Commander Reaches Out to Key Elected Officials

 

The following is the test of a letter new DAV State Commander Kevin “K.C.” Johnson sent to Governor Walker this week.

Commander Johnson sent similar letters to key legislators.

--Anthony Hardie, Madison, Wis.

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June 12, 2011

Dear Governor Walker,

Yesterday, I was honored to have been elected to serve as the Disabled American Veterans Department of Wisconsin State Commander for 2011-12. As the new DAV state commander, I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and to reintroduce DAV to you.

As you may know, DAV is the largest organization of service-disabled wartime veterans in the world. Made up of well over one million men and women disabled in our nation’s defense, DAV is dedicated to a single purpose: building better lives for our entire nation’s disabled veterans and their families.

Fully non-partisan, DAV extends its mission of hope into communities where these veterans and their families live through a network of direct assistance-providing national service offices. As a major national commitment, DAV also provides an extensive transportation program to our veterans get to their often far-flung VA medical appointments. As part of this key national DAV program, we operated 35 volunteer-driven vans that crisscross the state. DAV also maintains state-level department like here in Wisconsin and more than 2,400 local chapters, including 55 here in our state.

Like our other members, I’m a service-disabled wartime veteran. But as I’m sure you would agree, this is really about the disabled veterans we serve.

For my year as Commander, I have assembled and appointed a staff of high quality, knowledgeable, experienced and dedicated service-disabled men and women who, I anticipate, will help make my year as DAV State Commander one filled with shared accomplishments to further benefit Wisconsin’s disabled and other veterans and their families.

To that end, I have directed key members of my staff – most of them volunteers – to work closely with you and your staff, our State Legislature, and our Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs. Those DAV staff members include: State State Legislative Director Al Labelle of Marshfield; State Special Assistant and State Council on Veterans Programs Representative Anthony Hardie of Madison; State Adjutant Ken Kuehnl of Union Grove; and, State Deputy Adjutant Dick Marbes of Green Bay.

DAV is fully prepared to continue to actively assist the continuing influx of our newest disabled veterans returning to our state from active duty in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the globe. While DAV’s financial and staffing requirements are both large and demanding, we keep up with those demands through countless volunteers and donors who see the need for DAV’s assistance programs. There are many sick and disabled veterans who need to be transported to their medical appointments at the myriad of VA facilities around the state and DAV will always be there for them.

We have seen your immediate efforts on behalf of Wisconsin’s veterans that began shortly after you had been elected as Governor, even before you officially took office. Those ongoing efforts and your first successes on behalf of our service-disabled and other veterans are noted and greatly appreciated.

On behalf of DAV and the more than 53,500 service-disabled Wisconsin veterans whose interests we represent, I look forward to working with you and your staff for the betterment of our disabled, wartime and other Wisconsin veterans. If we or I can ever be of assistance to your or your staff in our shared goals of aiding and assisting our veterans, please do not hesitate to contact any one of us.

Sincerely,

DAV DEPARTMENT OF WISCONSIN

Kevin C. “K.C.” Johnson

COMMANDER