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When Jacob Drost reflects on the life of his friend and fellow Ohio veteran, Ginger MacCutcheon, the legacy of service she has left behind is what stands out.
“Ginger’s life and legacy cannot be forgotten. Her journey was one of resilience and encouragement,” said Jacob, a benefits advocate who serves as the com...
Every now and then, Shoshana Johnson finds herself questioning whether she was worthy of being rescued. The Army veteran was part of a convoy ambushed in Iraq in March 2003. Seven soldiers, including Johnson, were captured, while 11 others were killed.
“There’s a lot of guilt in surviving,” Johnson said. &ldquo...
Dan Clare was only weeks into his enlistment with the Air National Guard when his life changed completely. When the United States was attacked on 9/11, he was called to duty to assist first responders.
“I flew with the FEMA teams to New York that night. It was something that I was proud to be a part of,” said Clare. &...
When a service member’s time in uniform ends, they can be thrown into a world defined by challenging questions. How do I find a job? Should I go to school? Where do I want to live? With seemingly endless uncertainties emerging at every turn, it’s easy to let the complexity of applying for VA benefits fall to the side. However, just a...
When David Petersen and his wife begin planning for the holidays, it usually means finding cross-country routes to visit family. As a Marine veteran, Petersen is no stranger to holiday travel. But memories of holidays from his time on deployment are quite different from his celebrations at home.
Though his deployments were often...
What veterans and their spouses need to know about Medicare coverage
If you are one of 8.3 million veterans in the United States age 65 or older or the spouse of a veteran, you may have questions about healthcare...
For some, a heroic adventure featuring shark attacks and close encounters with bears may sound like something from a novel. However, for Brian Brennan, this adventure was anything but fiction and provided the 67-year-old veteran the opportunity to raise awareness for DAV.
Brennan, a Navy veteran, decided to take on the challenge of his...
In August 2022, the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our PACT Act was signed into law thanks to the groundbreaking advocacy efforts of DAV. Among its many impactful provisions, the PACT Act reduced bureaucratic obstacles for an estimated 3.5 million veterans who seek Department of Veterans Affairs benefits due to burn pit exposures d...
Kim Hubers joined the South Dakota National Guard as a heavy motor vehicle operator. Just months after enlisting, she was deployed to the Middle East, where she drove 18-hour days for months between the port in Kuwait and Baghdad, Iraq, and to other hostile areas. As with many veterans, service took a toll on her body and mind, which worsened as...
When Tricia Oehler, a wife and daughter of Navy veterans, spotted a billboard in Cincinnati for a 5K event dedicated to supporting disabled veterans, she knew she wanted to get involved.
"My grandparents, cousins, uncles, father, stepfather and husband all served our country," Oehler said. "Seeing that billboard e...
DAV member Richard Boettger, who served as a Russian language specialist in the Army, saw his planned military career come to an early end when he sustained a knee injury during basic training.
The career-ending injury is common among the military members—10 times that of civilians, according to some studies. For the Michig...
Ted Hammes, the brother of a Navy veteran, is passionate about educating future generations on the sacrifices made for our freedom. This passion led him to seek ways to get his local school, Roland-Story Elementary in Story City, Iowa, involved in giving back to ill and injured veterans. When he learned about DAV’s Field of Flags program,...
Avid cyclists John Gill and Bill Engel decided to participate in this year’s Race Across America not for just for the physical challenge, but also for the opportunity to raise awareness for DAV and its mission to support our nation’s heroes.
“I just have so much respect for veterans. If you think about it...
With pools opening and temperatures rising, summer break is here. For many, this means vacations and much-needed time off. However, for many teachers, it means planning for the upcoming school year, and Veterans Day might be one of the first holidays on their radar to get students involved with the community.
DAV would be honored to he...
Alex Sweasy’s large family is always teaming up to support the community. But her decision to sign up as a team captain for the DAV 5K was deeply personal.
“Not only do I have a lot of friends and family in the military or who have served, I have seen the aftermath of what men and women endure physically and mentally...
