What You Should Know

• Currently, the Disabled American Veterans is held captive by an opportunistic gang of charlatans only interested in their own gigantic incomes.

Veterans for DAV Reform was created for the purpose of reforming the Disabled American Veterans, whose “leaders” have been ravenously feeding at the trough of donations meant for disabled and homeless veterans.

While nearly 200,000 veterans are homeless and hungry in the United States today, DAV “leadership” is showering themselves with hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in compensation and perks. One need only look to Arthur H. Wilson, past National Adjutant, to see how far afield the DAV has moved from its original mission.

The 2013 IRS Form 990, “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax” reveals an organization almost completely out-of-control in regards to how the officers are compensated. The annualized income of Arthur H. Wilson was nearly $700,000; he was paid $289,761 for five months of “work.” Christopher J. Clay, DAV Counsel, took a cool $354,139 home, while Wilson’s replacement, J. Marc Burgess, walked away with $319,888, from $286,015 the year before. Just the increase in Burgess’s income from 2012 to 2013, $33,873, is what most Americans survive on each year. What will he make in 2014, $375,000? Where will it stop? How much does he need?

Wilson had a known income of over $360,000 for the year 2012, and we suspect he owns at least five known homes valued at over $2,000,000, as well as a fleet of luxury vehicles valued at over $250,000. The person who took over after Wilson retired on June 1, 2013, J. Marc Burgess, was lavished with over $286,000 in 2012. Additionally, there are nearly a dozen more highly-compensated individuals in “leadership” positions at the DAV receiving similarly obscene incomes. Their incomes can be viewed on pages 8, 9, 89, 90 & 91, on IRS Form 990, “Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax.”

The 2012 IRS Form 990 was released by the DAV in August, 2013, after they filed for a three-month extension from the IRS. This was no doubt done to coincide with the ending of the 2013 National Convention, held at the plush Hilton Orlando resort and spa. The 2012 990 details a marked increase in pay for all but one of the top earners.

2012 DAV National Commander Larry A. Polzin was awarded a $14,583 per month travel allowance, $175,000 per year, although the DAV, which is supported from donations, still pays for his travel. Polzin’s income doesn’t take into account the over $12,000 in compensation he received in 2011 for “serving” on the DAV Board of Directors for a mere five hours per week.

As a comparison to how grotesque and over-the-top the compensation for DAV “leadership” has become under the watchful eye of Wilson’s nearly 20-year reign, a look at the American Legion is in order. Founded the year before the DAV in 1919, the Legion has 2.4 million members, double the DAV’s 1.2 million, with over 14,000 Posts worldwide, compared to the DAV’s around 1,370 Chapters, and only the Legion’s National Commander draws a salary, which is approximately one fourth that of the DAV’s most highly-compensated “leader,” Arthur H. Wilson.

Veterans for DAV Reform want to know what Wilson did and Burgess does to deserve nearly half a million dollars a year. Do you?

We have one mission: return the Disabled American Veterans to the veterans it was founded to serve.

While thousands of disabled veterans are living on the streets of this country, DAV national elected and appointed “leaders” are pulling down incomes corporate CEOs would be proud of. Shouldn’t this money be going to the disabled vets who fought and were wounded for their country? They know what service is, not these Charity Parasites® who have implanted themselves into privileged positions.

If you feel the way the we do after reviewing the information on our website, we welcome you to join us as we fight the good fight to reform the DAV and return it to the disabled vets who so desperately need it now.

—Veterans for DAV Reform