 Thank you Nancy for that warm introduction and thank you all for supporting me throughout one of the most important years of my life. My term as a National Commander has exceeded my greatest expectations in every regard. That's because I was able to meet so many of you and see the impact of DAV's mission from so many different perspectives. When most people enjoy a great victory they usually use the signature line, I'm going to Disney World. And though Disney, ABC, and ESPN are true partners, and I was elected in Orlando, my first trip as your National Commander took me to our nation's capital. There I had the incredible honor to represent our cause as the PAC Act was being signed into law. You know as you all know the PAC Act is the most significant piece of legislation for veterans in American history and the lion's share of the credit for this passage belongs to DAV. Representing you in a long line of past National Commanders who fought tooth and nail on behalf of our fellow veterans was a humbling and very gratifying honor. The magnitude of the passage of the PAC Act was put into perfect context for me shortly after it was signed. It was then that Mark Burgess and I made a trip to Hawaii to connect with our partners at the Defense POW MIA Accounting Agency. We may sadly never know what became of so many of our brothers and sisters who never returned from war, but our tireless pursuit to repatriate and bring them home is critical. And this effort speaks volumes about the commitment we must forever show the men and women we send to war. It is the heart of the promise. It is at the foundation of DAV's mission and we shall not leave our own behind. And in the extreme instances where one of our own falls through the cracks, we must not stop at anything to recover them and replace iniquities with justice. It is what that experience informed our efforts at Midwinter Conference in Washington, DC. You know, in the military we were taught early on and reminded often of the importance of strength and courage. And even a short five years ago, the thought of standing in the glow of the lights with all eyes on me and laid my sole bear in front of hundreds of people would have seemed unimaginable. But it was you, my fellow veterans, who gave me the fortitude to stand before God in the world and tell my story with unflinching honesty. I could only do that knowing that you guys had my back. You encouraged me and validated my decision. With your service and devotion to our cause, as my inspiration, I could talk about my attempted suicide, one of the most traumatic moments of my life. With all that you do for your fellow veterans, the least I could do on your behalf was to speak my truth. I did so in the hopes that someone else might hear my words and see a future behind beyond the fog of hopelessness that follows so many of us home from war. From there, I was off to the golf and winter sports clinics, the pinnacle events in our partnership with our friends at the Department of Veterans Affairs. I might have made John Clondy's a little nuts with how busy I kept him on those trips, but I wanted to spend every possible moment that I could with the participants. And like so many of you, serving veterans is how I recharge. It's what gives me peace of mind and I do that selflessly because I have seen in my fellow DAV volunteers that giving is getting. And I get far more out of helping veterans than they ever get from me. I've learned that from you. I come from humble beginnings, but it wasn't until I began my DAV journey that I found out the extent to which I was born disadvantaged. As some of you know, I was the orphaned son of a young displaced Puerto Rican mother. I was plucked from a hopeless situation and given to two people who chose to raise me. They instilled in me a sense of duty and values that I carried into the Air Force. And though I didn't learn this until I did a DNA test, the opportunity to meet many relatives I knew had an incredibly emotional effect. Suddenly, the amount of people I could call family had more than doubled. As a matter of fact, I found out that I had five brothers, a sister, 250 first and second cousins, and more than 1000 third and fourth cousins. And while my biological mother passed away many years ago and I was never able to meet her, I was able to meet my biological father. I was welcomed into a wonderful culture and family that I never knew I had. But in another sense, my family had already grown more than a thousand fold the minute that DAV came into my life. I feel as if every chapter of DAV is home to me. You who served and were forever changed, you are my brothers and sisters, my tribe, my hope. At my testimonial in Montana, it was an incredible honor to have past national commander and charitable service trust president, Dick Marbs speak on my behalf. In amputee, Dick talked about his experiences after losing his leg in service. Where Dick's concern is that people not assume that he lost his limb in combat. Mine, however, was an injury of isolation and shame. I went to war with the youthful and naive optimism of an American who believed there was an essential goodness in the world. I've believed in justice and thought that things happen for a reason. And maybe there was such a thing as karma. But what I saw at Thompson New Air Force Base completely changed my worldview. Where before the war, I would wake each day with a similar disposition. In Vietnam, however, that reality that horrible things can happen in an instant became my prevailing worldview. I expected the worst after that. When things would go well in my life, there'd be a creeping sense that the good would be replaced by something much worse. I didn't feel I deserved peace. I wasn't even sure that I deserved to live. And on one occasion, I was determined to end it all. I don't say this for your pity. I know many of you have faced unimaginable trauma and that exceeds far exceeds my own. But I say this because we are part of a community that looks out for each other. You can never know when you encounter a fellow veteran or family member what they're going through on the inside. You can't always sense the pain in their hearts or the extent of their sufferings. Sometimes they use humor to mask their inner turmoil. Often they may be withdrawing right in front of you. You can't solve all of their problems. But that doesn't mean we can't help and try to continue to help. It's our duty to introduce them to their programs and opportunities that DAV provides that can give their souls a renewed purpose. You know, the Bible says in First Corinthians chapter 13 verse 13, and now these three remain faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. Our DAV is a living, breathing community that can provide faith, hope, and love. But we must love one another in the very true selfless way that we love our families. And often that's enough to walk someone back from the breach when they're ready to throw in the towel. Before I close my report to the body, I have a lot of people I need to thank. First, I want to thank our members for your faith and confidence in me. Thank you for volunteering for DAV, for giving it your all, and for ensuring that our promises are kept. But I also want to thank Mark Burgess for his steadfast support and leadership for the better part of 30 years. Mark, you fought a good fight. We're glad you're here with us today. And you certainly deserve the peace and comfort that dictates your life to our cause. And I want to thank Barry Jesenowski for making it so easy for me to make such a momentous appointment for our charity. Because between Mark, Barry, Cody, and Randy and the teams that they've assembled, DAV is an extremely good hands. You know, I would, without hesitation, stack our team up against anyone in any industry in the world. And I want to thank my family. Go ahead. They deserve it. But I want to thank my family for making DAV part of their lives. Meg, my darling, you are the greatest partner I can ever imagine. Thanks for bailing me out just like you get a breath. And you have served as First Lady of DAV with amazing grace and poise. You've been my partner, my best friend, and you've made me a better man. DAV and JOE couldn't be luckier than they have you in our lives. Can you stand up and be recognized, please? And I also want to thank our partners in the auxiliary and everyone around the nation who makes DAV an outlet for their generosity. You know, on Wednesday, a different veteran will be getting a new cap and be named DAV's next national commander. And this momentous year for the Parcetus family will be coming to a close, but we will not be far. And DAV will remain a part of our lives. So as I ride off into the sunset, Montana lingo, I want, I want to offer my deepest thanks. I encourage you all to remember what you represent when you're conducting DAV business. You never know when your DAV knowledge can transform a life, change a mind and despair, or make a connection that will replace iniquity with justice. So thank you all for empowering me to serve and may God bless each and every one of you and may God bless our sacred cause. Thank you.