WHEREAS, Disabled American Veterans (DAV) was founded by World War I veterans on September 25, 1920, and was chartered by an Act of Congress on June 17, 1932; and,

WHEREAS, DAV ensures veterans and their families have access to the full range of benefits available to them, fights for the interests of America’s injured heroes, and educates the public about the needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life; and,

WHEREAS, DAV represents the interests of disabled veterans, their families, their widowed spouses and their surviving children before the federal government, as well as state and local governments; and,

WHEREAS, DAV has fought tirelessly for equal access to critical VA caregiver benefits and services for severely disabled veterans of all generations, resulting in legislation to expand eligibility to those injured prior to September 11, 2001, as part of the VA Mission Act; and,

WHEREAS, DAV is responsible for the following veterans related opportunities and services: a winter sports clinic and a golf tournament; the nationwide DAV Transportation Network; the Charitable Service Trust; a volunteer corps; a nationwide job fair program; the DAV Disaster Relief Program; and the Jesse Brown Memorial Youth Scholarship program; and,

WHEREAS, DAV Department of Virginia and the 38 chapters across our Commonwealth demonstrate their commitment to ill and injured veterans of all generations and conflicts; and,

WHEREAS, DAV Department of Virginia is a significant partner to the Virginia Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations, advising the Governor, Secretary of Veterans & Defense Affairs, and Virginia Department of Veterans Service on matters of concern to the veterans community and providing information to and from veterans service organizations on policy and legislation, pending and enacted, as well as information on existing services; and,

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth of Virginia is proud to honor the members of the Disabled American Veterans;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize September 25, 2022, as DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS DAY in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of our citizens.