email: tomandcar@
fuse.net.

NAVY
USS AMPHION (AR-13)-May 12-15, 2011,
Savannah, Georgia, Contact: Todd Gillette,
Telephone: (815) 238-8369, Email: mcaanreunion@
yahoo.com.
USS ARCADIA (AD-33)-May 12-15, 2011,
Savannah, Georgia, Contact: Todd Gillette,
Telephone: (815) 238-8369, Email: mcaanreunion@
yahoo.com.
New Arrival …
Chapter 22 recently received a U.S. Army M56 Scorpion tank which
is displayed outside the Chapter home in Belleville, N.J. The Pica-
tinny Arsenal, near Dover, N.J., donated the non-operational tank
to Chapter 22 following efforts by Chapter members to obtain a
vehicle to display at the Chapter. This M56 Scorpion was an unar-
mored self-propelled anti-tank gun deployed with the 173d Airborne
Brigade during the Vietnam War.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 35
 lege and graduated from George Washington University
Former Service Director Reached and the DAV’s National Service Officers’ training course
Out to Vietnam Veterans at The American University in Washington, D.C. He
was appointed National Service Director in 1970, and
n John J. Keller, who served as National Service Direc- was charged with recruiting and training Vietnam War
tor from 1970 to 1976, passed away Nov. 5. He veterans to join DAV’s professional staff.
was 88 years old. He retired from DAV in 1976.
A World War II veteran, Keller was stationed “One of DAV’s most impressive out-
at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack reach initiatives under Keller’s leadership
and served in several campaigns throughout was the Field Service Unit program,”
the Pacific. He was medically discharged after Adjutant Wilson said. “Those offices
incurring a severe back injury and contracting on wheels enabled our NSOs to take
malaria during military service. their services to veterans in the suburbs
“John Keller was among the National and rural areas of America, often distant
Organization’s top leaders at a critical period from DAV’s National Service Offices.
in our history,” National Adjutant Arthur H. It is forward thinking and direct action
Wilson said. “He was instrumental in extend- Keller such as that which has made the DAV
ing DAV’s outreach to the nation’s veterans, especially the nation’s premier veterans service organization.
those returning from the Vietnam War, who now make The veterans and their families and survivors we serve
up the bulk of our membership.” owe much to the leadership and compassionate service
Keller joined the DAV in November 1945 and served that John Keller provided on a daily basis. He will be
as the National Service Office Supervisor in Wilkes- sorely missed, but his legacy of service and outreach to
Barre, Pa., from 1947 to 1964. He attended Wilkes Col- veterans lives on.”

Yes Santa, There is a Virginia … Leaders of the DAV Combining Chapters Thrift Stores in Hampton Roads,
Va., present a $25,000 donation to officials of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia. It was one of three
donations made last fall by the 13 Chapters that operate thrift stores in the six-city area. In all, donations
totaling $85,000 were made to food banks and the Hampton VA medical center.

DAV MAGAZINE
36
 Steven Girdler
Machine Mechanic
Beth Lambert
Mail Center
Gift Processing
Specialist

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