Members of the Disabled American Veterans from throughout the state of Kansas will hold their annual Department Convention June 22-24 in Great Bend at the Highland Hotel.
More than 100 DAV members, including many disabled veterans of the World Wars, Korea, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, and even some from the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are expected to attend.
According to Michael Dreiling, DAV Department of Kansas commander, convention business sessions will include adoption of a resolution to be submitted to the DAV’s national convention, Aug. 4-7 in Las Vegas, Nev. Several of these mandates are expected to concentrate on improvements in the rights and benefits earned by some 2.1 million veterans disabled in wartime service to their country. DAV leaders are deeply concerned about this issue because many federal cost-cutting proposals would harm disabled veterans, Dreiling said. They are particularly concerned with two important initiatives; one would insure wounded women veterans get the best care, and the other supports the families of wounded veterans to allow them to provide better care for their loved ones.
The convention’s highlight will be a banquet held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The featured speaker will be John Maki, assistant national services director at the DAV National Service and Legislative Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Maki joined the U.S. Army in 1971. While assigned to the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment as a reconnaissance scout, he was injured while serving as a Sheridan tank crewman. He was treated for his injuries and later returned to duty. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 1974.
His DAV career began in 1987 at the Denver, Colo., National Service Office. A life member of the DAV, he has held numerous chapter offices. Maki and his wife, Lena Mae, reside in Reston, Va.
Election of new DAV state-level officers for the coming year will be held on Sunday, June 24.
Now in its 92nd year, the million member DAV is a congressionally chartered organization of veterans disabled in time of war and armed conflict. The DAV devotes its efforts exclusively to programs designed to benefit all of America’s 2.1 million disabled veterans and their families.