February 23, 2010

Department of California Adjutant Dan Contreras’ experience with information seminars about veterans benefits spans years. But even he was shocked by a recent event in Oakland.

“You typically see 50 or so people show up. We had over 400 people at the doors. We had to open up another area and call in more service officers to work,” he recalled. “In Yorba Linda, we had the same thing. We had to turn people away.”

A difficult economy has hit veterans hard in the Golden State and around the nation. The need for the DAV’s services continues to grow while families are keeping a tighter hold on their pocketbooks than ever before. Optional expenses must be weighed against a family’s needs.

In response, DAV National Commander Bobby Barrera recently authorized lowering the minimum down payment for membership from $40 to $20.

“Veterans recognize the value of joining the DAV, but times are hard,” said National Membership Director Anthony Baskerville. “We don’t want people to put off joining for any reason at a time when our community needs to grow substantially to make up for the number of veterans we are losing every day.”

According to Adjutant Contreras, who helps lead the largest Department in the organization, veterans who attend events like information seminars see the benefits of the DAV’s mission and membership immediately.

His friend, Past National Commander George H. Steese, Jr., agrees. The $20 cost to initiate a membership may make it possible for more veterans to join, but Steese said he hopes leaders nationwide will use the rest of the membership year to revitalize Chapters and engage future leaders.

“Vietnam veterans should know what it feels like to be the ‘young guy’ at the meetings,” said Steese. “When I first got involved in the DAV, it felt like I had 15 fathers and no brothers. The World War II veterans brought me along and I’m grateful. Our future now depends on our ability to identify young men and women with potential and give them the opportunity to serve as equals.”

The past Chapter, Department and National Commander has invested the time he once devoted to fraternal management toward promoting future leaders.

His most recent protégé is Department Service Officer Curtis Johnson, a veteran of the recent conflicts. When Steese met Johnson, he was an employee at the VA medical center in Fresno, Calif.

“I invited him to a couple of meetings and he stepped up right away. Immediately we saw that he was a young man who was willing to commit. He’s taken over our Chapter Web site. We knew right away that we needed to keep him and our Department leadership felt the same way,” Steese said. “He’s excelled in training to be a service officer. Now we have a fantastic employee and a very active Chapter member.”

Curtis Johnson isn’t the Golden State’s only bright young star. Kyle Dishler is a Marine veteran of the invasion of Iraq. He’s also the Adjutant of Chapter 28 in Riverside. At 30 years old, he may be the youngest officer in that position nationwide.

He joined after his master gunnery sergeant’s last order was to “join something” for benefits assistance after his discharge. He didn’t know at the time that the DAV offered free services.

Dishler attended a meeting out of curiosity and was immediately taken under wing by then-Chapter Commander Richard Wright. Unfortunately, Commander Wright passed away while attending last year’s National Convention.

But the mentorship Commander Wright showed during their time together inspired Dishler to keep serving after he returned from Denver following the loss. The young Chapter Adjutant gets a lot of traction in the community. He has local bands performing concerts to benefit the Chapter and they are supporting the survivors of troops killed in combat.

Chapter 28 now has a MySpace social networking page and is working toward changing its operations to better accommodate working veterans who can’t attend weekday meetings.

Past National Commander Steese said the most important advice he gives Chapter leaders in his Department and nationwide is to spread the wealth.

“You see in some instances where one person has to take on more than one leadership position. That’s anything but ideal. As Vietnam veterans in particular, we know how important it is to welcome our brothers and sisters home. If we want to leave our mark on the organization, we need to do so by preparing the next generation to fill our shoes,” he said.

“Younger veterans bring in younger veterans and give us the opportunity to pass on our legacy to the individuals who will serve the next generations,” said Steese.

National Commander Barrera said the temporary fee change is especially necessary considering the changes that lie ahead for the veterans community at large.

“We’re not looking for our seasoned members to hand off the keys and walk away from the car. At the same time, most Chapters don’t need to look into a crystal ball to see that we’re getting older. We need to reflect the people we serve,” said Commander Barrera. “If we don’t have veterans of different eras and both genders attending our meetings, we know where we need to grow. We know we need more members and to inspire more of them to take an active stake in our cause.”

“I applaud the National Commander’s decision to recognize the challenges families are facing during this financial crisis. As we celebrate our 90th year and look forward to the century mark, it’s critical that we strengthen our ranks,” said National Adjutant Arthur H. Wilson. “There is a place in our organization for any disabled veteran who has ever served honorably and wants to contribute. It should be our greatest pleasure to put their skills and abilities to work for the greater good.”

Click here to join Disabled American Veterans online or call toll-free 1-888-236-8313.