Mission Statement
Fulfilling Our Promises to the Men & Women Who Served
We are dedicated to a single purpose: empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. We accomplish this by ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them; fighting for the interests of America’s injured heroes on Capitol Hill; and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life.
This mission is carried forward by:
- Providing free, professional assistance to veterans and their families in obtaining benefits and services earned through military service and provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and other agencies of government.
- Providing outreach concerning its program services to the American people generally, and to disabled veterans and their families specifically.
- Representing the interests of disabled veterans, their families, their widowed spouses and their orphans before Congress, the White House and the Judicial Branch, as well as state and local government.
- Extending the DAV’s mission of hope into the communities where these veterans and their families live through a network of state-level Departments and local Chapters.
- Providing a structure through which disabled veterans can express their compassion for their fellow veterans through a variety of volunteer programs.
A Legacy of Service, Hope for the Future: History
DAV (Disabled American Veterans) is the most long-lasting veterans advocacy and assistance group in this country. We Have watched this country change and grow, and we have grown along with it. However, DAV has never wavered in its core mission to fulfill our country’s promises to the men and women who served. We invite everyone, veterans, and civilian, men and women, young and old, to join us as we stand up for those veterans who risked it all when they stood up for us, our country, and our ideals.
The hard facts of history brought about DAV’s creation. But compassion and service have been the tools that made our organization what it is today. A great deal has changed since DAV was founded, but this much has remained the same: those who return from war must have men and women waiting for them at home who will stand with them as they work to take back their lives. Through DAV, veterans and civilians alike can fully express their appreciation and concern for those who have risked so much for our country. The historical account of DAV in Wars and Scars on the pages that follow tells the story of that journey, from the days after World War I to the men and women of today returning from Iraq, Afghanistan and beyond. It tells the story of the veterans, families, and civilians who made the commitment that none of America’s heroes should ever go it alone.
DAV advocates for those men and women who defend the American way of life and our leadership structure reflects that. Since our founding, our National Commander has been democratically elected by our member veterans. That tradition ensures that the DAV will always put service for America’s veterans first.
Additional Resources for Veterans
