DAV (Disabled American Veterans) has named U.S. Army veteran D.S. Davis, of Columbia, South Carolina, as the 2021 DAV George H. Seal Memorial Trophy recipient. Davis will be formally recognized July 31 during the 2021 DAV and Auxiliary National Convention in Tampa, Florida.

Each year, the prestigious George H. Seal Memorial Trophy honors DAV’s top volunteers through the Department of Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service (VAVS) Program.

“It’s an incredible thing to dedicate 15 years of your life to volunteer work, but that’s exactly why Ms. Davis deserves this award,” said DAV National Commander Stephen “Butch” Whitehead. “Her commitment to her fellow veterans is an inspiration, and her upbeat and contagious attitude only makes her dedication more impactful.”

As a VA volunteer, Davis has served as a volunteer at both the Hampton and Dorn Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs), accumulating over 12,000 service hours. She currently serves at the Dorn VAMC as a driver for the DAV Transportation Network and as chair of the Mental Health Veterans Advisory Committee, and she assists with various voluntary service events.

“Experiencing homelessness as a female veteran with post-traumatic stress and not finding the support I was searching for from the VA and my community was a struggle and a wake-up call,” said Davis. “All of this was the groundwork for me to reach my goal of helping veterans live a better life.”

Davis served in the Navy for 11 years until she was medically discharged in 2000. After struggling to maintain a steady home life, even experiencing homelessness, Davis set out to help veterans transition to civilian life. She founded the nonprofit Dare to Dream Enterprises, through which many veterans have received the assistance and benefits they need in their transition out of the military.

Photos and media may be made available upon request.

 

About DAV
DAV empowers veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. It is dedicated to a single purpose: keeping our promise to America’s veterans. DAV does this by ensuring that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them, fighting for the interests of America’s injured heroes on Capitol Hill, providing employment resources to veterans and their families, and educating the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life. DAV, a nonprofit organization with more than 1 million veteran members, was founded in 1920 and chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932.