 Hello everyone, and welcome to the DAV and Auxiliary Virtual Salute. I'm DAV National Agent Mark Burgess, and I'm pleased to have you join us as we recognize some of the nation's most passionate and dedicated veteran supporters, advocates, and volunteers. Each year we review countless entries from across the country detailing the selfless service of men and women who have dedicated their time and energy to give back to the veteran community, and in particular to disabled veterans. I am always humbled by the time amassed, the accomplishments yielded, and the lives touched by these incredible individuals. It is never easy to choose who among them are the most deserving of DAV's top honors, our National Commanders Award recipients for outstanding service. In a more traditional year, we would be honoring our wardees in person at our national convention. Unfortunately, we mark our centennial, 100 years of service, and unprecedented times. Health and well-being, of course, are paramount right now, so we're continuing to focus on safe social distancing practices. Still, it's a part of the storied history of our organization to gather together and honor those who contribute to support our great mission. In gathering, we find strength. So in this virtual setting, we once again join one another to recognize all that these individuals have done, whether throughout the past 12 months or as is the case for some, over the course of an entire career or lifetime. We will also take time to look at what DAV, as an organization, has achieved over the last year. We should be proud to look back over the past few months, even in the face of this pandemic, and see that DAV and our friends in the auxiliary have banded together to keep the mission moving forward. We know the states are high and the needs are great. And our DAV family has been innovative, adaptive, creative, and proactive to help veterans and their families in their time of need. Helping to recognize this year's phenomenal group of honorees is DAV National Commander Stephen Butch-Whitehead. Our organization's first post-9-11 veteran commander has been actively engaged on so many fronts over the past year, a combat veteran of the Iraq War. He's been a champion for all veterans and has focused, in particular, on the emerging needs of Blue Water Navy Vietnam veterans, women veterans, and those who were exposed to burn pits. He is a fierce advocate in the fight against veteran suicide and a crucial link to the men and women transitioning out of service today. His commitment to serve is so strong that in November, he was called to come out of retirement and rejoin the military ranks as the command sergeant major of the Army National Guard's 34th Infantry Division. There, he is the senior enlisted advisor for more than 23,000 soldiers based in Minnesota and eight other states. I am pleased to introduce National Commander Butch-Whitehead to kick off our DAV and auxiliary virtual salute. Thank you, Mark, for that kind introduction. I also want to thank you for your steady leadership, solid guidance, and sound counsel throughout my first year as National Commander. Though I never planned on being the second person to serve more than one term as National Commander in DAV's 100-year history, my pledge to you all is that I will remain equally committed to the job. I'm honored and humbled to serve the organization as we continue to navigate these waters together in the coming year. While this pandemic has changed the way we are marking our centennial year, it's important in these difficult times that we put things into perspective. The veterans who founded DAV has survived the 1918 influenza pandemic and the First World War. Though we are far apart, the sacrifices we make to socially distance from one another's aren't as great as the sacrifices our members have to have made to make them eligible to join DAV. And while it seems we are as a nation, are literally and figuratively divided as with the challenges we face in services. The obstacles before us today should unite us in purpose and remind us of the sacred mission we accomplished through DAV. When I took office in Orlando last year, none of us could have foreseen the events that have brought us here today. But as any veteran knows, you can't always control your situation. You can only control how you react to it. I'd like to take a quick moment now to recognize some important people who are watching today. DAV service officers are out there helping veterans every day, making an incredible impact on the men and women who served. The Leader of Fight for Justice for our nation's heroes and deserve our utmost respect and appreciation. So to all our service officers, thank you for that special dedication you show your fellow veterans. Our mission would not be possible without the dedicated service of thousands of volunteers. There are also so many of you out there who are so selflessly contributing your time and giving back to your fellow veterans. That kind of dedication deserves a little recognition as well. To all you volunteers, including our transportation network drivers and hospital service coordinators, thank you for your inspiring and giving nature. You are a truly standout group. Another group I want to recognize is our DAV leadership teams in Cold Spring and Washington. They're constantly working to improve the programs and services we offer and to empower our local and state leaders with the tools and resources so we can ensure promises are kept for veterans where we live. As veterans and members, we sincerely appreciate all the work these teams do to further the DAV's mission. Thank you. And finally, I want to thank some of our closest friends and allies. DAV has no better friend than our DAV Auxiliary, under the capable leadership of Auxiliary National Commander Diane Frantz and National Adjutant Pat Kemper. Your support is invaluable and we are blessed to have such a devoted partner. Thank you. And thank you all for tuning in to do the DAV and Auxiliary virtual salute. We hope that this special event gets you up to speed on our accomplishments throughout this past year, but more importantly, that it's properly recognized the numerous DAV volunteers and supporters for their dedication to America's disabled veterans. Before I turn things back over to our National Adjutant Mark Burgess for a look back on this important year, I want to thank you all, all of you, who continue to work in the person or in spirit to contribute to the DAV's community. And these hard times is more important than ever that we continue to look after one another. Thanks, Commander. It's time now to take a look at DAV's last year of service on behalf of veterans. In spite of the challenges we faced, we charted a great deal of growth and progress toward our mission in the past 12 months, and you should all be proud to have been a part of it. DAV's focus on benefits, advocacy, employment initiatives, membership, volunteerism, and the voice we provide in our nation's capital and in state houses across the land have only grown sharper as veterans' needs have become greater. That's why we must continue doing the great work we do and why the efforts over the past year have been so critical to the veteran community. Thank you for your service and support. Because of your dedication, we can look back on a year of accomplishments and hope. More than 100 years ago, wounded American veterans returned home from the European battlefields of World War I. They found a nation plagued by incredibly limited resources and a weakened economy. What's more, the government was ill-prepared to confront the realities of wartime service. That's why, in 1920, disabled war hero judge Robert Marx formed a group called Disabled American Veterans of the World War. This band of combat-wounded veterans gave a voice to those forever changed by war. Since its founding, DAV has remained focused on serving and advocating for all generations of veterans. And despite the unforeseen challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic this year, our organization continues to step up to the plate as it has throughout the past century. Last August, DAV marked the beginning of its centennial celebration with your selection of our national officers, highlighted by the election of National Commander Butch Whitehead, a combat-disabled veteran of the war in Iraq with 27 years of service in the Army National Guard, and the first post-911 veteran to hold the organization's highest post. After taking the reins at our National Convention in Orlando, Commander Whitehead returned home and immediately went to work at the Minnesota Assistant Council for Veterans Homeless Stand Down at Target Field in Minneapolis, where he visited with homeless veterans to make them aware of the benefits available to them and DAV services. Veterans, we, every day is a different day. Today we can be doing just fine, and tomorrow something changes in DAV. Being partnered with events like this event today at MACV just shows that we're connected with the right agencies out there to help every veteran live a quality of life that they have earned. The following month, Commander Whitehead and other veteran service organizations took action by sending a letter to the president regarding the VA stay on Blue Water Navy Disability Claims, which were made available through the signing of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 earlier in the summer. DAV staff in Washington led to charge by hosting a press conference with congressional leaders and other VSOs on the steps of the Capitol where they called on the president to overrule the VA's decision. So, Blue Water Navy Vietnam veterans who have wrongly been denied benefits and healthcare for decades would receive the benefits they've earned through their service and exposure to Agent Orange. Are calling directly on President Trump to end the wait for Blue Water Navy Vietnam though. In early October, DAV marked the fifth anniversary of the dedication of the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial in Washington with a ceremony in which veterans from each wartime generation laid a wreath representing their brothers and sisters in arms. Special guests included VA Undersecretary for Benefits, Dr. Paul Lawrence, who represented all World War II veterans, past national commanders, Paul Jackson of the Korean War, Gene Murphy who served in Vietnam and Delphine Metcalfoster of the Gulf War, while Commander Whitehead represented the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not long after that, the commander picked back up on focusing on veterans in need by joining DAV staff for the annual homeless stand down at national headquarters. Later in the month, he was able to assist fellow members of the Department of Minnesota to keep a local veteran in his home through much needed renovations made possible through the Wells Fargo Foundation Veterans WINS grant program, which donated $100,000 to support DAV programs and services for disabled veterans. For me to watch all this, right there, just me right there. November turned into an eventful month for Commander Whitehead as he rejoined the military to serve as the command sergeant major of the Army National Guard's 34th Infantry Division, a post that requires him to lead more than 15,000 soldiers spanning eight states and allows him to keep his finger on the pulse of emerging veterans issues. A week later, Commander Whitehead represented DAV while laying a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery's Tomb of the Unknown Soldier before joining Minnesota Military Radio to discuss various veterans issues during a 45 minute show focused exclusively on DAV. In February, the commander who also serves as executive director of the Disabled American Veterans of Minnesota Foundation joined Department of Minnesota members at an ice fishing event for women veterans. The event allowed for camaraderie as well as the opportunity to discuss issues affecting women veterans. Later that month, Commander Whitehead returned to DC to testify before Congress at a joint session of the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committee during our annual midwinter conference. There, he laid out DAV's legislative priorities to lawmakers beginning with the need for Congress to override the VA's decision to delay adding four pending diseases to the list of Agent Orange presumptive conditions until the end of 2020. If the VA will not take the right action, then in the name of justice, you must. Our Vietnam veterans have waited long enough. The commander also advocated for the passage of the Veterans Burn Pits Exposure Recognition Act, a DAV conceptualized piece of legislation that would formally concede that veterans who served near burn pits were exposed to harmful chemicals and toxins and make it easier to prove direct service connection in their VA disability claims. Commander Whitehead pressed lawmakers on other topics such as addressing gaps and inequities in programs and services for women veterans and strengthening veterans' mental health care and suicide prevention programs. The commander himself is an ambassador for the president's roadmap to empower veterans and end a national tragedy of suicide or prevents, a program focused on community integration, research and implementation strategies to prevent veteran suicide. He also spoke to DAV's dedication to improving benefits for spouses and survivors of disabled veterans, citing the organization's work to include a provision in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which was signed into law, that will completely eliminate the survivor benefit plan, dependency and identity compensation offset by 2023. During his testimony, Commander Whitehead also told Congress that DAV would be monitoring the full and faithful implementation of the VA mission act, noting the VA's failure to meet the October 1, 2019 deadline for expanding the caregiver program to pre-911 veterans. Despite 16 months to prepare, the VA failed to implement the required IT solution and delayed the expansion until later the summer at the earliest. This is simply unacceptable. We call on Congress to take whatever actions are necessary to mandate that the VA end of the delay and begin caregiver's expansion immediately. DAV continues to be the nationwide leader in representing veterans and their clients for benefits, fighting to ensure they receive justice for the sacrifices they've made during service. With more than 1.1 million powers of attorney, DAV provided representation for more than 210,000 VA clients and helped veterans and family members obtain more than $21 billion in earned benefits in 2019. DAV's disaster relief program also continued making an impact by aiding our fellow veterans across the nation who unfortunately found themselves victims of natural disasters such as the tornadoes in Nashville. Over the past five years, the program has provided nearly $4 million to veterans affected by natural disasters. This year, however, our service department has been called upon for a different reason than in the past. And it has stepped up to show why we're the best in the business of serving veterans each and every day. Through the teamwork of our service and fundraising departments, DAV established a COVID-19 Unemployment Relief Fund to assist veterans who have lost jobs or income as a result of the pandemic. So far, more than 6,000 veterans have received more than $1.5 million in relief. Our accounting department also played an integral role in very quickly cutting, hand-processing, and mailing these checks. While the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the closure of our offices to in-person traffic across the country, DAV immediately set up a nationwide call system to allow our national service officers and employees to triage disability claims and provide normal benefits services uninterrupted to those in need from home. After bringing in more than 35,000 attendees in 2019, the coronavirus outbreak also necessitated moving the balance of this year's nationwide 125 in-person job fairs with recruit military to virtual events, where they have seen a dramatic uptick in participation. Since 2014, over 207,000 attendees have received more than 146,000 job offers through these events. These efforts, along with our partnership with Hiring America's Televised Veteran Employment Series, highlight DAV's growing influence in this area. First released in 2018, the Veteran Advantage DAV's guide to hiring and retaining veterans with disabilities remains as the organization's premier tool in educating employers on the benefits of hiring America's veterans. The first of its kind hiring guide, which was a result of four years of research into what the veteran community contributes to the workforce, dispels myths for employers and demonstrates the business case for how hiring veterans can positively impact the company and bolster its bottom line. This year, our membership department ramped up its efforts to recruit new members through a new initiative called Recruit a Warrior, a program designed to help our members reach as many veterans as possible with just a few clicks of a mouse. By signing up for and sharing personalized Recruit a Warrior links on social media, members can collect recruitment points to be used toward DAV gear and other rewards. The department also developed the ability to provide chapters and departments with hot lists of veterans who are eligible to join DAV. These lists not only allow our local organizations and recruiters the ability to invite prospective members to join our ranks, but they're also a great way to extend DAV's mission of service into our communities. For 2019, DAV Transportation Network drivers spent more than 1.2 million hours logging over 20.5 million miles and providing more than 615,000 rides to veterans at no cost. When my eyes go bad and I couldn't drive to the VA no more, they picked me up with a van and take me in. I tell you those guys, they're all volunteers and those people are just absolutely super. One for them, I couldn't go to the VA, so I'm really grateful for them. Since 1987, DAV chapters and departments, along with the National Service Foundation's Columbia Trust have donated more than 3,400 vehicles at a cost of more than $79 million to the program, while Ford Motor Company, which has been a loyal friend of DAV since Henry Ford provided 50 Model T to bring Disabled World War I veterans to our second national convention in 1922, has donated more than 230 vehicles worth more than $5.4 million. Before COVID-19 necessitated the first ever cancellation of the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic this year, DAV once again teamed up with the VA to co-present the National Disabled Veterans Tea Tournament in Iowa in 2019. Among the participants was the first ever recipient of the DAV Freedom Award at the event, Army Vietnam Veteran and former DAV National Service Officer Bill Kaywood. A combat wounded DAV life member, Bill stood out as a shining example of how the national event promotes rehabilitation, fellowship and camaraderie among disabled veterans through adaptive sports. With all these events you get, I think as the young guys college you get stoked and then the more you get stoked, the smaller your disabilities get. They become more diminished. These type of activities just really bond you together with other veterans and it helps everybody in the group to try to aspire to new levels of places they may never have reached before. DAV also challenged members and supporters during our centennial year to take part in a new voluntary services campaign, 100 Acts of Honor, to contribute to the historical celebrations by completing 100 acts of honor for veterans in their local communities. The Charitable Service Trust supports dozens of unique initiatives that provide injured and ill veterans rehabilitative and emotional therapy, transition assistance, employment support, emergency relief and a range of other services. Last year, the trust received a perfect score from Charity Navigator for Sound Fiscal Management and Commitment to Accountability and Transparency. It was the 15th time the trust has received a coveted four star rating from America's largest independent charity evaluator since first being evaluated in 2002 and the acknowledgement speaks volumes about the trust's careful and efficient stewardship of donated funds as more than 95 cents of every dollar donated to the trust went to programs that directly support veterans. We have also continued expanding our social media reach with 53 million interactions on Facebook, 4.9 million interactions on Twitter, 2.8 million on Instagram and 1.8 million on LinkedIn. Additionally, our public service announcements garnered 9.1 billion impressions at an earned media value of nearly $120 million in 2019. DAV also began a partnership with Ultimate Fighting Championship to highlight the organization and the impact it makes in the lives of veterans. In early October, the UFC provided a unique training opportunity for a group of DAV members, former UFC champion and Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin hosted a mixed martial arts-inspired workout for DAV ambassador and Army veteran C.C. Mazik, DAV's 2016 Outstanding Disabled Veteran of the Year, Bobby Boddy and DAV's National Service Officer, Mike Franco, at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas. Today I had the opportunity to take some DAV veterans through some MMA-style workouts through the little punch. In November, UFC invited National Commander Butch Whitehead and other DAV members to UFC 244 at New York City's Madison Square Garden, where the organization was put front and center during the events broadcast. Leading up to Memorial Day, DAV introduced a new DAV Honor Wall tool which helped thousands of grateful Americans create personalized videos and messages about fallen veterans and reached millions of people to honor their sacrifices. In 2019, we also continued our partnership with Golden Corral through the restaurant's Military Appreciation Night, which provides free meals to veterans around Veterans Day. The annual event raised more than $15 million for DAV since the event began in 2001. USAA also continued its generosity and commitment to supporting veterans and their families by contributing $550,000 to DAV in 2019. Over the last five years, they have contributed more than $3.2 million to DAV and we are extremely grateful for their partnership and support. We also entered into a new partnership with EG America in 2019, which is one of the nation's largest convenience store retailers. From the funds raised during their in-store fundraising campaign, inviting customers to make donations to DAV, they provided DAV with a donation of $1 million. Needless to say, we were very grateful for this level of support and we are very excited to have EG America as part of the DAV family. We also continued our partnership with A&W Restaurants, which, like DAV, has been a part of America for a century. To show their appreciation for the men and women who have sacrificed so much, A&W Stores collected customer donations from early July up to National Root Beer Float Day in August, resulting in a $170,000 donation to DAV. Government CIO, which donated $100,000 at DAV in 2019 and 2020 respectively, also stepped up in a big way during our COVID-19 unemployment relief fundraising efforts. Employees, partners and members of government CIO's network raised $15,000 for the relief fund before the company added another $25,000 donation to help DAV assist veterans in need. Thanks goes to all our corporate partners for helping DAV fulfill our missions throughout the year. It is through their generosity we are able to make differences in the lives of our nation's heroes. Supporting us in this effort, the fight for caregivers and more is the DAV auxiliary, which had a busy year under the guidance of Commander Diane Franz. Through their unmatched dedicated service to local community veterans, Commander Franz, National Agent at Pat Kemper and the rest of our friends and allies in the auxiliary continued their National Caregiver Initiative to assist with funding caregiver and companion activities for DAV events. The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly brought challenging times for our nation, its veterans and their families. But DAV, an organization of veterans serving veterans has adapted to continue meeting the needs of those we serve throughout the last year. Our dedicated members, volunteers and supporters serve as an inspiration to make sure our government and our organization do right by those forever changed in service. I'm proud of all we've accomplished over the past year and I look forward to another year serving alongside you to keep our promises to America's veterans and their families. Thank you for that wonderful recap of the past year of National Agent Burgess. It never ceases to amaze me what such a dedicated group of veterans, advocates and supporters can do on behalf of our nation's disabled veterans. Our next guest is a veteran who needs little introduction. The Honorable Robert Wilkie was nominated by President Trump to serve as the 10th Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Before his current post, he served Secretary James Mattis as Undersecretary of Defense for our personnel and readiness for the Department of Defense. The son of a combat-wounded Army Artillery Commander, Secretary Wilkie spent his youth at Fort Bragg. He is a colonel in the Air Force Reserve, served in the Navy Reserve and has more than 20 years of federal service at the national and international levels. We're grateful for his participation and his service as the head of the most important government agency supporting veterans. Hi, I'm Robert Wilkie and I'm honored to join you for your 2020 DAV and Auxiliary Virtual Salute as DAV prepares to celebrate its centennial anniversary. What an accomplishment. 100 years of empowering veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity, ensuring they have the full range of benefits available to them, fighting for their interests with Congress and educating all Americans about the sacrifices and needs of veterans. The fact that you are meeting virtually is a reminder that this has been a challenging year for DAV, for veterans and for our nation, but there's a lot of good news to share. Last year, Congress approved a $220 billion budget for VA. This is not the VA you read about in 2014. We are rededicated to the task that Abraham Lincoln assigned us 155 years ago to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan. Our record tells the story of VA's turnaround as we've implemented major reforms. Under the Mission Act, we gave veterans real permanent choice, completing more than 59.9 million internal episodes of care in the last fiscal year and a record high, 1.7 million more than the year before. We implemented critical updates to the GI Bill under Harry Cullmery and took on the task of caring for thousands of Bluewater Navy veterans. And we continue to make progress on the difficult initiative of conforming our electronic healthcare records to those in the Department of Defense. We push on with these reforms, even as we simultaneously cope with the significant challenges posed by a global pandemic. Though COVID-19 was a shock to healthcare systems around the world, your VA responded quickly to mitigate the impact. We took steps that allowed us to keep serving veterans, including implementation of emergency management procedures, expanding telehealth access and prohibiting visitors to VA nursing homes and spinal cord injury centers. Here's where we stand. As of late July, VA has tested more than 420,000 veterans for COVID-19 and over 340,000 of those tests were returned negative. More than 29,000 veterans nationwide were diagnosed with the virus. But 75% of those veterans are 14 days past their last positive test and recovering at home. We are caring for less than 5,000 veterans with the virus. We have about 2,000 positive tests among VA employees, but our infection rate among staff is less than 1%, incredibly low compared to other healthcare systems. We've hired more than 30,000 new employees since March, including over 5,200 registered nurses. I'm also proud to report that we have a very low instance of COVID infection in our community living centers, even though many non-VA nursing homes and state veterans homes became hotspots. This stability has allowed us to fully engage in our fourth mission, which is to support the national healthcare system in times of emergency. We've accepted 69 missions from FEMA, 32 of which are ongoing in 46 states and territories. By April, we were accepting requests to open dozens of our beds to non-veteran patients in New York and New Jersey. We've deployed 854 employees on various missions, including 294 to community nursing homes across America and 330 to state veterans home. This crisis has taken a toll. It's claimed the lives of more than 1,900 veterans and 40 members of our VA family. Even during this unprecedented event, VA standing among veterans continued to improve. Despite the challenges, recent survey results show that a record high 90% of veterans trust VA healthcare. That's great news. It shows that VA can be trusted to turn a budget increase into real results for veterans and build trust for future budget debates. I'd like to close by thanking you for your important work on behalf of veterans and their families. You established a COVID-19 relief fund to provide help to unemployed service-connected disabled veterans. So far, more than 6,000 have received over $1.5 million in relief. Your benefits specialists are still working claims and you're hosting virtual care fairs for veterans, transitioning military members and spouses. And you have continued with your other critical work. DAV provides more than 600,000 rides to veterans attending medical appointments and assists with over 200,000 benefit claims. In 2019, you helped veterans receive more than $21 billion in earned benefits. Your 1,300 chapters and more than 1 million members across America help provide our nation's heroes and their families the resources they need to ensure that we keep promises made to them. In closing, I'd like to offer you best wishes for your next 100 years. 100 years of helping veterans and congratulate your national commander, Butch Whitehead, your national adjutant, Mark Burgess, Washington executive, Randy Rees, and executive director, Barry Gzienowski, for jobs well done. Thanks for your leadership and your many contributions to the well-being of America's veterans. May God bless all of our veterans, those currently serving and may he continue to bless this great nation. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Every year, we recognize one individual who through both tenacity and actions reflects DAV's commitment that no veteran should have to face the challenging road to recovery alone. Let's get to know this year's honored veteran. I thought I was going to be stuck there. I thought everyone forgot me. It kind of broke me. I'm lost completely. You know, I failed my country. I didn't want to be here no more. I hated myself. After a year and a half, I started self-medicating. And it took probably four years ago for me to say, you know, commit suicide, take my own life. He was brought into the clinic area I was at and a nurse very much wanted him to get involved. He needed a lot of help. Adam had very long hair and he leaned forward and kind of hid himself behind his hair and wasn't very into the whole rec therapy idea. I talked about whitewater rafting and snowboarding out in Colorado. And he was like, what is that? That makes no sense. But I'll give you one chance. And as we're going down the river, I can see how I'm kind of coming out of a shell. He starts talking to other people, getting involved with what's going on, high five and getting his group stuff. And we go through our day and then he's helping, you know, helping of that get his leg back on and getting a wheelchair to get people back out and helping us create the raft up. And it changed him. You know, the water hit him in the face and he had fun again. He knew he's allowed to have fun. And then he said, so what was that snowboard trip you talked about? I said, well, Winter Sports Clinic, we're going to Colorado for a week and we'll snowboard it'll be great. He's like, well, I don't really know how but I think I'd like to go. We came here to the Winter Sports Clinic in the snowmats and my life changed forever. A veteran has to be ready to accept the recovery process and I wasn't ready. And then I came here and opened my eyes and made me ready. I took all the stuff that I've learned at the Winter Sports Clinic and I've taken it home and applied it to my own recovery process but also where I can help other veterans. All right, today we're going in to the red call here at the Hurts of Woody Williams VAMC and we're going to speak for patient-centered care and it's experiencing the veteran walking out of the veteran's shoes. Adam does our patient-centered care program and speaks for us to realize what our veterans go through when they serve and in his case what he endured but Adam also helps us through our rec therapy program of going out and helping his fellow veterans to become incorporated back into their civilian life. Just give me a call, double check and make sure everything's good. I did the one-on-one canceling. I used to drive until I moved but I drive about two hours or 15 minutes one way three days a week and I would do that to go meet veterans, walk them through the process like OEFOI veterans. Some Vietnam veterans that were just terrified of the system heard horror stories. Well, I'm a DAV member that volunteers at the VA, I make sure as a DAV member that they get exactly what they go for. Since becoming a DAV member, Adam's been very active as a member, as a volunteer and just as a good veteran in the community. He gives back, he's compassionate and he loves what he gets to do day in and day out. He's accumulated nearly 3,800 hours at the VA in Huntington, West Virginia and prior to becoming a volunteer for DAV he's achieved a little more than 5,000 hours. Adam's also spoken on our PSAs as it relates to how DAV has changed his life and what Adam wants to do to change others. My victory has just experienced in life. Support more victories for veterans. Go to DAV.org. This one is my favorite because it shows how upset, depressed and hopeless he looks and then in this one there's a picture of him and his son and it shows the light that's back in him. To watch him smile again is beyond anything that I could have ever hoped for. He is kind, he is humble, he is an amazing man and I can't even begin to describe all the things that he has done for others that nobody even sees, nobody knows about. He's able to participate and watch his grandson grow up where at one point he didn't think he would ever do that. Gray thing, coal man, gray gas, that makes me a grandpa. He is so deserving of any ounce of credit that anybody gives him and he does it humbly with a smile on his face. I am extremely proud of Adam and I cannot be more proud. Ladies and gentlemen, for his critical work in helping veterans overcome obstacles as well as his commitment to overcoming his own struggles in the wake of a devastating personal injury where proud to introduce our 2020 Outstanding Disabled Veteran of the Year, Adam Graythouse. Hello, I'm Adam Graythouse, United States Army Veteran. I wanna thank you. I'm truly honored to be selected for DAV's Outstanding Disabled Veteran of the Year. I wanna also, I wanna thank everyone that has supported me. I definitely wouldn't have been able to do this without the support of my parents, my children, my wife, my VA, the Herschel Woody Wiggins, VA MC here in West Virginia and the DAV. Also, without your support and believing in me, this would have never even been possible. So again, I'm truly honored and I would just wanna thank you all so much. Thank you, Adam, for all you do for veterans. I would now like to introduce my counterpart and the leader of DAV's closest friend and ally, DAV Auxiliary National Commander, Diane France. Commander France is truly an example of a lifelong commitment to veterans. Having been with the organization from an early age as a junior member, for 26 years now, she has served DAV and Auxiliary through her unit in Central Florida, where she has been a faithful supporter of the veterans and their families. I am pleased to share the screen with DAV Auxiliary National Commander, Diane France. Thank you, Commander Whitehead. It's been such a pleasure to serve alongside you. Your partnership means a great deal to all of us and thank you to all our friends and family members who are tuning in nationwide. It was my parents who gave me the understanding of what volunteering for a cause means, involving me in DAV and Auxiliary Volunteerism from a young age. My involvement began as a junior member tagging along for visits at the VA Hospital and Nursing Home. They left a legacy of service I am proud to follow. While we have incredible statistics that point to the impact of our shared efforts, those of us who serve through the Auxiliary know the real reward is painted forward. This is only one of the reasons I have stayed involved. I have been a life member of the Auxiliary for more than a quarter century, serving through the Auxiliary Unit 16 in Florida. It has been and continues to be a great honor to see the progress and cooperation between the Chapter and Unit and should be an example to others. We must strive to mentor all our new members. Without them, we cannot grow or flourish. They join us in exceeding our goals to help our veterans and their families and to make a real impact. They come with enthusiasm to promote and support our mission. They understand volunteering is something that is given from the heart. It is important that we continue to make sure that disabled veterans and their families receive all the benefits they have earned for the sacrifices they have made. This is why we join the organization, not for personal recognition. I believe that I, like my parents, have benefited from involvement with DAV. But more importantly, I'd like to think we've made a lasting difference in the lives of others. For all we do, unity is the key. Unity means staying together as DAV and the Auxiliary have done for decades. It means helping and supporting each other in all circumstances. Staying united is the key to building strong relationships in a strong organization. Unity is strength. We stand united for all our veterans and their families. We can live in peace and harmony only when unity prevails. We must stand united with DAV in accomplishing our mission. We join the Auxiliary to help uphold the promises made to our veterans and to serve our veterans and their families. In unity, we can honor our pledge. Unity is important at every level and at every step in our mission. Unity, especially in these trying times, is strength. The commander's mission and your mission are to strive to achieve unity with the goals of the National DAV and within our local departments, chapters, and especially our units. Before I conclude, I have a very important special presentation to make. The DAV Auxiliary's Outstanding Auxiliary Member of the Year Award recognizes the contributions and dedication of an auxiliary member whose efforts surpass the goals of DAV, the auxiliary, and community activities that are truly above and beyond the call of duty. This year's recipient is Clarissa Brown from Georgia who is a member of Unit 44 in North Augusta, South Carolina. Not only a member, Clarissa served 14 years as commander of Unit 44, along with serving as commander at the state levels twice. In her 18 years of continued membership, Clarissa has served at all commanding levels and currently serves as advisor to the finance committee. Clarissa takes pride in treating veterans and their family members as if they were her own family. She is a frequent visitor to veterans and nursing homes. She gives instructional classes on caregiver support for elderly veterans. And she's been instrumental, helping her unit honor expectant women veterans with baby showers. Clarissa also started an initiative to bring staple food items for the food bank to her chapter in Unit's annual Christmas Social. Clarissa's dedication and love of these, of this organizations and the people they serve make her the ideal recipient of this award. She projects positivity and inspiration to everyone she meets. And her compassion and wisdom are qualities that we need at times like these. Congratulations again, Adam and Clarissa for your exceptional efforts, for your selfless commitment to veterans and for your service as such inspirations to others. We're proud to count you among our own. This concludes part one of DAV and Auxiliary virtual salute, but we have many more honorees to recognize, including our Jesse Brown Memorial Youth Scholarship winner, outstanding VA employees, DAV volunteer and recruiting awards, top employers and more. I hope you'll join us in honoring these deserving individuals. Thank you and stay tuned as we honor the rest of our 2020 award winners and are joined by some very special guests including some familiar faces from past DAV national conventions. The second half of our DAV and Auxiliary virtual salute will begin in just a few minutes. Chef Robert Irvine here and I wanted to wish all the folks at DAV a very happy 100th birthday. For a full century, you've been there for Americans disabled veterans when they needed you most, helping them find employment opportunities and education and easy to transition back into civilian life. This is extremely important work and for those who haven't served, they may not realize that with our organizations such as yours, military service will be much more burdensome. In this 100th year of service, you've been presented with a unique set of unprecedented challenges. When the economy ground to a halt in the midst of a pandemic, you kept on the task at hand, doing everything in your power to provide these vital resources to our heroes who have sacrificed so much for our country. Thank you for all that you have done in 100 years of service and all that you continue to do in this incredibly trained times. Here's to our next 100 years. Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I'm DAV National Adjutant Mark Burgess and I'd like to welcome you to the second part of our DAV and Auxiliary virtual salute. During this portion of the show, we will highlight the irreplaceable contributions of the devoted men and women who represent DAV on a regular basis by bringing our values, programs and services to veterans and their families in their own local communities each day. These remarkable DAV recruiters, volunteers of all generations, veteran friendly companies and dedicated VA staff represent our calls each day and deserve all the recognition we can give them. While they deserve to be celebrated in person during our annual national convention, for obvious reasons, that was not feasible this year. But we also want to be sure we do our best to properly recognize all these individuals have done. Assisting me in recognizing this year's extraordinary group of honorees is DAV National Commander Stefan Butch-Whitehead. The commander has been a fierce advocate on behalf of Blue Water, Navy, Vietnam veterans, women veterans and all of those who have been exposed to toxic burn pits during his first year as commander. And we know the career service man will only work harder for veterans and their families in year two. In fact, though Commander Whitehead has been busy over the past year, the Minnesota native has kept the volunteer spirit alive by making and hand delivering 500 face masks to the Minneapolis VA Medical Center to be donated to their veteran patients. I am pleased to introduce National Commander Butch-Whitehead to kick off the final portion of our DAV and auxiliary virtual salute. Thank you National Agent Burgess. I can't thank you enough for your steadfast leadership and unwavering support through my first year as DAV's National Commander. I don't think anyone could have forecasted the events that have forced us together virtually, but I'm more than proud of the dedication and commitment to mission accomplishment that I have seen out of the DAV staff, DAV volunteers and the entire organization. It is because of this tremendous resolve that I have no doubt DAV will be celebrating a bicentennial anniversary in a hundred years. While we might be separated as individuals, we are together as brothers and sisters in arms. That sense of service and camaraderie is what brought me here to DAV. It's why I'm so proud to stand beside you in the never-ending fight to serve and support America's veterans. Now, with that, I'd like to kick off the second part of our virtual salute by honoring our top youth volunteer for 2020. Though less than 10% of today's US population has served in the military, it is important that future generations understand that service and sacrifices veterans have made to our nation each year with the continued support of Ford Mortar Company Fund. DAV honors youth volunteers with scholarships for higher education in recognizing of their service to America's heroes. The Jesse Brown Memorial Youth Scholarship is named after one of the most revered leaders, the DAV's history, Jesse Brown. Jesse was a Marine veteran who was wounded in Vietnam in 1965. The DAV life member became our organization's first African-American executive director and was selected in 1993 to become the first African-American Secretary of Veterans Affairs. This program not only incentivizes volunteerism but also connects future leaders with veterans and encourages a lifelong commitment on their behalf. This year's top recipient is Tanner Johnson from Cheyenne, Wyoming. Inspired to give back by his father's 20 year Air Force career, Tanner has volunteered since he was 10 years old, ultimately amassing over 1,600 volunteer hours at the Cheyenne VA Medical Center. Hi there, my name is Tanner Johnson. I'm this year's Jesse Brown Memorial Scholarship top recipient. And I just want to take a minute to say thank you not only my family and friends for supporting me through all this but also the DAV and the VA here in Cheyenne, Wyoming. They do so well down here giving me this opportunity to volunteer and opening up a world of opportunities for me. The DAV contacted me asking if I would speak. I wish we were down in Dallas right now. It would have been so much more fun but under the circumstances I get this, I'm glad they gave me this opportunity. They asked me what the scholarship meant to me and I've been thinking about this. And I really couldn't come up with an answer honestly. It wasn't ever just about the scholarship. The scholarship was just there. It was more about serving those who have served our country. And that's been my mentality since I started volunteering for the VA and DAV. This scholarship means so much to me and I'm grateful, beyond grateful that they're giving me this opportunity. And again, I wish I was in Dallas to celebrate with everybody. Hopefully next year in 2021, we can all get together and have a good time. And hopefully I can meet a lot of you guys and I just want to say thank you. I appreciate it a lot. Thank you, Tanner. For all that you do for our nation's veterans and congratulations on your well-deserved scholarship. Members of DAV and the Auxiliary are truly among the most dedicated and caring volunteers in our nation. It is my pleasure to announce the winners of the 2020 George H. C. O. Memorial Awards. These volunteers seek no recognition in their pursuit to further the mission of DAV. They do it because of their compassion for our veterans and their families. The winner of this year's DAV George C. O. Memorial Award is Eugene Anoufriot, a DAV life member from Chapter 15 in Milford, Connecticut. Eugene is a dedicated VA hospital volunteer and a proud veteran of the United States Army. Eugene has volunteered for 26 years, dedicating more than 15,500 hours of service at the VA Connecticut healthcare system. With his infectious personality, an unwavering sense of positivity, Eugene has become an instrumental member of the Medical Center team in West New Haven. Hello, thank you, Commander Butch Whitehead. Thank you very much. My name is Chaplain Eugene Anoufriot. I was chosen for the George H. C. O. Memorial Award this year. I must thank everybody from National, State and Commander Butch Whitehead and Chapter 15 for helping me receive this award. I'm also the Chaplain of Connecticut, Chapter 15 State Department. Special thanks to Betsy Walsh, Luisa Co-Crowsey, LaCuzzi, West Haven VA Hospital for letting me hold this job. Mark Friesi and John Daniels. Right now I am working in Transport West Haven VA Medical Center. During the time of suffering with COVID-19, I hope everyone stays safe and calm. And I will keep you all in my prayers. And that's about all. So much, thank you so much for this and mean so much to me. God bless you, Eugene Anoufriot. My Chapter is 15, Milford, Connecticut. And PS, keep volunteering, it's good for you. Amen. Thank you, Eugene, for all that you do in touching the lives of countless veterans. This year's DAV Auxiliary George H.C. and Memorial Award winner is Gretchen Davies, a devoted and passionate volunteer at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center. She's a member of DAV Chapter 19 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. For the past eight years, Ms. Davies has worked within the Transportation Network Office, dedicating nearly 4,000 hours of service to veterans. Ms. Davies' personnel relationship with each veteran who came under her care comes from a communal understanding of their struggle, as she too is a disabled veteran of the United States Army. And maybe most important of all, during these unprecedented times, you can find Davies taking veterans to and from doctor's appointments as well as out shopping for necessities like groceries. Davies is truly the shining example of an exceptional volunteer. Hello, my name is Gretchen Davies. I'm from the Metro Milwaukee area in Wisconsin. This is very short, I promise, but still is my memory. I am truly honored and humbled to have been afforded such high recognition from the DAV and DAV Auxiliary. It's truly my honor and privilege to volunteer amongst my fellow veterans and with so many wonderful men and women. Each day when I come to the Clement J. Zablaki VA Medical Center to volunteer, I know that I am being given a unique opportunity to serve the men and women who served our great country. Whether it is escorting patients, their medical appointments, scheduling van rides, picking up time sheets, or walking with patients as part of their treatment, these individuals count on us who would come to the facility with a smile on our face and willingness to make a difference. The work that volunteers accomplish each day is what continues to make voluntary services programs such a vital part of the VA facility. I would like to thank the DAV, the DAV Auxiliary, and my unit in chapter, Clement J. Zablaki No. 19 in Wisconsin for all their support. I'd also like to thank Patty Davis, the Auxiliary member, Jessica Sardinski, the Chief of Voluntary Services for nominating me for the George H. Seal Award. Lastly, thank you to all the volunteers who continue to serve veterans and their families every day. Thank you, Gretchen, and congratulations. Thank you, Commander, and congratulations to all of those great and very well-deserving volunteers. DAV could not do what it does without the tremendous help of our outstanding volunteers. Also, I would like to thank Ford Motor Company not only for their continued support of our youth volunteers, but for stepping up even more for veterans and their families when they needed it. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Ford quickly created a public service announcement that encouraged people to support DAV in our own COVID-19 relief efforts. Let's take a look. The PSA was released in early April and due to the speed in which Ford took action, more money was raised and more veterans and their families were assisted throughout our COVID relief efforts. They have also donated more than 1.1 million Ford face masks through DAV to support our volunteer and benefits advocacy efforts and to help protect the veterans we serve and those receiving care at VA medical centers. As veterans know, in times of crisis, time can cost lives. Ford wasted no time in jumping into action and more veterans and their families are better off today because of it. From all of us at DAV, thank you. For the past couple of years, DAV has been blessed to have a special volunteer who has donated his time and his iconic voice through our calls. No one in our nation has done more to ensure that military service and veterans are portrayed with authenticity and dignity than actor, military advisor, writer, and director Dale Dye. A combat wounded Marine and DAV life member, Dale Dye wanted to provide a quick message to his fellow veterans during these unique times. Hi folks, Captain Dale Dye here, talking to you from LA and sending my affection and respect. To all my fellow wounded or disabled veterans as our DAV kicks off its centennial year. You know, there's a lot to love about our disabled American veterans organization. What I especially like about the DAV is that we stand proud of our service and sacrifice. We don't beg with bended knee or bowed head. DAV is about empathy, not sympathy. And that's the way it should be. Continue the march. For another hundred years. It's always great to hear Dale's voice. We thank him for making our public service announcements a true victory for veterans and for all he does for our cause. Each year, DAV recognizes companies that go out of their way to recruit and hire disabled veterans. It is my pleasure to announce the DAV employer of the year awards for three outstanding organizations. The 2020 DAV small employer of the year award goes to a service disabled veteran known small business that is proud to be built on military values. Colossal contracting LLC provides groundbreaking and compliant IT solutions and professional services for both government and commercial clients. Owner and CEO Anthony Clawson is an Air Force veteran who understands the challenges faced by veterans as they integrate back into civilian life. Colossal goes above and beyond with their efforts to recruit and retain veterans and military spouses. Currently, veterans represent 10% of the company and they hope to increase that percentage by volunteering with veterans groups like DAV and attending veteran job fairs in the Washington DC metro area. Hi, I'm Anthony Clawson, CEO of Colossal Contracting where a service disabled veteran known small business headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland. We've been providing value-added reseller services and systems integration to both civilian and DOD agencies for over a decade. But today, I want to thank the DAV for selecting Colossal Contracting as small business employer of the year. This means a great deal to us. We are focused on hiring our nation's heroes and the DAV is focused on caring for those who've done so much for us. We've seen firsthand at the Winter Sports Clinic how they touch the lives of our veterans and we are so thankful to be part of it. So thank you DAV for selecting us and we will continue to do our part and hire our nation's veterans. The 2020 DAV employer of the year award goes to a business who isn't only focused on hiring veterans but on supporting military operations worldwide. A Department of Defense approved air carrier Barrie Aviation serves all branches of the U.S. military. They were the first to offer contracted multi-role aviation solutions with short notice aircraft that could be reconfigured quickly in response to specific mission requirements. 31% of Barrie Aviation employees are veterans and they continue to provide outreach to service members transitioning out of the military. They offer formal training options, individualized development programs, mentoring and growth opportunities in order to promote within. Barrie Aviation strives to create an environment for veteran employees to thrive. I'm Stanley Finch President of Barrie Aviation. I want to thank disabled American veterans for the recognition recently extended as National Mid-Size Employment Year. The contribution commitment of our veterans is without question. The veterans bring the same commitment to the private sector. We have disabled veterans in top leadership positions and our veterans have helped us innovate and implement creative new programs that better serve our DOD customers and give us a competitive edge. Hiring veterans is not only the right thing to do it's good business. The 2020 DAV Large Employer of the Year is an innovator in veteran hiring and recruiting. Since 2014 Cargill Incorporated has been a Minnesota yellow ribbon company, a designation that recognizes the company's efforts to reach candidates with military service. As part of their commitment to hire veterans, Cargill has a specialized military talent acquisition specialist who helps to translate the mission driven focus veterans have of protecting their nation to the Cargill mission of feeding the world. Cargill also offers veteran employees an internal business resource group called the Veterans and Military Support Network. Their goal is to recognize, recruit and retain veteran employees. Cargill uses this network to connect veterans throughout the company, provide development and recognition opportunities and to keep employees informed of issues and opportunities that affect veterans. Thank you Mark. On behalf of all of us at Cargill thank you to the DAV for this incredible distinction and thank you for the life changing work you do every day to help millions of our nation's heroes and their families. We're humbled by your recognition. We're energized by this award and will continue our strong commitment to supporting our veterans. Cargill has a noble purpose to nourish the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way. I think purpose driven team-oriented work is one of the things that attracts women and men who have served in uniform to build their careers here but it's also because they know we have their backs. Our veteran and military support network actively recruits and supports veterans in their careers. We offer military employees mentorships to ease their transition into civilian life and provide flexible workplace policies to accommodate the needs of reservists. We're proud to be a beyond the yellow ribbon company dedicated to supporting veterans and their families and we're actively engaged in efforts to prevent veteran suicide and that work is even more important in this very challenging time. We offer these acts of care for the heroes in our ranks because they've gone above and beyond for all of us. They bring skills and experience that make us better and will keep standing behind them no matter what. Thank you again for your extraordinary partnership and service to our veterans. Thank you to Cargill and all three of these outstanding companies for their amazing contributions to the veteran community. The fantastic work DAV conducts on behalf of the men and women who served is only possible thanks to the dedicated staff of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Each day DAV partners with thousands of unwavering VA employees who ensure our veterans receive their proper care resources and assistance they've earned in service to their country. Our veterans deserve nothing less and it remains absolutely critical that DAV and VA maintain our excellent relationship to keep their promise to those who wore the nation's uniform. It is my pleasure now to present the national commanders outstanding VA employee of the year award to three inspiring VA staff members in recognition of their leadership, compassion and dedicated support of our nation's ill and injured veterans. I first want to recognize the outstanding veterans health administration employee of the year Lisa Marie Lascaroll Lisa Marie is a social worker at the Jesse Brown VA hospital in Chicago Illinois. She has helped dozens of veterans fight homelessness and access their earned benefits helping them find the path to full and meaningful lives. This work left such an inspiration that Lisa Marie joined the Illinois National Guard as a behavioral health officer in 2018. Holding the rank of captain Lisa Marie now leverages her social work expertise to assist active guard and reserve service members. Hi everyone. I want to thank everyone at the DAV for selecting me for this award. It is extremely special to be recognized by an agency that is a similar goal and passion to serve veterans. I also want to thank the local Chicago DAV office who have been extremely accessible while the regional office has been closed. I've been activated with the Illinois National Guard since April and since then I've been able to still collaborate with the supervisor of the Chicago office and address any questions or concerns the service members out here may have. Again I want to thank the DAV for all that you have done and continue to do for our veterans and thank you again for this award. Thank you Lisa Marie and congratulations on your well-deserved award. Next up is our outstanding veterans benefits benefits administration employee of the year. Marine Corps veteran Edward Hoffnagle Ed is a coach at the VA Regional Office in Roanoke, Virginia. He works closely with DAV to help veterans receive their earned benefits expediting those who are in financial hardship are terminally ill homeless or of advanced age. As one of the few Blue Water Navy team coaches in the nation Ed takes particular care processing claims for benefits that are decades overdue. In fact the VA has recognized his efforts in Roanoke by ranking it the number one VA Regional Office in the nation. I'm told Ed is known to say anything I can do to help his commitment to collaboration and doing what's right for veterans has not just earned him this award it's changed the lives of the men and women who have served. Good morning from the run up VA Regional Office in Virginia I just wanted to say a huge thank you to the DAV for selecting me as the BVA member of the year for the Commanders Award. I can't thank you all enough for what you do every single day for our veterans you know and without you guys we can do it here at the VA Regional Office. As a veteran myself it's just amazing to see what everybody's been able to do through this pandemic and these extremely challenging times. It's just been absolutely amazing to continue serving our veterans and their families at the highest quality we can and I can't thank you all enough for what you do every single day out there talking to the veterans and their families and making things happen. I want to give a special thank you to Oscar and his team here at the VA Regional Office in Virginia for everything they do they every day work with us to make sure we can get everything done to the best of our ability and I'm just humbled to ever see this award and to even be nominated. Thank you guys all so much for everything you do and continue to do thank you for all that you do for our veterans Ed lastly I am pleased to introduce the 2020 VA National Cemetery Administration Employee of the Year Army veteran Michael Brophy honoring our fallen and supporting their survivors in their time of grief is one of the most sacred and patriotic duties within the VA as a veteran of the army and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan Michael understands the importance of this mission Michael is the administrator of the historic Baltimore National Cemetery Complex a vast facility consisting of three national cemeteries encompassing 83 acres across the state of Maryland Michael led a cultural change to success the return the previously struggling complex to one that reflects the level of respect honor and service our interred veterans deserve before serving in Baltimore Michael was an assistant director of the Sacramento Valley National Cemetery in California and as director intern at the National Cemetery Administration in St. Louis, Missouri Michael congratulations the floor is yours Hello thank you for the honor of being named the Disabled American Veterans Outstanding National Cemetery Administration Employee of the Year for 2020 to be selected for recognition from among the NCA team is truly humbling as the director of the historic Baltimore National Cemetery Complex it has been my privilege to supervise three national cemeteries and two other facilities which honors the service and sacrifice of over 60,000 veterans and their family members I would like to thank the members of the staff the caretakers representatives and mechanics that make up the heart and soul of the complex and the NCA our partners and supporters who ensure that no veteran ever dies by remembering their names and their service and my family for their constant support on behalf of Mr. Randy Reeves the Undersecretary for Memorial Affairs thank you the Disabled American Veterans for your work empowering veterans to lead high quality lives with respect and dignity for fighting for the interests of America's injured heroes and educating the public on their great sacrifice and present needs thank you for all that you do and for this recognition thank you for your continued service to our nation's veterans and their survivors Michael congratulations again and job well done thank you commander and congratulations to the very deserving VA award winners this year's author H and Mary E. Wilson award for top venture impacting veterans will be awarded to a veteran known to operation that did exceptionally well in the business plan competition in the entrepreneurship boot camp for veterans program or EBV EBV offers cutting edge experience in training and startup and small business management to veterans with disabilities this award recognizes a disabled veteran who's taken on the challenge of starting his or her own business and has set an example for others I am happy to announce that this year's winner is Mr. David Rad founder of Six and 20 Distillery in Powdersville, South Carolina a U.S. Army veteran David began his entrepreneurial journey in 2011 with a dream to build a company that embody the uniqueness of upstate South Carolina Six and 20 has been an industry leader in the craft spirit business in the region and David also serves as vice president of the South Carolina Craft Distillery's Guild Hello DAV and Auxiliary National Convention virtual gatherers my name is David Rad and I was honored to receive the DAV's Arthur H and Mary E. Wilson award for top venture impacting veterans for 2020 I'm the owner of Six and 20 Distillery and we're based in beautiful Powdersville, South Carolina we're in the western part of South Carolina in a place called the upstate we've been in operation since 2011 and we're a proud veteran owned and staffed small business I was hoping to thank you for this honor in person this year in Dallas but the challenges that we're all facing will mean that we have to convey this thanks via video we are really humbled and honored to be the recipients of this year's Arthur H and Mary E. Wilson award for top venture impacting veterans really joining the ranks of past honorees has been like I said really humbling the DAV's focus on supporting and recognizing disabled and veteran small businesses has been amazing the outreach that we've received has been impressive and we have enjoyed getting to know the team that we've communicated with especially Mr. Jeffrey Hall who's the DAV National Employment Director I wanted to make sure that the entire DAV leadership and its amazing auxiliary know that your work especially in aiding veteran small businesses does not go unnoticed and it does not go unappreciated thank you it is my sincere hope that we and when I say we I mean I as well because I'm a lifetime DAV member can see that our leaders get to meet in person as soon as the climate allows until then please stay healthy stay safe and keep up the fight for our disabled veterans thank you congratulations David the outstanding local veterans employment representative and disabled veterans outreach program specialist recipients of 2020 are two veterans who care deeply about veterans achieving their full potential in life these awards recognize the commitment and compassion of two individuals dedicated to serving our nation's heroes our 2020 outstanding local veterans employment representative is Michael James a life member of DAV chapter 44 in Milwaukee James works with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development there he assists veterans in gaining meaningful and permanent employment by networking with employers and connecting Wisconsin veterans with hundreds of career opportunities throughout the year James has worked hard to develop and foster a relationship with a local veteran owned disposable company that's become an employment pipeline for veterans he works fast remarkably within the past six months James has had seven veterans referred interviewed and working within 48 hours Air Force and Navy veteran Marianne Bowersock of the Virginia Career Workforce Center was named DAV's 2020 outstanding disabled veterans outreach program specialist for her work helping veterans find employment in 2019 Marianne's level of commitment to veterans in the employment arena resulted in a 50 percent hiring rate for those in the veteran readiness and employment category and a 55 percent rate for veterans with a significant barrier to employment she is a proud life member of chapter 7 in Fredericksburg, Virginia and we're proud of all she's done to help our fellow veterans greetings comrades I thank you for this honor you have bestowed upon me and I make you a promise I promise I do not make lightly to continue to represent you in taking care of our veterans especially in this most difficult time when there is a great need for services delivered with care concern compassion and courtesy I would ask you to commit personally and professionally in your daily lives to these three values I have tried to live by only a life lived for others is worthwhile work to make the community you live in a better place for those who reside in it and treat others especially veterans in the manner they deserve and want to be treated in closing I would like to express my gratitude to all the veterans employment representatives in the nation who provide employment services to veterans and their families to the Virginia Employment Commission especially our commissioner Ellen Marie Hess a visionary an innovative leader directly responsible for Virginia's Jobs for Veterans State Grant program being one of the top 10 in the nation BEC staff and colleagues who tirelessly work for the Commonwealth citizens my colleagues and co-workers at the Fredericksburg Workforce Center who consider every veteran a valued family member in need of services my DAV chapter Chapter 7 in Fredericksburg who nominated me for this award especially members Lisa Gregory DAV State Commander and DSL Rita Abreed for their invaluable assistance in filing my veterans affairs claim and my very dear DAV comrade co-worker and friend Robert Singer 2016 DAV DVAP of the year comrades may you and yours be blessed in the years to come I salute you congratulations and thank you for all you have done Marianne for those of us who have had the pleasure of attending a DAV an auxiliary national convention and in person a usual highlight is the performance of Gary Sinise and Lieutenant Dan Bann and while we'll be missing seeing award-winning actor and longtime veteran advocate Gary Sinise in person he wanted us to know he is with us in spirit hi there to all my pals of the DAV Gary Sinise here obviously there's no convention this year there's no onsite convention where we can all gather and where I can bring my band and play for everybody once again so I wanted to send a message just a message of support and appreciation and gratitude and and thanks for everything you've done for our country the DAV has been very very important to me from the beginning of my introduction to the DAV back in 1994 in fact if you haven't read my book Grateful American I begin the book very first page talking about that moment where I walked into the ballroom at the DAV convention in 1994 and how important that was to me and how what an impression it made on me and the moving moment of meeting so many extraordinary individuals who have served our country it hooked me from the beginning and obviously I've played many many concerts for the DAV and tried to support in various ways over the years because it's important that you never forget the contribution that you've made to the defense of freedom around the world the defense of our country but also the freedom around the world and I've just met too many wonderful Americans who have sacrificed so much in service to our country that I am forever proud forever grateful forever appreciative of everything that you've done my foundation the Gary Sinise Foundation was started to give back to the men and women who serve our country and much of that came from the interactions and the experiences and the knowledge that I've gained working with organizations like the DAV who are stood up to defend the men and women who serve our country so I've learned a great deal from my friends at the DAV the DAV is ever important to me I wish we were all able to be together once again this summer at the convention but clearly circumstances have prevented us from doing so during this global pandemic an extraordinary event that the world has not seen for over 100 years anything like this but we're going to get through it we're going to pull together we're going to eventually have a vaccine I know that in due time I want you all to be safe be careful take good care of yourselves we need you we support you we love you and please extend this video to members of the DAV who may not know it exists and just so I can say personally thank you to them and to all of you for your service to our country it's Gary Senees here signing off have a great summer God bless you and God bless America thanks Gary for all you do here and all we do together in partnerships with your foundation the general Jonathan Wainwright award is presented to the department that closes the year with the largest percentage increase in total new members the department of Missouri under leadership of adjunct Michael Elmore brought in 964 new members earning top honors for the 2020 membership year hello I'm Michael Elmore as the department adjunct and on behalf of the department of Missouri I would like to say thank you for the recognition in receiving the general Wainwright membership award the efforts put forward by the membership of Missouri department service officers and national service officers all working together to improve our membership in Missouri have helped us succeed in our membership goals the passion everyone shows not only in the recruitment of new members but being a current member stands out to potential new members hello I am national area supervisor Andrew Redwoods and serve as the dave state department of Missouri department service director it doesn't go unnoticed that our service program provides a very high quality of service to thousands of veterans in Missouri from our chapter service officers department service officers and the national service officer when quality of service is provided and the potential member realizes the services and programs the dave has to offer discussion becoming a member is easier because the potential member has already experienced the service dave has to offer them hi i'm dan kandavi i'm the membership chair for the department of Missouri it's an honor to receive this recognition as this year's recipient of the general wainwright's award membership is something the department of Missouri has always strived to support I also want to thank all the members of the department of Missouri for their efforts on a successful year we look forward to a 2020 membership year and continue to bring in new members to the organization thank you again for the recognition congratulations to the entire department of Missouri as this feat truly takes a team you've made the entire organization prouder through your efforts the judge robert s marx award is named after dave's founder marx served in the united states army in world war one he earned the distinguished service and was injured in the muse argon offense in 1918 he later became a superior court judge and law professor the judge robert s marx award has presented to the department that completes the year with the highest percentage increase of the fully paid life members over goal this year's winner is my great home state of minnesota the department of minnesota led by department adjunct trend delks surpassed their goal by nearly 100 full paid life members thank you national commander whitehead i'm honored to accept this award on behalf of the department of minnesota a special thanks goes to our senior vice commander ron haugen and department commander scott burnt under their leadership we were able to try new ways of recruitment and getting the word out about the work of our department i'd like to give credit for this award where it is due to our chapter members and volunteers across the great state of minnesota it is one thing to tell a potential member about who we are as an organization but it is something completely different and more effective to have our amazing members and volunteers show them who we are these amazing people are out in their communities every single day truly living our mission whether it is helping a veteran as a chapter service officer providing free transportation assisting in an outdoors trip or one of the other numerous ways our departments and chapters are actively providing services in minnesota their actions serve as a far more effective recruiting tool than anything else we could come up with so thank you to all of our members and volunteers our success in recruiting new members is a reflection of your dedication and service thank you again national commander and to the av national for the opportunity to accept this award in 2007 dav created the local veterans assistance program or LVAP giving volunteers nearly unlimited opportunities to serve and receive the same recognition and incentives as those available to traditional VA and transportation network volunteers under LVAP opportunities abound for individuals to assist veterans and their families from something as precise as building a wheelchair ramp or setting up computer software to basic tasks like grocery shopping or running other errands volunteers perform any tasks that may improve a veteran's life since 2007 more than 51,000 volunteers have donated over 10.7 million hours of service through LVAP we want to see that number continue to grow and we also want to recognize those who have helped make that incredible impact possible in 2019 we had more than 9,000 volunteers log more than 2 million hours of selfless service to our nation's heroes this year the COVID-19 pandemic has affected many areas of our lives but we still want to encourage you to volunteer in your communities and in accordance with local guidance but please follow the guidelines provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and don't put yourself or anyone else at unnecessary risk our thanks go out to the volunteers and leaders of state departments who've excelled in engaging volunteers and recognizing their contributions the Division I Local Veterans Assistance Program recipient is the Department of Virginia congratulations to Commander John Simmons and Adjutant Robert Cox for leading your division and achieving nearly 400,000 hours of service the Division II Local Veterans Assistance Program winner is the Department of Oklahoma congratulations to Commander Joletta Hofford-Pandos and Adjutant Danny Oliver for honoring veterans with nearly 250,000 documented hours the Division III Local Veterans Assistance Program winner is the Department of South Carolina with over 113,000 hours congratulations to Commander Willard Cunningham and Adjutant Natisha Adams the Division IV Local Veterans Assistance Program winner is the Department of Nebraska with more than 61,000 hours congratulations to Commander James Jacob and Adjutant Jamie Jacob the Division V Local Veterans Assistance Program winner is the Department of North Dakota congratulations to Commander Kelly Berglund and Adjutant Joseph Hall for honoring veterans with nearly 70,000 hours we thank all our volunteers in VA hospitals our transportation network drivers and participants in the Local Veterans Assistance Program for their compassionate service to disabled veterans and their families thank you for your helping hands and kind hearts now it's back to our Commander to recognize some of our outstanding and motivated DAV members in order to maintain a strong voice with lawmakers and robust offering of services for our nation's veterans DAV has over 4,500 members dedicated to recruiting veterans into their organization much has changed throughout our 100-year history including the needs of veterans we serve and just as importantly the way we reach them our dedicated recruiters have evolved to meet these challenges head on and have worked diligently to welcome new members to ensure DAV's legacy lives on for future generations of our veterans we're grateful to honor our top division winners in recruiting for 2020 Division I winning Division I behind Commander Deborah Olson and Adjutant Dan Stack was the Department of Massachusetts with an increase of 99.82 percent Division II behind the leadership of past Department Commander Lonnie Howard and Adjutant Michael Elmore the Department of Missouri won Division II with an increase of 102.58 percent Division III the Department of Indiana took home top honors in Division III with an increase of over 100 percent overseeing the successful year was Commander David Ash and Adjutant William Cooley Division IV pasting Division IV was the Department of Puerto Rico behind the increase of 101.53 percent and Commander Carlos Perez Cabrera and Adjutant Delvis Colazo Riviera Division V the top spot in Division V was owned by the Department of Idaho led by Commander Lynn Payne and Adjutant Gregory Bacon congratulations on your increase of 101 percent no one is more likely to join DAV than the veterans who've experienced our assistance those who benefit from DAV's free services firsthand understand the life changing value of our organization but it still takes a special type of national service officer to communicate the value and advantages of joining the organization our next award recognizes a veteran who went above and beyond the call to ensure the long-term health of our membership it is with great pride that I present the top recruiter from our NSO Corps to Carlo Malone of our Chicago National Service Office who remarkably recruited 316 veterans to join our ranks on behalf of the entire organization thank you and congratulations Carlo keep up the amazing work for the second straight year our top recruiting member of the year is Keith Paluzzi from Chapter 57 in Dallas he recruited 102 new members this year and nearly 300 over the last two years well done Keith and congratulations we'll be looking to see if any of our member recruiters can step up and prevent Keith from taking this home for a third straight year since 1994 DAV has recognized the success of those who have signed 100 or more new members for three consecutive years these dedicated members are inducted into the DAV membership recruiters hall of fame and recognized with a gold lapel pin this year's inductees are Brandon McKinney who recruited a total of 159 new members McKinney is out of our Togus National Service Office in the great state of Maine Michael Heitz who recruited a total of 129 new members Michael works out of our Nashville, Tennessee location and Owen Richards who added 145 new members to DAV Owen works in our Sioux Falls South Dakota office congratulations to all our honorees that will bring us bring our first ever and honestly hopefully our only DAV and auxiliary virtual salute to an end although I know myself and Adjutant Burgess would have preferred to have carried out our normal business activities this year at our national convention in Dallas we both have truly enjoyed being able to bring some sense of normalcy to our members and our supporters through our virtual salute also and just as importantly we were able to highlight some of the outstanding achievements of our many volunteers our outstanding members partners and advocates who we work alongside daily to serve our veterans and their families in the face of this unprecedented time that created unforeseen and very difficult obstacles the body of work put forth by all of you serves as an undeniable proof of your resilience determination and dedication to the mission of serving our nation's veterans and their families in the face of this unprecedented time that created unforeseen and very difficult obstacles the body of work put forth by all of you serves as an undeniable proof of your resilience determination and dedication to the mission of serving our nation's veterans and their families I know I speak for Adjutant Burgess and the entire organization when I say that we can't thank each of you enough your relentless hard work has paid significant dividends for the veterans who you have helped if 2020 has reminded us of anything it is that we cannot afford to take anything for granted and our future is always unknown simply put there are no guarantees I ask that we all please remember this is we move forward and advocate for laws policies programs and benefits that aid disabled veterans and their families as common sense as many of these things seem if we don't fight for them they may not happen lastly please all of you stay safe so I can see you all next year in Reno for DAB's 2021 National Convention thanks for watching