The Villages chapter of Disabled American Veterans is the fastest-growing chapter in the nation, more than tripling its membership over the past five years.
When Jack Johnson, the current chapter commander, arrived in 2010, he said the outlook was bleak for the local DAV chapter, which then had 269 members.
“They were thinking about folding the chapter,” he said. “Nobody came to meetings.”
Today, the chapter has grown to 860 members and Johnson said his goal is to reach 1,000 members by the end of the year.
“If you’re eligible, you should belong to the DAV,” he said.
Johnson, who has served two stints as commander and as membership chairman since 2010, said he has used several strategies to grow the membership.
He scours local property tax records for veterans who receive a disabled veterans discount and then contacts them by letter or email.
Activities are another reason the chapter has grown so fast, he said. The local DAV is sponsoring the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall, which will be displayed Nov. 10-12 at the soccer fields along Rolling Acres Road north of County Road 466. An auction during the summer helped raise funds to pay for the wall’s local display.
The Villages chapter meets at 2:30 p.m., on the second Tuesday of each month, at Saddlebrook Recreation Center. The next meeting is Sept. 8.
Johnson said about 20 percent of villagers are veterans and the majority served in Vietnam.
Men or women are eligible to join the DAV if they served in the armed forces during a period of war or under conditions simulating war and were wounded, disabled to any degree or left with a long-term illness as a result of their service. They also must be honorably discharged or retired.
The organization helps returning veterans with their transition to civilian life by linking them with services to help their physical, emotional and financial needs. It provides free, professional assistance in obtaining Veterans’ Administration or other government benefits and fights for veterans’ rights on Capitol Hill. It links veterans to job training programs and funds rehabilitation programs for veterans with severe disabilities such as blindness or amputation.
“Everybody’s a life member in the DAV,” Johnson said.
Johnson was elected senior vice commander of the statewide organization in June, the second highest post in the 61,000-member Florida DAV. He is eligible to be elected commander next year of the Florida DAV.
If he rises to the top spot in the statewide organization, Johnson said he would have to step aside as local chapter commander.
