Voluntary service: in the DAV spirit. (From The National Commander).

At the very heart of the DAV is our record of service. We have been the force behind many veterans issues ranging from PTSD to Agent Orange to today's battles over concurrent receipt of longevity retirement pay and VA disability compensation. And our dedicated and resourceful volunteers are out there all across our nation lending care and support to sick and disabled veterans and their families.

The DAV's record of service and volunteerism is enviable. The Department of Veterans Affairs is the first to praise our efforts. Without DAV's contribution of millions of hours of voluntary support, the VA's Voluntary Service program would be only an empty shell of what it is today.

There are more than 10,000 DAV and Auxiliary volunteers today. Sadly, that number is growing smaller as our veterans age. But we are going to turn that around and make it even larger.

At the DAV National Convention last July, I announced an exciting new effort to recruit new volunteers for the DAV Voluntary Services Program. The reason is we need to begin rebuilding our corps of volunteers with younger people to take the place of our aging volunteers. We're going to do that with the National Commander's Volunteer Recruitment Initiative.

It will be one of the most exciting campaigns in the history of the DAV. I can't think of a better project for our Departments, Chapters, and Auxiliary Units.

My goal is to increase the DAV's corps of volunteers by 10% more than the current level, which is 8, 208. The goal will be to add 820 new DAV volunteers. At the same time, I am calling on the DAV Auxiliary to increase its volunteer force by 10% as well. Together we hope to build a corps of more than 11,000 volunteers.

On January 15, 2002, we will get started with a kickoff ceremony to take place at the VA medical center in San Diego, Calif. We have invited VA Secretary Anthony J. Principi and other VA Voluntary Service officials to attend. The Department of California, my Department, will be represented and members are anxious to get underway. DAV National Director of Voluntary Services Jerry P. Steelman and DAV Assistant National Director of Voluntary Services Edward E. Hartman also will join me at this ceremony to officially get this new initiative underway.

Beginning in February, DAV Departments and Chapters will launch their own vigorous efforts to recruit new volunteers on the local level in support of this initiative.

The goals of the initiative may sound daunting, but it is easily achievable if we are willing to put forth the effort to help build better lives for disabled veterans and their families. If each of our 1.1 million DAV members contributed only two hours a year in support of our Voluntary Services Program, we would nearly double the 2.5 million hours now donated by our volunteers.

The possibilities that can be achieved by our vast DAV membership are limited only by our imagination. And that means even greater possibilities of service to our fellow veterans and their families.

Together we can make a difference. We can do our part to solve the problems faced by our sick and disabled veterans. But we must join forces with others -- our families and friends. There are opportunities to recruit the people we work with, those in the business community, other civic and social organizations, and those that we pray with each week.

The DAV again has an opportunity to continue to really make a difference. And each of you has an opportunity to make a significant contribution to the men and women who, like you, have sacrificed so much for our nation's freedom.

After the cowardly terrorists attack of Sept. 11, 2001, each of us wanted to help. We wanted to contribute to the effort to defeat this enemy who so coldly struck at us. This is a perfect way to defend the walls that protect our freedom. Our troops, who must battle this enemy, can find comfort in the knowledge that if they are injured or wounded, they will return to a system that really cares about them. DAV volunteers not only help mend bodies, they help heal the spirit. A smile, something to read, a new shirt -- nearly insignificant comforts that mean so much to a disabled veteran. Nothing is so heart wrenching than the thought of a sick or disabled veteran spending long periods at a VA medical center without the caring touch of a dedicated and understanding volunteer.

If we turn our backs on those who so desperately need us, others are more likely to do the same. We, above all others, are called on to be of service to our fellow veterans. That is why this initiative is so critically important to the DAV, its members, sick and disabled veterans, and their families who need our help.

I hope to boost our DAV Voluntary Services Program by 1,000 people. We would increase our total volunteer contributions by 235,000 hours -- that's less than 15 minutes a year for each of our members. An easy goal, but critical for those who need our help.

If you do not now volunteer, please join with me in lending your talents, skills, and abilities to the DAV Voluntary Services Program. You will become part of a proud legacy of the DAV. Despite our disabilities, we all stand tall when we stoop to help our fellow veterans or their families. Join me in fulfilling the DAV's legacy of service and hope by participating in the DAV Voluntary Services Program.