National Adjutant Message

Barry A. Jesinoski, National Adjutant

Building upon a sacred legacy

My heroes have always been veterans. Some of my earliest memories are of seeing photos and hearing stories about my grandfather, who fought in the Burma campaign during World War II, in uniform. Military service, to my mind, was always the ultimate test of character, integrity, loyalty and patriotism.

The desire to measure up and answer the call is what brought me to the Marine Corps after high school. And when my military career was cut short, DAV was my outlet to becoming a part of something larger than myself.

I had no idea at the time that DAV would also become my career; I simply wanted to finish something I started with my enlistment. Looking back now at three decades in the organization, I’m humbled by the opportunities DAV has granted me and the dedicated efforts of our members and the great leaders who have built upon the legacy we enjoy today.

As I begin my service as your national adjutant, my heart still beats with the righteous intensity of a firebrand national service officer trainee —as we were then called—who wanted to fight to ensure other veterans received a justice I’d seen delayed or denied to others. It would not have occurred to me then that I would one day be appointed to fill the large shoes that then belonged to the towering figure of Art Wilson.

I’m especially humbled to accept the reins from Art’s successor and my dear friend and mentor, Marc Burgess. It’s been a tremendous honor to help him achieve an evolved vision for our charity. Partly out of necessity, partly out of desire and always based on the needs we’ve seen in our community, DAV has grown tremendously under Marc’s leadership. We’ve maintained and built upon our relevance for veterans and expanded the services we offer.

My intention is to serve you and continue building upon the legacy we’ve inherited for our charity while maintaining the high standards and reputation our cause deserves.

The greatest thing about DAV is the collective power of our community to ensure our fellow veterans and families get a fair deal. They cannot possibly be compensated for all they’ve done to ensure our freedom and prosperity, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do our damnedest to ensure promises are kept and empower them to achieve their maximum potential.

As a result of Marc’s leadership, today’s DAV is as resourceful and creative in accomplishing our mission as we have ever been.

There will be challenges ahead. But that’s nothing new to a group of people who were forever changed in military service. The sacrifices we represent are sacred, but they are not the defining characteristic of DAV. Our resilience and passion to ensure that promises are kept are what make us truly unique.

I thank Commander Parsetich for his confidence and Marc, Art and our leaders at every level for the example you have set for me personally and for all you have done as stewards of our venerable institution. I vow to do my utmost in this capacity to honor your contributions and the selfless offerings made by over 1 million members.

Thank you for the opportunity and the support we’ll need to serve the veterans and families who count on us moving forward.

If you want to find out more about the National Adjutant, you can find his biography here.