 Ladies and gentlemen, the business session will begin in 10 minutes. Ladies and gentlemen, the business session will begin in 10 minutes. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. The business session is about to begin. Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats. The business session is about to begin. Thank you. Good morning. The convention will now come to order. Order as a reminder to everyone, please turn off your cell phones or portable device or put them in vibrate. Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I like to call on Chaplain Dover to lead us in prayer. Good morning, everyone. Let us pray. Heavenly Creator, we pray for your guidance in the matters at hand and ask that you would clearly show us how to conduct our work with the spirit of joy and enthusiasm. Give us the desire to find ways to excel in our work and help us work together and encourage each other to excellence. Amen. I would like to remind you that in order for a delegate to be heard at this convention, you must be recognized by the chair. Only those delegates at a microphone will be recognized. Upon being so recognized, the delegate must state his or her name, chapter number, and the state that they represent. I would like to call on the Credentials Committee, Chairman Warren Tobin, for a report. Comrade Commander in Delegates, the Credentials Committee met this morning in the Dunwoody Room at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta. Roll call should 1,123 delegates and 79 alternates have registered. This includes 37 departments and 397 chapters which are registered. There are seven national officers, 14 national executive committeemen, and 14 past national commanders registered for a total of 7,933 votes. This partial report is for informational purposes only and reflects registration at the close of business at 7 p.m. on A3 2016. This completes the partial report of the Credentials Committee. Thank you, Warren. This is a reminder that registration will close this morning at 10 a.m. DAV is a non-partisan organization based on our congressional charter. We do not endorse candidates, however, we do want to know their opinions on issues that are important to all veterans. This year, we invited Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump campaigns to participate in our national convention, while both candidates declined our invitation. The Clinton campaign provided this video message for our delegates and members nationwide. Hello, everyone. First and foremost, I want to thank your national commander, Moses McIntosh. Your national adjutant, Mark Burgess, your executive director, Gary Augustine, and all the disabled American veterans, members, and auxiliary members gathered today. I believe with all my heart that supporting America's veterans is a sacred responsibility. Generations of brave men and women have risked everything to protect our nation abroad. That's why we must do everything we can to ensure you are treated with the dignity and respect you deserve when you come back home. I'm not new to this issue. It's been close to my heart for a long time. My dad served during World War II. He always talked about our nation's duty to support all those who've worn the uniform. As a member of the Armed Services Committee in the Senate, I worked day and night to help veterans and military families get the jobs, the healthcare, and the other vital services you deserve. As president, I will keep fighting for veterans and your families. We'll take on long wait times, claims backlogs, and the lack of coordination at the VA. But instead of privatizing the system, we will strengthen it to deliver high quality and specialized care to more people. We will do more to address the invisible wounds of war, like mental health issues, traumatic brain injury, and post-traumatic stress. And together we will end the devastating epidemic of veteran suicides. So DAV, thank you for all you do to help and support America's veterans, from providing rides to appointments, to helping with benefit claims, to connecting veterans to jobs and resources. I'm so grateful for everything you do, and I am so proud to stand with you. On behalf of a grateful nation, God bless you and God bless the United States of America. At this time, I would like to call upon Chairman Rob Reynolds for the final report of the Committee on Constitution and Bylaws. Good morning, Comrade Commander and Delegates. I will now proceed with the second reading of the proposed changes to the Constitution and Bylaws, which are recommended for adoption. In the interest of time, again, I will read only the number and purpose of the resolution. Resolution number 216, amend the third sentence of Article III, Section 3.10, Paragraph 2, Rule 21D, to read as follows. All proposed amendments shall be presented to the Convention no later than the second day prior to the scheduled day of adjournment of the Convention, and voting thereon shall begin the following business day. Resolution number 217, add as Article VI, Section 6.4, Paragraph 8. If a Department, Chapter, County, or District Council, former DAV entity voluntarily or involuntarily ceases to operate as a DAV-related entity, all assets that were held or should have been held by a former DAV entity on the actual date of such cessation, regardless of when finalized or formalized, belong to DAV. Such assets shall be transferred as provided herein. In the case of the cessation of a Department, assets shall be transferred to the National Organization. In the case of the cessation of a Chapter or County or District Council, assets shall be transferred to the State Department, having jurisdiction, or if there is no State Department, to the National Organization. This provision shall not apply in the case of a Chapter mergers approved by the National Executive Committee. This provision shall apply regardless of whether former DA entity constitutes to exist as a legal entity subsequent to its association with DAV. Resolution number 218, delete the last sentence of Article 12, Section 12.3, Paragraph 2, which reads, transportation expenses shall be allowed in addition. Resolution number 219, delete the last sentence of Article 14, Section 14.5, Paragraph 1, which reads, the Board of Directors with the concurrence of a two-thirds majority of the National Executive Committee shall authorize the investment and reinvestment of such portions of the Life Membership Fund as it may determine to be in the best interest of the membership program. Resolution number 220, amend the language of Article 15, Section 15.3, Paragraph 5, to allow departments, chapters, and auxiliary units to conduct their forget-me-not drives at any time during the year so long as the forget-me-not drive by each entity does not exceed seven days. Current language restricts forget-me-not drives to be conducted for seven consecutive days. Resolution number 221, amend the first sentence of Article 19, Section 19.2, to read as follows. The names and contact information of the members of the Disabled American Veterans and its auxiliary in whatever format shall not be used for the commercial purposes in support of any partisan political action committee or for any political use or for any other purpose other than one directly connected to the approved activities of the organization. Current language only protects names and addresses. This change will further protect e-mail addresses in any other form of existing or future forms of contact information. Comrade Commander, on behalf of the committee, I move that the committee recommendations be accepted and that the resolutions be adopted and that the committee be discharged with thanks of the National Convention. If you've heard the motion, may I have a second? Mic one. Mic one. Mic Steinbauer, Chapter 7, District 16, seconds. In accordance with Rule 9, now is the time for any rejected resolutions to be read. Are there any rejected resolutions you wish read? Hearing none, all in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed? The motion carries. I would like to call on Chairman Al Church for the Committee on Finance Report. Comrade Commander and Delegates, the National Convention Committee on Finance was called order July 31st by the Commander, Advisors Raleigh D. Lee, Senior, and Barry Jezanowski. For his owner of business was the election of the Convention Committee Chairman and Secretary. Al Church was elected as Chairman and Rick Patterson was elected as Secretary. There was no resolution submitted to the committee and therefore none recommended for adoption. Committee has expressed its thanks to the committee advisors, Ronnie D. Lee, Senior, and Barry Jezanowski, Comptroller Anita Bloom for their assistance in performing the work of this important committee. I would like to thank my fellow committee members for their service. Comrade Commander, this completes the report of the Committee on Finance. By behalf of the committee, I move for the adoption of the report and as the committee be discharged with the thanks of the National Convention, thank you very much. You've heard the motion. May I have a second? Mike 1. Mike 1. Mike Stein about Chapter 7, District 16 seconds. You heard the motion. We have a second. All in favor signify by saying aye. All opposed? So ordered. Thank you, Al. Next, I would like to call upon Chairman Terry Scow for the report on the Committee on Employment. Comrade Commander and Delegates, the National Convention Committee on Employment was called to order July 31st by the committee advisors Jeff Hall and Leroy Acosta. The first order of business was the election of the Convention Committee Chairman or Secretary. Terry Scow was elected as Chairman and Deborah Olson was elected as Secretary. The committee then proceeded to review the resolutions submitted and I will now report to you the resolutions recommended for adoption by the National Convention for the purposes of saving time. I will read only the number and the purpose of the resolutions. For 51, provide educational benefits for dependents of service-connected veterans rated 80% or more disabled. 52, support veteran preference in public employment. 146, support outreach and employment of women veterans. 148, eliminate the 12-year rule to request VA voc rehab benefits under Chapter 31, leaving the date to apply for that benefit open-ended. 149, provide adequate funding and permanency for veterans employment and or training programs. 150, increase staffing levels of the VA voc rehab and employment service. 151, monitor activities of the mandatory transition GPS program. 152, eliminate the delimiting date for the eligible spouses and surviving spouses for benefits provided under Chapter 35, Title 38 of the United States Code. 153, support licensure and certification of active duty service personnel. 173, transfer the veteran's employment training service to the VA. 176, support legislation to provide reasonable transition periods for all service disabled veterans owned small businesses to retain their federal protectives as following the death of a disabled veteran. 214, remove requirement for tax-free VA compensation to ill and injured veterans as income but rather a monthly benefit as not to affect the financial aid for dependents of veterans. 259, support legislation to exempt veteran rated as permanently and totally disabled due to service-connected disability from federal taxes on forgiveness of student loan indebtedness. 260, protect veterans from employment discrimination when seeking health care for service-connected conditions. 261, support disabled veteran owned small businesses. 262, support legislation enhancing a government-wide goal for participation by small business owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans. 263, oppose using DVOP LVR personnel for food stamp or public assistance programs. 264, support fraud prevention controls over service-disabled veteran owned small business program. 265, eliminate annual submission of employment verification questionnaire by veterans in receipt of individual unemployed benefits. 266, support verification employments for veterans' businesses within the VA. Comrade Commander, this completes the report of the Committee on Employment on behalf of the Committee on Move for the Adoption of the Resolution and that the committee be discharged with a vote of thanks and also thanks to Jeff Hall. Jeff has done a great job as the chair of the employment program for the DAV and hats off to them. You've heard the motion. May I have a second? Comrade Commander, Joel Jimenez from the great state of Texas, I second that motion. In accordance with Rule 9, now is the time for any rejected resolutions to be read. Are there any rejected resolutions you wish read? Hearing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Oppose? So ordered. I would like to call upon Chairman Al Linden for the report of the Committee on Legislation and Veterans' Rights. The National Convention Committee on Legislation and Veterans' Rights was called to order on August 1, 2016 by the committee advisors, Joey Yelum and Paul Valera. The first order of business was the election of Convention Committee Chairman and Secretary. Al Linden was elected as chairman and Al LaBelle was elected as the secretary. The committee then proceeded to review the resolutions submitted and I will report to you the resolutions recommended for adoption by the National Convention. For the purposes of saving time, I will read only the number and the purpose of the resolution. Number eight, oppose reduction taxation and elimination of veterans' benefits. Number nine, support legislation to remove the prohibition against concurrent receipt of SBP and DIC. Number ten, support legislation to provide for service connection for disabling conditions resulting from toxic and environmental exposures. Number 11, support legislation to allow all veterans to recover amounts withheld as tax on disability severance pay. Number 12, expand POW presumptions and eligibility for DIC to surviving spouses of certain former prisoners of war. Number 13, support legislation to provide for realistic cost of living allowances. Number 14, support legislation to exclude veterans' disability compensation from accountability income for purposes of eligibility to benefits and services under other government programs. 15, oppose any proposal that would offset the payments of social security, disability insurance benefits, or any other federal benefit by VA compensation. Number 16, oppose subjecting compensation to means testing. Number 17, oppose the permanent rounding down of colas in veterans' benefits. Number 18, support legislation to clarify the service in waters offshore of Vietnam establishes a presumption of exposure to Asian orange. Number 19, oppose any recommendations by any commission to reduce or eliminate benefits for disabled veterans. Number 20, support a change in regulatory requirements for temporary and total reading. Number 21, support legislation to reduce the 10-year rule for dependency and indemnity compensation. Number 22, support legislation to provide a temporary total rating for the period that an amputee has a new prosthetic device constructed. Number 23, support legislation to award special monthly compensation, R-Paren 1, to veterans with anatomical loss or loss of use of three extremities. 24, support interest payments for disabled veterans' department of veterans affairs retroactive awards of one year or more. Number 25, support legislation to provide a realistic increase in VA compensation rates to address loss of quality of life. Number 26, support reasonable presumption period for undiagnosed illnesses of golf or veterans. Number 27, support VA new practices in evaluating disability claims for residuals of military sexual trauma. Number 28, support legislation that would exempt the service-connected benefits from the pay-go and cut-go and any caps on sequestration legislation. Number 29, amend the law to provide 10-year protection for service-connected disabled evaluation. Number 30, support legislation authorizing the presumption of service connection for all radiological diseases and elimination of dose exposure estimates. Number 31, extend eligibility for mortgage protection life insurance for 100% service-connected veterans. Number 32, support an increase in the Department of Veterans Affairs' burial allowance for service-connected veterans. Number 33, increase benefit rate for the home improvement and structural alterations HESA grant. Number 34, oppose regional dispersion of the Board of Veterans Appeals. Number 35, support legislation to cap attorney's fees for benefits consulting and claims service before the VA. 65, provide an open period to apply for service-connected veterans insurance, RH. Support legislation to reduce premiums for service-disabled veterans insurance to be more consistent with life expectancy. Number 67, support legislation to provide for waiver of premiums for supplemental service-disabled veterans insurance, RH. Number 68, support meaningful accountability measures but with due process for employees of the VA. 109, support legislation to increase disability compensation. 110, support legislation to allow concurrent receipt of longevity, retired pay, and veterans disability compensation. 111, support legislation to provide for presumptive service connection for tinnitus and hearing loss. Number 112, support legislation providing that SSB payments not be withheld from VA disability compensation payments. Number 113, oppose any change that would redefine service connection disability or restriction or restrict the conditions or the circumstances under which it may be established. Number 114, consider treatment for presumptive service-connected conditions as a claim for VA compensation. 115, oppose lump sum payments of service-connected disabilities. 117, oppose the imposition of time limits for filing disabled compensation claims. 155, support elimination of a link between consistency and continuity of chronic diseases listed in title 38 CFR section 3.309. Number 157, support legislation for presumptive service connection for diseases related to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. Number 161, support legislation to clarify that service at air bases in Thailand during the Vietnam War establishes a presumption of exposure to Asian orange. Number 199, include service connection amputees whose amputation is at or above the wrist or ankle and who subsequently develops ischemic or other cardiovascular disease. Number 215, eliminate the requirement that Persian Gulf veteran disabilities must come manifested no later than December 31, 2016. Number 222, support meaningful claims and appeals process reform. Number 223, amend the VA schedule for rating disabilities for mental disorders. Number 224, support sufficient, timely and predictable funding for all VA programs, benefits and services. Number 225, provide a compensatable rate for hearing impaired veterans required to use a hearing aid. Number 226, support a more liberal review of other than honorable discharges in the cases of PTSD, TBI, MST and other trauma for the purposes of eligibility for VA benefits. Number 227, support legislation to require the court of veterans appeals for veteran claims to decide each of the appellate assignment of errors. Number 228, oppose all attempts to change the basis of the Department of Veterans Affairs rating schedule from average impairments of earnings capacity standard. Number 229, compensate Persian Gulf veterans suffering from illnesses circumstantially linked to their service in the Persian Gulf War. Number 230, support legislation that provides VA to consider private medical evidence provided by a licensed private health care provider. 231, increase the face value of service disabled veterans insurance, RH. Number 232, increase the grant and special adaptive equipment reimbursement rates for automobiles and other conveniences for certain disabled veterans and authorize the reimbursement for new adaptive equipment technologies. 233, amend provisions regarding eligibility for automobile adaptive equipment to include any veteran whose service-connected disability inhibits him, his or her ability to safely operate a motor vehicle. Comrade Commander, this completes the report of the Committee on Legislation and Veterans' Rights. On behalf of the Committee, I move for the adoption of these resolutions and that the Committee be discharged with the thanks of the National Convention. You've heard the motion. May I have a second? Mike 1? Thomas Walls from the great state of South Carolina. Seconds in motion. Thank you, Thomas. In accordance with Rule 9, now is the time for any rejected resolutions to be read. Are there any rejected resolutions you wish read? Hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying aye. Opposed? So ordered. At this time, I would like to call on Chairman Kurt Johnson for the report on the Committee on Hospital and Voluntary Services. Good morning. Comrade Commander in Delegates, the National Convention Committee on Hospital and Voluntary Services was called to order on August 1, 2016 by the Committee Advisors Adrian Adizato and John Cline Dentz. This first order of business was the election of a Convention Committee Chairman and Secretary. I, Kurt Johnson, was elected as Chairman and Wanda Janus was elected as Secretary. The Committee then proceeded to review the resolution submitted and I will now report to you the resolutions recommended for adoption by the National Convention. For the purpose of saving time, I will read only the number and purpose of the resolution. Resolution 44. Support legislation to require the President, Vice President, and members of Congress to receive health care exclusively from the VA. 46. 46. Support congressional funding for the creation of a VA Rehabilitative Special Event Office. 49. Support new models of care within the VA and veterans with dementia. 55. Support the rights and benefits earned by Native American and Alaskan Native veterans. 56. Support sufficient resources for VA to improve health care for veterans living in rural and remote areas. 57. Require a veteran's attending VA physician to provide a medical opinion with regard to a claim for VA disability compensation benefits when requested. 58. Support consistent reasonable access for power driven mobility devices. 59. Reduce VA medication co-payment equal to or less than the lowest charged by private sector commercial outlets. 81. Apply a consistent coordinated care policy in the VA for traveling veterans. 82. Support top priority access for service connected veterans within the VA health care system. 83. Support VA medical and prosthetic research programs. 84. Support legislation to improve VA programs designed to prevent intrigue substance use disorders in veterans. 46. Support enhancement of medical services through modernization of VA health care infrastructure. 47. Support state veteran home program. 48. Support legislation to extend eligibility of a qualified veteran adult child for Chomp VA. 49. Support enhanced medical services and benefits for women veterans. 31. Support legislation to provide comprehensive support services for caregivers of severely wounded, injured, and ill veterans from all eras. 32. Ensure timely access to quality VA health care and medical services. 33. Adequally fund and sustain the successful readjustment counseling service of a VA and its highly effective vet center program. 34. Oppose means testing service connected veterans for VA health care. 35. Support legislation to eliminate or reduce VA and Department of Defense health care co-payment costs to service connected disabled veterans. 36. Support legislation to establish a comprehensive program for traumatic brain injury rehabilitation. 37. Support humane consistent pain management programs in the veterans health care system. 38. Support enhanced treatment for military sexual trauma. 39. Support sustained sufficient funding to improve services for homeless veterans. 40. Support programs to provide psychological support and mental health counseling services to family members of veterans suffering from post deployment mental health challenges or other service connected conditions. 41. Oppose third party payments for service connected disabilities. 42. Enhance long-term services and supports to service connected disabled veterans. 43. Support repeal of beneficiary travel pay deductible for service connected disabled veterans and increase sustained beneficiary travel reimbursement rates. 41. Support benefits 171. Require assistive technology training for VA staff who work to rehabilitate blind veterans. 32. Provide comprehensive dental care to all service connected veterans. 32. Improved the care and benefits for veterans exposed to military toxic and environmental hazards. 33. Strengthen reform and sustain the VA health care system. 239. Encourage VA to process volunteer applications in a timely manner. 240. Establish urgent care benefits and improve emergency care benefits. 241. Provide easy and equitable access to VA transportation benefits and services. 242. Improve eligibility for temporary programs to access care in the community. 243. Increase capacity at VA facilities by operating extended hours and weekends. 244. Support the provision of comprehensive VA health care services to enroll veterans. 245. Oppose recommendation that eligible military retired veterans be prohibited from receiving health care to both Department of Defense and VA facilities. 246. Errors the VA to support comprehensive research on health effects of children of male Vietnam veterans exposed to Asian orange. 247. Support legislation to eliminate or reduce VA and DOD health care out of pocket cost for service connected disabled veterans. 248. Provide beneficiary travel benefits for unscheduled acute and urgent care from VA. 249. Support full funding and resources for polytrauma units at VA medical centers. 250. Support program improvements and enhanced resources for VA mental health programs. 251. Support legislation to authorize scholarships for new mental health practitioners in exchange for agreement to serve veterans in VA facilities. 252. Support sufficient funding for VA prosthetics and sensory aid service and timely delivery of prosthetic items. 253. Support consistent reasonable access for service and guide dogs in VA facilities. 254. Enhanced Champ VA services. 255. Improve timely reimbursement by VA for purchase care and protect veterans from debt collection and adverse credit reporting associated with such care. 256. Improve the care provided to veterans with service connected disabilities affecting the ability to procreate through assistant reproductive technology. 257. Encourage the Department of Veterans Affairs to submit candidate for the George H. Seal Memorial Award program. 258. Encourage the Department of Veterans Affairs to submit candidate for Jesse Brown Memorial Youth Scholarship Program. 270. Extend appreciation to the Department of Veterans Affairs Atlanta Health Care System for the excess of 95th DAV National Convention. Commander, this completes the report of the committee and House Bill of Voluntary Services. On behalf of the committee, I move the adoption of these resolutions and the committee be discharged with the thanks of the National Convention. You've heard the motion. May I have a second? Mike? Mike 1? Sorry, sorry. Tynesie Lynch, Convention Chair, Department of Georgia, second. Thank you, Tynesie. In accordance with Rule 9, now is the time for any rejected resolutions to be read. Are there any rejected resolutions you wish to be read? Hearing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye. Aye. Opposed? So ordered. Thank you. I would like to call upon Chairman John Parker for the report on the committee on General Resolutions and Membership. Excuse me. Report of the National Convention, Chairman, on the General Resolutions. Come on, Commander, and delegates. The National Convention Committee on General Resolutions was called to order on July 31st by the committee advisors, Sharon DeLove and Scott Hope. The first order of business was election of a Convention Chairman and Secretary. I, John Parker, was elected as Chairman, and Brandy Ijak was elected as Secretary. The committee then proceeded to review the resolution submitted, and I will now report to you the resolutions recommended for adoption by this National Convention. For the purposes of saving time, I will read only the number and purpose of the resolutions. 036, extend military commissar and exchange privileges and space available air travel to 30% or higher service-connected disabled veterans separated from service prior to October 1949. 037, seek the immediate release of any Americans who may be held captive following World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, and the return of the remains of any Americans who died during these wars. 038, oppose any authorization of use of members of the armed forces for human experimentation without their knowledge and informed consent. 039, encourage all disabled veterans to become registered voters and vote. 040, condemn public desecration of the flag of the United States. 041, support the construction of a courthouse for the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. 092, formal application for citizen stamp advisory committee to honor DAV on its 100th anniversary. 121, extend service, excuse me, extend space available air travel aboard military aircraft to 100% service-connected veterans. 0124, support establishment of nationwide veterans' treatment courts for justice-involved veterans. 019, support the defense POW-MIA accounting agency. 234, support move to renew prisoner of war missing in action discussions. 235, support former POW slave labor claims against Japanese firms. 267, appreciation to all who are responsible for the success of the 95th National Convention. 268, appreciation to Hyatt Regency Atlanta for the success of the 95th National Convention. 269, appreciation to National Commander Moses A. Macintosh Jr. According to tradition, I will read Resolution Number 269, appreciation to National Commander Macintosh in its entirety. Whereas, Moses A. Macintosh Jr. of Hepadunk, Georgia, that place was served armly in the United States Air Force and the United States Army from 1977 until his retirement at the rank of Chief Warrant Officer in 1997. Whereas, Mr. Macintosh completed an inter-service transfer to the U.S. Army in 1989 and attended Warrant Officer training as well as Army aviation flight training, qualifying to pilot UH-1 and UH-60 assault helicopters. Whereas, Warrant Officer Macintosh logged more than 2,800 flight hours, including 25 combat missions during Operation Shield and Desert Storm. Whereas, Mr. Macintosh earned a Bachelor of General Studies from Louisiana Tech University, a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland, and a Master of Science degree in Human Resource Management from the Troy State University. Whereas, Mr. Macintosh has been a DAV member since his military retirement and is a life member of D.A. Newton Rockdale Chapter 55 in Covington, Georgia. Whereas, Mr. Macintosh previously served as Chairman of the DAV Department of Georgia Finance Committee as National Convention Chairman, was appointed to the National Interim Membership Committee and National Ninth District Executive Committee and whereas Mr. Macintosh was elected as DAV's National Fourth Junior Vice Commander in 2011 and was unanimously elected as DAV National Commander at our 2015 National Convention in Denver, Colorado and whereas, Commander Macintosh has shown outstanding leadership during this year as National Commander and stands as an inspiration and a total role model for all those who fall and whereas Commander Macintosh kept the membership well informed on its matters that affect veterans, their dependents and survivors and has kept constant watch to ensure that current and future veterans and their families obtain the benefits and services they have earned and whereas during his tenure as Commander, Mr. Macintosh endeavored to intensify DAV's commitment to the families of injured and ill veterans to expand and enhance and concept of belonging to promote institutionalized and reinforced DAV values among our members and supporters. Now, therefore be it resolved that DAV National Convention assembled in Atlanta, Georgia, July 31st, 2016 to August 3rd, 2016 expresses our heartfelt appreciation and profound gratitude to National Commander Macintosh for his devotion and selfless service, professionalism, excuse me, National Commander Macintosh for his devotion, selfless service, professionalism and dedication to his fellow wounded, ill and injured veterans and their families for the DAV during his year as DAV National Commander and be it further resolved that DAV salutes and extends our sincere appreciation to Commander Macintosh's wife Marjorie, Dara Mishir and Paige and his extended family for their steadfast support during his year as our National DAV National Commander. One more resolution to read 122, extend commissary and exchange privileges to service connected disabled veterans and their dependents, continuing. Comma Commander, this completes the report of the Committee on General Resolution on behalf of the committee. I move the adoption of the resolutions and that the committee be discharged with a thanks to the National Convention. You heard the motion. May I have a second? Mic 2. Mic 2. Micah Geary, State Commander from Minnesota, District 14, seconds that motion. Thank you. In accordance with Rule 9, now is the time for any rejected resolutions to be read. Are there any rejected resolutions you wish to be read? Hearing none, all in favor signify by saying aye. Opposed? So ordered. It is an honor and a pleasure to introduce the President of the Disabled Charitable Service Trust, Richard Marbs, a Wisconsin native Mr. Marbs enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1955 and served as an airborne radio operator. While assigned to the medical evacuation and troop carrying squadrons in France and Germany, he was himself medically evacuated back to the United States following an injury that resulted in the amputation of his leg. He was medically retired due to service connected disabilities in 1958. Mr. Marbs was a life member and chapter service officer for Chapter 3 in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he has held numerous elected positions. In 1978, Mr. Marbs fellow Wisconsin veterans honored his service by naming him the Wisconsin Disabled Veteran of the Year. In 1987, after many years in the printing industry, Mr. Marbs decided to pursue his passion for helping ill and injured veterans full time. Since then, he has served in many capacities at the chapter, department, and national levels, including serving as DAV national commander from 1993 to 1994. He remains steadfast in his commitment to veterans and serve as a role model for America's ill and injured heroes beginning the road to recovery. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming the President of the DAV Charitable Service Trust, Dick Marbs. Thank you, Commander Moses, for that kind introduction. And let me also extend the DAV Charitable Service Trust's gratitude to National Adjutant, Mark Burgess, our national officers, our delegates, and guests. As President, let me introduce the Trust Governing Board. They are Vice President Mark Burgess from Kentucky, Secretary Treasurer Dave Tannenbaum of Florida, and our directors, Danny Oliver of Oklahoma, Nancy Espinoza of Utah, and Denise Williams from Virginia. On behalf of the Trust and our Board, I am proud to present our annual report to this National Convention. There have been tough times for veterans in the past, and many have struggled to find both answers and a sense of faith in the nation's ability to provide them with the care they were promised when they were faced with illness or injuries. In my view, that makes what we do all the more important. The DAV Charitable Service Trust helps fill in those gaps in local community care, programs, and services where veterans and their families are in need. In times like these, I believe the Trust's efforts truly shine and are the most critical. The Trust can't do it alone, nor could its partners. We rely on public support. There are many ways to contribute to the Trust's mission of service, like the Combined Federal Campaign, United Way and Workplace Giving, corporate matching gift programs, bequests, and other forms of contributions from corporations, foundations, and individual donors to enable the Trust to fulfill its mission. In 2015, these gifts, along with income derived from investments, totaled more than $6.9 million, allowing the DAV Charitable Service Trust to devote nearly $6.3 million toward the critical health services, homeless support, employment, and transition assistance, and much more. The Trust has demonstrated how fiscal responsibility maximizes the impact of our assistance. Once again, putting more than $0.97 out of every dollar we receive directly toward programs that support veterans and their families. Last year, we attained a coveted four-star rating for sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency from Charity Navigator for the 11th time since being evaluated. As Charity Navigator is the largest independent Charity Evaluator, I could not be more proud of that. Of more than 7,000 listed charities on the site, only a third achieved that benchmark. This, I believe, a testament to our dedication to veterans and our commitment to being a sound steward of donor funds. In 2015, more than 80 organizations were granted essential funding to maintain programs that support veterans and their families. The Trust allowed for veterans to access a wide range of services, from basic necessities to career readiness and medical or mental health care. Rehabilitation helps advance treatment for mental, physical, and emotional ailments. The therapeutic programs supported by the Trust provide an opportunity for ill and injured veterans to challenge their perceptions and change the course of their lives. Because families play a pivotal role in preparing service members for deployment, the Trust placed an emphasis in 2015 on assisting organizations dedicated to helping families heal together. The Trust supported initiatives that provide direct financial assistance to veterans and military families facing emergency situations related to housing and transportation, and that aid homeless and at-risk veterans through emergency assistance. Employment and education are also major components for veterans as they work to return to normalcy after an unexpected injury. Trust grants help veterans develop the skills necessary to obtain jobs in health information technology and supported efforts to empower veteran entrepreneurs. As many of you know, veterans can sometimes face unforeseen consequences as a result of their service injuries. Fortunately, the Trust had dedicated itself to initiatives that provide services to improve the quality of life for veterans. Trust grants support wellness support, mentoring programs, and alternative therapies to improve the future of veterans and their families. You may have noticed a lot of differences, but also a lot of similarities among the grant recipients from the past year. That's because the Trust supports programs that address a wide variety of the trials faced by our fellow veterans on their road to recovery. But there's one group that doesn't get a lot of attention or praise for the role it plays in the recovery and rehabilitation of injured and ill service members. And that's man's best friend. Since 2011, Warrior Canine Connection has helped more than 3,000 active duty service members and veterans through its mission-based trauma recovery program. Aimed at addressing post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury, the Maryland-based nonprofit follows the veterans' helping model to pair a veteran's service dog trainer with a veteran in need of one. With help from the Trust, Warrior Canine Connection was able to increase the capacity of veterans served at each of its eight sites. Let's take a quick look at how this program is helping to change the lives of some of our ill and injured service members. I'm thrilled to share this with all of you. This is a story of healing from wounds of war, especially the psychological wounds. A terrific organization called the Warrior Canine Connection helps do this by bringing together wounded soldiers and man's best friend. And I recently sat down with two soldiers whose lives were changed by one very special dog. Absolutely. Justin Lansford and his longtime girlfriend Carol Bombs loved doting on their golden retriever Gabe. But there is much more to this four-legged friend than meets the eye. What does Gabe mean to you? The less I use my chair, my wheelchair, the more I need his help in smaller tasks and the more he's there. It's been very comforting to know that. Can you tell me about your injury? How it happened? I was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne and we were in East Eastern Afghanistan in early 2012. We struck an IED and it flipped my truck completely. I had bilaterally severed femurs, which resulted in the amputation of my left leg. While recovering at Walter Reed, Justin was introduced to Gabe through the Warrior Canine Connection. What are some of the things you couldn't do before Gabe? There were things that were significantly more difficult. I have a prosthetic lubricant. I'll have him run and grab my spray and he'll pick it up and bring it to me so I can put my leg on. And from there it just kind of snowballs. He's helping me with one thing after the next. Brace. He can help me to and from the ground. If I wanted to get on the ground I can use him as kind of a brace and I can lean on him to get onto and off of the ground. Gabe is always at the ready and it begins from the minute Justin comes home. How does he help you get in and out? Oh he can open the door. Okay, here. Okay, get the door. That's it. Oh my gosh. Good boy, Gabe. Every day? Good boy. Anything you need? Oh, anything I need. At just two years old, Gabe has been working as Justin's service dog for five months, but Justin isn't the first veteran's life Gabe has touched. I was on a dismount patrol on the Afghanistan-Pac-San border. I see a kid, you know, maybe 15 years old, suicide bomber. You knew what it was. What do you remember from that moment? I just remember a big, you know, loud noise, you know, big flash and I remember landing. To help with his post-traumatic stress disorder, Spencer Milo's doctor suggested he work with a puppy named Gabe, who was a candidate for the warrior canine connection. It was really hard to go back into public without being so on edge that it made others uncomfortable. In training, Gabe, it really helped heal you. I ended up going with Gabe on the metro. Could you have done that without Gabe? Not a chance. And you know, it's funny, so we went on the metro. We went to a grocery store. By the time I got done with a grocery store, I remember sitting there and talking to a couple of people that I was with and myself, more or less myself, like I just did that. We're involving the service members in the process of training the dogs and through that process, they're teaching the dog that the world is a safe place to incorporate that same notion that the world truly is a safe place in the civilian world. Spencer hadn't seen Gabe since he finished training him to become Justin's service dog. But on this day, he traveled to Maryland from Colorado to Matt, who had never met, sharing such a special bond. Look at you. Look at you. You're so handsome. It's pretty remarkable to think that one dog could have such an impact on two lives. I owe everything to Gabe. I mean, I would jump in front of a bus for Gabe in a heartbeat, you know, and I know he would do the same for me. I know he'd do the same for Justin, so, you know, that's that's the kind of connection that you have. I don't really have a chance to say, you know, thank you to Spencer for for working with Gabe and getting Gabe to a point where he could work and help me and being able to see Spencer face to face has been awesome. I want to say thank you to both of those men for letting us into their lives and Spencer was really sad to leave Gabe, but he knows they're a family now and and they will forever be bonded by Gabe and what he's done for both of their lives. This program is unbelievable. They have a new litter of puppies coming out. You can go to their website and and look at the puppies and support them in any way you can. That's good. Thank you for bringing us that story. Just incredible. That's all on good morning right at dot com on yahoo. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming warrior canine connections executive director Rick Yount. Good morning everyone. It's quite an honor to be in your midst here today and my name is Rick Yount. I'm the founder and executive director of warrior canine connection. I have to introduce Gabe's father. This is Huff. I've been a social worker about 28 years and 20 years ago I fell into the field of animal assisted therapy when a golden retriever named Gabe, actually Gabe's grandfather Huff's father, a gift Christmas present about eight week old puppy that I received. You're not supposed to do that, but two buddies of mine didn't know that and about four months old this puppy had mastered the skill of applying a major amounts of guilt as I was heading off to work and that particular morning he convinced me that if I didn't take him to work he was going to die and at the time was working with with at-risk kids and specialized foster care and immediately I saw the impact that that that pup could have on kids that were going through quite a bit of trauma. Fast-forwarding about 10 years ago I came up with this idea of having veterans and service members who were in treatment for post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury and engaging them in learning how to help us train mobility service dogs for fellow veterans. So we're coupling the human-animal bond and the power of that with the warrior ethos, the sense of taking care of your own and combining those two to create the warrior canine connection and eight years ago I had a chance to pilot this at the the Palo Alto VA trauma recovery program in Menlo Park, California and I had quite a few hands went up when we introduced this idea and asked for volunteers in the trauma recovery residential treatment program. So three Marines active duty Marines stepped forward to take on the task of learning how to train three gold retrievers to become service dogs to help veterans and as I explained to the three candidates how we were going to do that and I shared that we have to form a bond with a dog and you have to learn how to give commands and you have to be comfortable being assertive you know you can't be passive and ask the dog to do it down because they'll ignore you and you can't be aggressive because these are very soft going retrievers so when you give the down command I need you to sound like Arnold Schwarzenegger and say down okay not a problem one of the Marines actually was a drill instructor but the next the next part of it the next task kind of threw him a curve because it said be ready because once the dog's belly touches the ground in that fraction of a second after you said down I need you to praise the dog and instead of sounding like Arnold Schwarzenegger you're going to need to sound a lot more like Richard Simmons so I said I'll demonstrate down yes good boy all right so guess what happened guess what happened these three Marines who had severe post-traumatic stress I mean they were incredibly emotionally numb isolating and very a lot of depression they were struggling a lot and the drill instructor time out Rick and he said did they tell you that we have post-traumatic stress like I just walked off the street and didn't know where I was he said we're we're emotionally numb we don't sound like Richard Simmons I grew up in western Pennsylvania it was hard for me to get that praise voice let alone say it in the crowd my answer to him was look I'm not saying you have to be happy but in order to train this dog effectively to pull the wheelchair of a fellow veteran or get things out of the refrigerator you don't have to be happy but you're going to have to pretend to sound happy to effectively train this dog I had him in a corner he wasn't going to say I'm no I'm not going to pretend to sound happy when I just gave him a real reason it's mission-based so we started on that path and within a week he was sounding a lot like Richard Simmons because it was working now about four weeks into it when he was asked what are you getting out of this program by the house veterans affairs staff that were out there in Menlo Park his answer really inspired me for the years to come he said ma'am before I started training this dog my wife and I were getting ready to divorce and it was mostly because the way I was treating my three-year-old son I couldn't turn off what I did at work and I was being rather harsh with him but I started applying the praise and the patience that I've been learning and training this dog and I started using that on my weekend passes with my son and I credit was saving my marriage because it taught me how to reconnect with my son on a three-year-olds level training a service dog takes an amazing amount of patience an amazing amount of emotional regulation you have to take the dogs out in the public to teach the dog the world to save place when the dumpster door slams we throw parties so you can imagine how this impacts someone who's struggling with their intrusive thoughts that a dumpster door slamming is something other than a party so over the last eight years we've had the opportunity to bring the program from Pella Alto VA to Walter Reed the National Intrepid Center of Excellence in Bethesda and also Fort Belvoir Virginia you saw Gabe there were at least 60 service members that participated in Gabe's training over the two years that took him to become a service dog so the math is good we're affecting a lot of folks in a positive way with each dog that we breed we use gold retrievers and labs that are purpose-bred we name the puppies after service members who were injured or were killed in action involving gold star parents in helping to come out and nurture the puppies that were named after their son or daughter so we're really squeezing every therapeutic drop out of every pup that we work with and I I just can't express my deepest gratitude for DAV in supporting what we're doing it's very important it's non-pharmaceutical and we're involved in some terrific research to get the data even though we've known this for 30,000 years you know we we still need the data and we're happy to say that we're we're engaged in that research now at Walter Reed so for the bottom of my heart thank you all for supporting what we do it's an honor thank you rick your work clearly shows the impact of providing canine connections to our injured veterans and is a great example of the DAV charitable service trust commitment to improving veterans quality of life there are so many unmet needs that veterans their families and survivors face that's where we need your help the most there are a few ways specifically you can help make a difference make the suggestion that the DAV charitable service trust is a deserving beneficiary for gifts through united way and combined federal campaigns and when you do your online shopping head to amazon smile dot com and select the trust is your beneficial all in the name of our brothers and sisters who served this nation and let me take this opportunity to acknowledge the trust administrator Bridget Sorrell and her very very uh curie it's a small change that can make a big impact when you make your purchase as i close out this year's report i want to thank each of you for the work you've done and the work you continue to do working staff back at national headquarters who give the board all the support that they do for our day-to-day operation we really rely on them and they help us to make some challenging decisions throughout the year thank you commander for the opportunity to make this presentation and recognize the tremendous services and support very provided by the trust grant recipients that concludes my report thank you all for your very kind attention god bless you god bless the united states of america thank you dick may i have a motion to accept that impressive report mike one mike one michael shanky commander chapter three from the great city and state of green bay wisconsin i second that motion may i have a second king mike one mike one mike steinbach california chapter seven seconds thank you all those in favor signify by saying i oppose so ordered i believe i speak for veteran all veterans when i say we are internally grateful for da v's unique role in the implementation of the american veterans disabled for life memorial which has become a prominent monument in washington dc we are joined today by a well known da v leader who has been on the ground floor for our efforts to establish the memorial and has been a contingent's present and advocate for its use da v past national commander denise jarner is the president of the disabled veterans life memorial foundation and it is to be credited with ensuring the memorial effectively represent america's heroes mr journal serving the united states army ninth infantry division in vietnam while on patrol in june 1969 in vietnam's maycon delta he became a triple amputee due to a land mine explosion he received the bronze star and the purple heart mr journal da v leadership includes all elected offices in da v chapter 36 in vandagriff pennsylvania service as a service officer in the da v department of pennsylvania in two years as da v department of california adjutant during mr journal's term as national commander in 1983 and 1984 president reagan named him the nation's handicap american of the year please welcome da v past national commander and dvl mf board president denise jarner thank you thank you commander thank you all right thank you commander macintosh for your kind introduction adjutant burges national officers delegates and guests it has been nearly two years since our dream of a disabled american veteran memorial became a reality and i want to thank you and all of my brothers and sisters at the da v and the da v auxiliary for the hard work that made it happen as mark mentioned during the joint opening session at registration each of you receive the lending of courage a new book published by the memorial foundation the book is literally hot off the presses and you are the first to receive the advance copy it will be officially released next month to commemorate the second anniversary of the memorial's dedication as i read through the book last night i was reminded of the integral role da v and each of you served in in creating this permanent tribute to america's disabled veterans the foundation board was led by da v leaders da v was the leading donor including hundreds of chapters and thousands of members and several quotations permanently etched in memorial's glass panels were spoken by our own members including past national commanders billy kirby and bobby berera national service officer felicia weston and the late jessie brown the da v executive director and secretary for veterans affairs since its inception the memorial has been the site for many veterans and families to reflect and to honor our nation's heroes but let me begin by introducing the disabled veterans life memorial foundation board of directors vice president mark burges from kentucky secretary treasurer gene murphy from south dakota and our directors national commander moses mackintosh of georgia jim sersley of florida dav gorman of south carolina bobby berera from texas and our ex officio member art welson as the commander noted the opening of the american veterans disabled for life memorial in washington dc in 2014 was a significant end to a very long but exceptionally worthwhile journey spanning nearly two decades from inception to dedication of this unique inspiring and powerful monument in the last year the memorial has been site has been a site to a public service campaign intended to raise the public's awareness of da v and the services that we are able to offer ill and injured veterans and their families through a da v partnership with the history channel messages featuring mike wolf from the show american pickers were promoted produced to promote da v services to veterans and their families these messages were shared through television online vignettes and social media board of director jim sersley and da v life member brian meyer visited the memorial with mike wolf host of history channels american pickers where they shared their combat stories and were presented with mementos from their respective times serving in the military the psas were aired on broadcast television online and on social media reaching more than 2.6 million people here's a look at one of the pieces that came out of these efforts every day there's a battle being fought and it's being fought right here in the u.s. thousands of disabled veterans are coming home and they aren't getting the support they deserve today we're at the american veterans disabled for life memorial i met up with da v members jim sersley and brian meyer i wanted to present them with something meaningful that reminded them of their time in the service tell me how you guys met well brian and i first met on a bear hunt in british columbia supported by the disabled american veterans and we've just made become good friends and stuck together and done a lot of activity since that time jim's a mentor of mine in that you know he's been an amputee for so much longer than i have i always take tips from him tv's a little bit like a family in that you know you're always checking in on each other and making sure everybody's doing well tell me about your time in the service so i was in country in vietnam with an infantry unit for about 10 and a half months and on january 11th 1969 i stepped on a landmine that resulted in the loss of both of my legs in my left arm it just motivates me to be around brian and the younger generation of evidence i brought a few things that you guys might recognize and may have some meaning to you i'm gonna start with you jim oh look at that all right check this out it smells like the old check that oh yeah some great sea rations yeah fruit cocktail that was one of my favorites it really was you know when the interesting thing about these when i was in vietnam was the first set of sea rations i ate were packaged in 1948 and that was in 1968 meal combat individual wonderful stuff people waiting line for a can of that oh yeah ham and lima beans they were they were tough i was from the midwest i don't think we ate that stuff up there oh that's a p 38 that's a can opener that's what you used to open all these little cans with that was definitely one of the essential tools if you were gonna have a meal the p 38 p 38 and it had a little hole on it so you wore it on your dog tag chain so that you never lost it so i joined the marine corps in 2000 right after high school in march 14th 2011 i was taken apart a bomb and blew up on my right hand how long were you over there before that happened that was six months into my seven month appointment well i've got some gear that i brought that i wanted to show you start out with this the classic kevlar there you don't want to ride in a battle with anything that feels less than perfect i spent a lot of my own money on my own gear classic ready for that yep so we call them flak jackets because they were in vietnam but this is actually an interceptor but we always call them where's your flak at or whatever yeah carry over from james generation oh check that out you have the eod patch here complete with the complete the eod gerber these tools were indispensable these multi tools they specifically have the c4 punch in them you know you can't push a boxing cap into those c4 blocks without a hole in them every eod technician sort of has is like a bomb kit that he would wear on his chest these digging knives were instrumental when we dug in the ground sometimes you know it would be more difficult we would use to dig so an eod were the pickers one of the pickers of the military so this is pretty well put to get the kit there's a lot of things da v does to support disabled veterans but the key thing that we do most significantly is provide leadership and guidance in the claims representation process to make sure that every single disabled veteran gets the benefits they so richly deserve and have earned by their military service i'm so grateful for organizations like da v because i don't know where i'd be without the support that i had and support is instrumental in my recovery for me it's all about paying it forward you know and making sure other people find that inner strength as well i want to thank you guys both for your service and for being here today and for the work that you guys are doing for da v well mike we appreciate the opportunity to be part of this on behalf of da v it was an honor for both of us to be here today i had an amazing day here at the american veterans disabled for life memorial da v has a powerful voice for veterans and their families the message we convey today to people like brian and certainly others that da v is there for them as much today as they were for me and we just welcome the opportunity to bring these young men and women home today there are 22 million veterans in our country and they deserve our support to learn more about how da v helps veterans go to da v dot org in addition to our public awareness campaign the memorial was host to the closing ceremonies of spartan weekend a weekend collaboration between da v an alliance of other groups to raise awareness and reach out to veterans at risk for suicide the ceremony included dozens of veterans taking a mass spartan pledge the pledge is a promise a veteran makes to reach out to their battle buddy before doing harm to themselves a newly created spartan sword made from 25 pounds of steel melded down from the fallen world trade centers was used to administer the pledge by our past national commander fellow vietnam veteran and my good friend bobby berera the event which was held on mother's day also honored gold star mothers i personally had the opportunity to attend the memorial ceremony and share my personal story the site of dozens of veterans touching the sword reaching out to each other and vowing to stop the veteran suicide epidemic at our memorial is a picture that i'll hold in my heart for a long long time through organized events broadcasts and by word of mouth from many of you who share in my fondness of the memorial countless veterans and loved ones have witnessed the impact of its message firsthand for those who have not had the pleasure of visiting the memorial in sight and in person you visit has continued offering a virtual tour of the memorial which can be accessed at any time by any person interested in touring its mark remarkable features the site has had thousands of visits and it's particularly meaningful because it makes the memorial accessible to veterans with mobility barriers as the foundation enters a new stage of existence new challenges and needs emerge just as it took the extraordinary generosity of many persons and organizations to build our memorial it will now take the help of others to assist as we transform our mission into one of educational and outreach we have been blessed by the great generosity of the law firm of Chisholm Chisholm and Kilpatrick of Providence Rhode Island long associated with the da v's spectacularly successful pro bono program in the united states court of appeals for veterans claims the firm has also become a friend to the memorial it has committed to funding the core expenses of the memorial and has already made two fifty thousand dollar contributions the second one just yesterday this is an addition to an earlier contribution to other da v related organizations add to that the firm's pro bono representation of more than one thousand veterans each year at the united states court of veterans appeals for veterans claims and it's easy to see why we consider them as trusted colleagues i'd like to invite Robert Chisholm Scott Kilpatrick and Zachary Stoltz from the firm to the stage it is it is my pleasure to present to you this commemoration of peace of the wall you know and thank you so kindly for everything that you have done not only for the memorial but for the da v and the court in general thank you so kindly thank you thank you pretty heavy thank you very much we are truly humbled by this recognition my uncle donald was a disabled army veteran starting 25 years ago it took three appeals to the new veterans court and donald finally received the va benefits he was due donald died a few years after that and we still feel his loss today it was not much later that we were approached with an opportunity to represent many more disabled veterans before the court through a partnership with the da v since then cck with da v has provided pro bono representation to more than 7 000 veterans and their family members before the court of appeals for veterans claims thank you when the memorial recognized an american's disabled veterans was completed with da v's leadership a group of us from the firm traveled to the site would a profoundly appropriate monument to you the men and women who have sacrificed serving our country we are proud to support da v and the american veterans disabled for life memorial thank you for this and thank you for your trust it is again my pleasure to prevent the firm with this replica of one of the glass panels from the memorial i will tell you that the inscription on the panel reads as follows with deep and enduring thanks to chism chism and kill patrick again we thank you for your friendship and your support i want to express my personal thanks as well as the appreciation of every member of the board of directors past and present to da v national state departments chapters auxiliaries and all of our outstanding members for their support you the members are the reason and the means by which this memorial became a reality i believe you deserve a large round of applause thank you we will continue to maintain and honor this sacred memorial which is a part of every member and family member in our community of veterans your fellow veterans with the disabled veterans life memorial foundation want to thank you for your support and we hope you enjoy the commemorative books that we provided it is our great great pleasure to represent this important landmark and recognize your services and sacrifices thank you commander this concludes my report thank you denny may i have a motion to accept my report mic one mic steinbach chapter seven state of california so moves thank you mic may i have a second mic to mic to richard for your department of main state adjutant district three seconds the motion thank you all those in favor signify by saying i pose so ordered thank you denny thank you commander great report let's give him a round of applause thank you at this time will you please welcome to risa johnnigan of texas newly elected president of the commanders and adjutant association for 2016 2017 let me put my cheaters on national commander macintosh national adjutant barges national officers delegates and guests good morning i'm proud to be an elected as president of the state commander and adjutants association for 2016 17 we pledge to continue our support of the national organization through our sponsorship of the state commander and adjutants orientation the mid-winter conference the mid or excuse me the winter sports clinic and we look forward to another productive year i'd like to read into the record our officers and committees for the year teresa johnnigan president from texas denny oliver vice president oklahoma executive committee kirk johnson california john donovan orkansas synthia madison virginia william robinson south carolina brian wilner south carolina bridget marco organ secretary treasurer dav tannenbaum florida judge advocate floyd watson wyoming chaplain charles edwards from the great state of texas i always had to try that in sorganted arms pennie lawson utah kenneth markham ohio assistant secretary treasurer reader rita abarag virginia assistant chaplain kathryn barron novato assistant judge advocate samuel mantilla new york audit committee robert burchy ohio greg vance oklahoma frank brown virginia borough jimerson georgia constitution and bylaws john paterson maryland john king virginia nancy espinoza utah michael elmore missouri resolutions wander janice oregon robert erin's illinois charles wogue alabama glenn parker maryland special projects jeremy roberts north carolina john jernigan main beth gonzalez michigan ed caulk from louisiana with national commander macintosh national adjutant burges please join me for a presentation on behalf of the state commanders we are going to give you again 1500 dollars and 100 for in memory of warren tovin thank you come on let's give her a round of applause thank you charisa and thank the cna for that generous donation at this time please join me in welcoming imperial golden rodent herb louis imperial red eye nor al serentino and the imperial council of the national order of the trench rats at least y'all can show him some love it's always nice to feel you wanted anyway before i get started i want to recognize our national adjutant and national commander national staff and all disabled veterans out there who who's here today to conduct your business and to make sure that we have a better place to live in our country thanks to you that effort thanks to the national nsos who constantly keep working on our behalf and national's behalf to make a better life for our families thank you so much on the left of me against that wall there is our all our officers and the trench rats that uh for a small length of time they couldn't come up here this time to say hi but for all them and all the trench rats here thank you so much for having me here we as an organization on a national level that we hold our titles we are the honor society of disabled American veterans are there any trench rats out there would you please there all the new trench rats that just got into the notr will you please stand thank you so much thank you so much as you know every year the trench rats come up with some money for national i think we forgot it this time i think it was a dollar no but anyway the money that we give to the service foundation is a continued support in how we feel to help our veterans out there and their families the national trench rats keep on working and striving all our hospitals to do an outstanding job to make sure there is no veteran and their families and their sprouts that go by without us helping them in behalf of the national order of trench rats my bodyguard i like to present to our national commander a national agent in four thousand dollars you imagine if every person out there that was at this auditorium right now of glory do you imagine if you became a trench rat well we would have every year please consider this it's the grassroots of our organization it's the grassroots for us helping veterans it's the grassroots for us accepting women into our organization that deserves to be there god bless you all god bless america and now we'll be hearing from our incoming golden rodent bruce novak hello my brothers and oh sisters they didn't have any sisters when i was in country thank you for coming here thank you for joining us in what we do to the veterans the da v service service service to the veterans by al linden jr and we go to the hospitals some of you may have been there and saw a rat come in our job is to go to the hospitals and take care of you i have to cheat in florida we have eight va hospitals we spend about a thousand dollars a month at all those hospitals taking care of the vets that's what we do that's the rats job to take care of the veterans in the hospital and on the one side instead of giving out things for the convention here pens or whatnot i decided to give the money that i would spend on that to imperial golden rodent aka sector florida golden uh rodent past golden rodent and re g four hundred dollars for the hospital fund we are for you in the hospital thank you and i know i made a mistake a big mistake i forgot to introduce my wife bernadette serratino that's on the left there she would tell me how come i didn't notice her but god bless you bernie for everything you do for the trench rats and the da v thank you my brothers and sisters now let's thank the trench rats for that generous donation now it's an honor and a pleasure to introduce the president of the disabled national service foundation art author h wilson a massachusetts native mr wilson enlisted in the united states air force in september 1962 there he served as a runaway construction specialist in vietnam the philippines thailand and taiwan from 1964 to 1966 immediately after his discharge mr wilson's da v career began as a national service officer trainee here in atlanta georgia followed by assignments in buffalo new york and philadelphia and later in supervisory positions at da v national service offices in syracuse new york new allens and boston in 1973 he served as president of the national guild of attorneys in fact before becoming the supervisor of da v's national appeals office at va board of veterans appeal in washington dc in 1974 seven years later in 1981 mr wilson began his da v national service director's career and then serve as executive director of da v national service and legislation headquarters in washington he was appointed as da v national adjutant and ceo in 1994 a position he held until his retirement in june 2013 following his retirement he was elected president of the da v's national service foundation in this capacity mr wilson guides the foundation efforts to ensure veterans and their families receive da v services as long as they are needed he is also closely involved in the oversight of the columbia trust a restricted trust fund within the foundation that gives grants to support a variety of service programs a highly respected leader in the veterans community mr wilson's expertise has been sought out at many levels by numerous organizations in addition to serving as foundation president he is co-founder and later led the disabled veterans life memorial foundation he is also a member of the uss intrepid museum foundation of vibrate council in new york ladies and gentlemen please welcome our national service director president author h wilson thank you good morning i don't know how i follow the trench rats my sister national commander mackintosh adjutant burges national officers friends and guests i'd like to begin this morning by introducing the da v national service foundation's board of directors vice president mark burges secretary treasurer allen bowers and our directors national commander moses mackintosh joseph johnston daniel contraris cleveland bryant an ex-officio member da v board chair ron hope i'm always proud to present the report on the wonderful services that the national service foundation is able to help support because we know in the end result is a better life for veterans and their families each and every day we work directly with our nation's heroes providing them assistance and can what be described as a difficult and challenging transition to civilian life many need access to proper health care for service connected conditions secure and stable employment and educational opportunities and while many benefits in programs exist for veterans it can be a challenge to navigate the system the national service foundation exists to ensure that veterans have access to free professional assistance in obtaining the services and benefits that they have earned this is especially critical for the men and women who have come home ill or injured as a result of the military service it's our goal to ensure that no veteran has to walk that path alone rather by providing support for dv's core mission of service through the national service foundation we are able to walk alongside of them each step of the way we have held steady in that objective over the last year and i'm thankful to everyone who once again helped raise nearly two million dollars in donations and requests for the foundation in 2015 and for added impact the dv national organization matches each dollar that you your chapter or your department donates to the foundation's columbia trust fund effectively doubling the value of your gifts your tremendous tremendous generosity allowed the foundation to remain strong in 2015 with net assets of nearly 116 million dollars at year end the foundation's prudent investment strategies and management which have ensured the continuity during the period of economic uncertainty will help ensure the longevity of services for our nation's heroes veterans can best be honored through the wise stewardship of each dollar entrusted in the foundation the foundation's unwavering commitment to this model is clearly demonstrated to the 2.5 million dollars that was expended toward direct program services for veterans and their families last year this represents a remarkable a remarkable 91 percent of total expenditures as you know the national service foundation helps to address some of the most immediate impressing needs of veterans and their families but also aims to protect the future of dv services your gifts to the foundation go toward ensuring a long-term financial stability of dv service program so we can continue to offer free services to veterans well into the future while also supporting the day-to-day work of dv to include providing transportation for veterans to and from vm medical appointments assisting with disability claims and other services proudly provided by our great organization veterans who also have free advocacy and representation at the u.s. court of appeals for veterans claims because of your very generous support through 2015 the foundation expended 140 114 thousand dollars to help the national organization provide necessary services and veterans to their families largely this support aided our national service program which provides veterans with no cost professional claims service throughout the nation one project that we're most proud of is the interactive training research advocacy and knowledge system best known today as itrack which was funded by the foundation in 2014 and went live in 2015 there are six main areas incorporated into the itrack system that national service officers are now using not only for continuing instructed training but for the research to assist veterans in their claims and appeals the on-the-job training requirements for nso trainees on itrack are currently being developed and should be available by the end of the year another way the foundation is able to provide direct support to help veterans and their families is through the columbia trust a restricted fund that provides direct services to help veterans and their families at the state and local level in 2015 the trust provided more than 1.3 million dollars to dv chapters and departments to support projects and programs in four areas of service our transportation network hospital service coordinators department service officers and homeless veterans programs as well as other various state and local service initiatives looking to the foundation looking through the foundation of the 2015 annual report you'll see that we've had another terrific year i consider us incredibly fortunate to have such committed members organizations and others who are dedicated to our cause who continue to express the devotion through contributions to the foundation in 2015 we've also noted some very special individuals who have been extraordinarily generous in their support of our foundation in recognition of that generosity we've created a special place for them called the national honor roll of exceptional lifetime donors since 2014 we've recognized the law firm of feneggan henderson fireball garret and dunner for its distinguished commitment to the foundation and our nation's veterans the firm whose total lifetime contributions are now nearly 1.7 million dollar mark it's the largest corporate contributor in the foundation's history the erstein schumann hank chapter two from the department of missouri has also earned a special place on this prestigious page their unwavering loyalty is reflected through their annual contributions since 1979 the chapter has contributed a combined lifetime total of over 550 thousand dollars distinguished support of our veterans deserves special recognition this year 20 benefactors have earned a place or a higher position on our grand memorial honor roll of distinguished owners located in our offices in washington dc now i'd like to take just a moment to recognize the outstanding contributions of the davi chapters and departments who gave contributions of one thousand dollars or more during 2015 jamestown chapter 31 of the department of north dakota the colonel samuel d foster chapter 76 department of pennsylvania green county chapter 42 the department of tennessee and the grand prairie chapter 42 the department of texas in addition to the model efforts of these chapters and departments i'd like to express our gratitude to the individuals couples and family foundations and companies and other organizations who earned special recognition last year more than 100 benefactors took a place on the honor roll of benefactors are attained a national service foundation accommodation this year also there were 44 departments and chapters who earned distinguished donor certificates for their generous giving in the past year to all of our donors you inspire us with your dedication and your loyalty to our mission congratulations to you all and again i offer to you our heartfelt thanks thank you so much now i'd like to take a moment to proudly recognize national service director jim marsalak and his elite core of national service officers whose daily work is the backbone of dave's mission you should all be extremely proud of the impact that you've had on the lives of this country's veterans one way we see that impact is reflected through gifts made in honor of national service officers for the work that they do for veterans the pace setting performance award recognizes the nso in each division who has the largest cumulative total contributions made in his or her name i'd like to ask jim marsalak to help me honor these outstanding national service officers division one national service officer james levedere of togas main with a total of 8 675 dollars division two national service officer lamar kausser of baltimore maryland who was credited with 12 075 dollars division three national service officer andrew edwards of saint lewis missouri with a grand total of 50 thousand 78 dollars division four national service officer raymond thomas of pittsburgh pennsylvania with a total of 13 872 dollars in division five national service officer robert quake horn of st petersburg florida with a total of 7092 dollars please join me again in thanking all of these and all of our incredible national service officers we all share in the same mission and i hope that you are as inspired as i am by the generosity generosity of our fellow veterans and supporters now i want to call upon you and your chapters and departments to be part of this cause this is the way to donate in honor of our friends brothers and sisters and to commemorate our fallen brothers and sisters here we're able to show our commitment and our support to our nation's finest to the perpetual rehabilitation fund for the columbia trust the thermometer is now up awaiting your generous donations to kick off this time of giving i'm pleased to acknowledge the contribution of 2700 dollars from the dv auxiliary department of oklahoma juniors these young folks raise these funds through a two-day event styled after the hit series game of thrones to support the national disabled veterans when a sports clinic as a bronze level sponsor presenting the check on their behalf to the department of oklahoma dv commander linda miller in auxiliary adjunct linda oliver good morning everybody in memory of our national commander linda stake our oklahoma juniors district 21 conducted a fundraiser for the winter sports clinic they raised enough to be a bronze level sponsor mr wilson department of oklahoma would also like to give you a donation of a thousand dollars for the national service foundation okay let's keep the momentum going get that thermometer moving where are we in memory of our beloved beloved past national national blind veterans commander carol e prostor and in in honor of his new in name is the new chapter carol e prostor in south carolina the the officers and members of the national blind chapter present one thousand dollars to the national service foundation thank you very much any marshal media past department commander of florida our department like to make a check five thousand dollars to the national service foundation from the california rehabilitation foundation ten thousand dollars large truman department commander department of missouri 25 thousand dollars in honor of senior nso joseph brahm at the st louis office rough travels with missouri like to give a 30 thousand dollars for in honor of nso joseph brahm and st louis office he did say 30 thousand dollars okay in honor of joe brahm chapter one st louis missouri we donate ten thousand dollars jr wilson the commander of the department of california on behalf of the department of california i would like to give a ten thousand dollars to the columbia trust my name's roland pit the adjunct of chapter 20 of the great state of texas on behalf on behalf of our members and our members who made their final roll call in the past year we'd like to donate one thousand dollars to the disabled veterans for life memorial perpetual fund philipi from our chapter 76 state of pennsylvania like to donate a personal donation to the national service foundation thanks for helping our veterans from the offices and members of black mountain chapter 12 henderson nevada the national service foundation five hundred and fifty dollars on behalf of chapter 15 perump nevada we're donating as well we are donating five hundred dollars to national service foundation jacklyn ties commander of department of carolina we like to make a thousand dollar donation to the national service foundation and i also have a donation from chapter 37 in a in amount of a hundred dollars well we have a moment i want to acknowledge contributions from the department of kansas of five hundred dollars the moral rearmament league of thirteen hundred dollars finnegan henderson farbaugh garret and donner of one hundred thousand dollars and and i think you already know this one the fifty thousand dollars to the disabled veterans life memorial foundation from chism chism and kill patrick remeeral parochial the commander for the state of nevada and we present one thousand five hundred dollars my name is jacob and i represent the national guild for attorneys in fact i'm the new president and i look to present you with this five hundred dollar donation bob brant commander chapter 32 from the great state of oklahoma we are donating two hundred dollars to the service foundation on behalf of adam Klein chapter three biz mark north dakota we present five thousand dollars to the columbia trust and five thousand dollars to the dave national service foundation aloha i'm ray welch from the department of hawaii and we want to honor the service and of our past congressman mark k to kai who's a active congressman who passed away two weeks ago he was a great advocate for veterans rights and also lieutenant colonel in the hawaii national guard we want to present a thousand dollars to columbia trust and a thousand dollars to the dave national service foundation it's the department of vermont and some individuals of twenty five dollars five hundred dollars five hundred dollars and twenty five dollars thank you john burton from the last bastion of the wild west of the department of arizona twenty five hundred dollars for the national service foundation chairman wilson um department commander shone jenny from the state of maine i have three checks from chapter six up there four hundred from chapter one up there five hundred and from the department one thousand on behalf of the department of arkansas i'd like to present you to check for the columbia trust of twenty five hundred dollars thank you on behalf of district fourteen two hundred dollars to national service foundation erwin schultz commander dave chapter 10 arlington fairfax virginia in honor of the man who coined us the greatest chapter in the known universe john mackey and in his memory i'd like to donate one thousand dollars to the national service foundation good morning jim percunier dave chapter 10 arlington fairfax like he said the greatest chapter in the known universe in honor of pdc arnold cells of chapter 10 and his 65 years of dave service twenty five hundred dollars my personal donation to the service foundation michael schuval by in colorado chapter seven to the columbia trust five thousand dollars synthia francis s l brown chapter 11 Denver colorado donates two hundred dollars to the national service foundation smile chapter with a large heart i'm bob i'm bob adamant from the great state of colorado department commander five thousand dollars to columbia trust denise williams senior vice commander department virginia thousand dollars national service foundation james deathridge commander of state of tennessee a thousand dollars to the winter sports clinic and a thousand dollars columbia trust in memory of the deceased members of the williams c melee chapter one department of pennsylvania the second oldest chapter in the nation and make a personal contribution of two hundred and fifty dollars to the national service foundation good morning natchee miller commanding of a department of the district of columbia on behalf of the department of district of columbia i'd like to donate a check to the national service trust of six hundred dollars good morning michael kivaza department commander of the state of pennsylvania the keystone state would like to donate one thousand dollars to the national service foundation james perkins chapter 44 from walkie wisconsin national service trust a thousand in columbia trust five hundred dollars on behalf of uh the state of delaware i'd like to donate uh two hundred dollars to the national service foundation micha gary state commander from the minnesota on behalf of the minnesota foundation we'd like to donate ten thousand dollars to the columbia trust fund on behalf of the department of minnesota we also are donating ten thousand dollars to the national service foundation leon booker commander where we take chapter number one let me make a donation of two thousand dollars to the columbia trust morning josec ruse from the department of potorico we'd like to donate three hundred dollars for the national service foundation and two hundred dollars for the columbia trust bob goldner department of new hampshire i'd like to donate five hundred dollars to the columbia trust and five hundred dollars to the national service foundation for our department jelinda cutler commander department of michigan columbia trust donation of twenty five hundred dollars moralee from the department of michigan home of jim harbaugh and the michigan roverines such a warm welcome to the da re national service foundation from the membership of the department of michigan to check for twenty five hundred dollars one comrades i'm john paterson department of maryland commander we donate one thousand dollars to the service foundation i'm gay lord helmbrick a commander of chapter one in sue fall south dakota i have three checks for the foundation a hundred dollars from gene and el dien murphy in memory of roger andall i have one from chapter one five hundred dollar donation for the foundation for in uh for our national service officers uh eric van emmerich and oan richards and i also have a five hundred dollar from uh the department of south dakota for five hundred dollars for the great job our nso's do eric van emmerich and oan richards on behalf of um dick cosard chapter two san aio california we're going to make a donation of uh five thousand dollars to the national service foundation and four thousand dollars to the color of trust on behalf of big d chapter fifty seven big state of texas on behalf of big d chapter fifty seven i've been authorized to donate five hundred dollars to the national service foundation paul do be representing the child's moncenty chapter forty six of athol massachusetts in because of it in memory of our past comrade paul pacatin i have a check for the national service foundation for the third year in a row for ten thousand dollars commander toning lee department new york i would like to give five thousand dollars columbia trust and a thousand dollars in the national service foundation on the department's behalf thank you ernie buvay and richard chats from the poisson canoia cop and shear bacon chapter 12 in roald island five hundred dollars to the national service foundation and five hundred dollars to columbia trust i'm michael h. goldberg and on behalf of my own trust to the columbia trust one thousand dollars and on behalf of district one in northern california three hundred dollars that's fifty dollars from each of my active uh chapters in memory of past department commander lee roy buddy rickman department florida donates one hundred dollars service foundation i'm an nsr chris cheney from rona vigenia i have a veteran's personal check in the amount of three thousand dollars for the national service foundation in honor of chris nsr chris cheney the veteran's too ill to bring it to the national convention himself thank you clarence mire chapter number 11 salina kansas donates five hundred dollars to the national service foundation danie bagan senior service officer the department of georgia thousand dollars to the columbia's trust thousand dollars to the national foundation also i'm the commander chapter 90 gonette a hundred dollars jerry hamburg anise california chapter 13 chapter 13 donates one thousand dollars to the uh replacement fan program and i personally in memory of my wife shesna hamburg donate a hundred dollars i'm bob kelper former green beret three tours vietnam i'm proud to be here and honored to give a thousand dollars to the uh national service foundation welcome home soldiers edward peters from the great state of elinoy five thousand dollars for a national service foundation good morning richard adam's commander chapter six from the great state of california we'd like to donate five hundred dollars to the national service foundation rick paterson chapter 45 alabama i'd like to make a personal contribution of a hundred dollars in memory of uh henry servant my best friend growing up killed in vietnam in march 68 dad richmond adson and alabama i have two presentations uh the alabama pdcs would like to donate a hundred dollars to the national service foundation in memory of pdc jack rebels and a fellow named dav riley we had a campaign fund for him uh we'd like to give five hundred dollars to the national service foundation bill was he commanded department of massachusetts we'd like to make a donation to the national service foundation for a thousand dollars in a columbia trust for a thousand dollars zero e i'm freeze from a great state of miss sippy chapter 11 want to donate this thousand dollars as we have in the last 10 years since i retired uh to the service foundation is uh i noticed a while ago you left us off the list just donate the thousand last year's hope jerry bratton department of miss sippy junior vice donates a thousand dollars the national service foundation and honor of jerry bratton in chapter 48 oxford miss sippy jess portes jr from chapter 169 out of victoria was great state of texas and i'll donate three hundred dollars of my personal and part of chapter 169 v toward texas i'm al renness commander making county 17 from illinois i have a check for ten thousand dollars to the national service foundation and a check for five thousand dollars for the winter sports clinic i'm al bowis past national commander and my bride took a look at the annual report for the national service foundation and she said we needed to round that off and has written a check for one thousand five hundred and ninety dollars the joel himenez chapter 41 which tall falls texas the lone star takes five hundred dollars to the columbia trust fund art john polk commander department of wisconsin headquartered in tidal town wisconsin we got a couple of donations i'd like to make an announcement of a donation of 1700 dollars from the department of wisconsin and art dick has asked me to tell you that the check is in the mail like normal normal i have a second donation here from west dallas chapter 19 of a thousand dollars to the national service foundation thank you old applegate commander ocean county memorial chapter 24 hundred dollar donation to the foundation and a hundred dollar donation to the columbia trust john parker first junior vice department of ohio the mother state the foundation of aviation and even the mba champions go calves i know if i may and more serious manner in a grateful manner i present to you check on behalf of the department of ohio fifteen hundred dollars for the national service foundation and fifteen hundred dollars for the columbia trust mary and trissel from chapter 51 in the great state of south carolina and i have five five hundred dollars in honor of my moses macintosh one of our members and in memory of my husband michael trissel and i also have a hundred dollars a personal donation from me and memory and mike a little bit of housekeeping to do you know that the we have a legislative fund in the service foundation it was funded by the trench rats and as is our tradition we present to the national organization the earnings on that fund in this year they happen to be eight thousand three hundred and eighty one dollars to the national organization from the national service foundation to you our supporters of the foundation and to all of you who presented contributions today we offer our most sincere thanks by generously aiding the national service foundation you're truly truly empowering veterans excuse me to build successful and fulfilled lives your generosity goes a long way to ensuring d.a.b.'s critical services and programs thank you all very much and thank you commander that completes my report thank you art for that excellent report may i have a motion to accept the report from the president of the national service foundation author wilson mike one mike one michael steinbach chapter seven great state california some moves thank you mike mike two mike two jerry hamburg and ice california chapter 13 a second motion thank you all those in favor signify by saying i oppose so ordered at this time i will ask vince de angelo of the p o w m i a interim committee for a presentation good morning commander macintosh and national adjutant mark burgess good morning welcome everybody i am the chairman of the interim p o w m i a committee and our committee has been involved in quite a tumultuous event in the past year a little over a year ago secretary of defense chuck hegel took a look at the accounting agencies the two agencies that were responsible for accounting our prisoners of war missing inaction and he looked at what was being done which was very little and he decided to tear those two organizations apart that was the d p m o and jpaq jpaq stood for the joint pacific accounting command and d p m o was the defense department prisoner of war missing inaction office and uh so they started over and they built what is currently the d p a a and uh they uh started with that and i'm proud to say that disabled american veterans our organization is a part of that building we are involved in the organization and what it's doing and and uh it's picking up the pieces more or less of what jpaq and d p m o didn't do we had a little bit of a setback a couple weeks ago they had uh enlist hired a lieutenant general uh linnington michael linnington to be the director of the d p a a and then he suddenly uh resigned and took another position and so we're we're in the midst of still working to get another a brand new director but anyway as uh as uh being the chairman of the of the uh p o w m i a committee i am involved in the bi weekly and represent the d a v in our teleconferences as far as our committee work what we've done in the past year we've been working hard on a new strategic guide in order to get awareness of the p o w m i a issue we're going to be sending this strategic guide and questionnaires out to all the departments and chapters we're going to try to assimilate all of the best practices whatever is working good in your state uh we want to put it all together have one gathering point and then hopefully we can share this information with all the departments within the d a v and uh bring more community involvement and public awareness to the p o w issue uh there have been 83 000 men and women dressed in the united states uniforms that went into harm's way and haven't come home yet and uh because of that that's why we are dedicated in the d a v to the p o w issue we've never wavered and we will not waver and uh so i just wanted to say that's the purpose of our committee and and and public awareness we would like uh everybody to be involved all chapters all departments and as far as accounting goes this year the totals so far have been they've identified 24 from world war two 22 from the korean war and three from the vietnam war and so you see there's a lot of work to be done a lot of work to be done this is going to be a record year as far as numbers and uh but we're working hard to to get them all home and uh i want to at this time thank our uh our national commander moses mackintosh and national adjutant mark burges for their support of our p o w m i a committee and the work we've done and uh it is much appreciated thank you thank you both i'd like to recognize the the uh chat uh the committee members from the department of pennsylvania we have wane stratus from the department of south carolina charlie pennington and from the department of north dakota um i'm sorry wisconsin uh and department commander john poke and our two uh please rise wherever you are and our two committee advisors are paul varela and justin hart and they do a lot of work for thank you guys and do we have any former p o w's in the audience they're here today if you would stand and be recognized please any i can't yet we do at the bottom of those p o w flags those black and white flags there's four words you are not forgotten and what is also not forgotten is the brutality and harsh treatment our p o w's had to endure and uh we don't forget that and that's why it's so urgent to get them all home uh at this time i would uh continue a tradition we do in the d a v uh we present a brand new p o w m i a flag to the incoming commander and ask him to fly it with honor during his year of service and uh so at this time i would ask commander riley i get something too i get a hat i usually only wear a hat when when the adjutant bird just puts his on but this is a gift so here it is fold this up and i'll put it back in the hey thank you vent mart we got any announcements someone did drop a hearing aid it's not lost and found it's found i would like to uh ask that the committee the members of the committee on nominations you will meet 20 minutes after we adjourn here in just a couple of minutes in the kinesol room atlantic conference center ll3 again the committee on nominations will meet 20 minutes after this session in the kinesol room atlantic conference center ll3 this afternoon's final business session will begin properly at 130 uh we'll start off with the important business of the elections nominations and elections of our officers please be on time this evening's activities include the introduction of national officers at 630 followed by delicious food and a very special guest performance you don't want to miss this this event is sponsored by lockheed martin we're again giving away five twenty five dollar gift cards for the da v store to five lucky winners if i call your name please come up to the stage and see dug wells and the lucky winners are joe linhardt of ohio chapter 73 judy holiday tolliver of iowa chapter number two lewis parrot of georgia chapter number 55 linda miller of oklahoma chapter 29 and phyllis dordy of maryland sarge sarge warheim chapter number 33 commander that's all the announcements i have thank you mark chaplain dover will you lead us in closing prayer ladies and gentlemen let's pray heavenly creator we rejoice in your greatness and power your gentleness and love your mercy and justice enable us by your spirit to honor you and our thoughts and words and actions and to serve you and our fellow veterans and their families in every aspect of our lives amen the convention stands in recess until 1 30 p.m. this afternoon