John,

As we reflect on all there is to be thankful for, many of us at DAV will be thinking of a special veteran named Jim Sursely.

Jim was called to serve our country during the Vietnam War. While on deployment in 1969, he stepped on a landmine. His devastating injuries resulted in the amputation of both legs and one arm as well as burns to over thirty percent of his body.

This was the tremendous sacrifice Jim made for our freedom.

But like the true hero he was, Jim continued to give even more. He committed the rest of his life to caring for his fellow veterans — even serving as National Commander of DAV in 2004.

Jim Sursely passed away this past spring. We’re humbled to have had the opportunity to serve him — and even more humbled to have been served by him.

Create your free place card now, set it on your dinner table in honor of a veteran and take a photo to share with your friends and family using the hashtag #ReservedForAHero.

This Thanksgiving, we invite you to take part in one of our favorite DAV traditions — saving a seat at your Thanksgiving table for veterans like Jim Sursely.

Whether it’s for a veteran in your life or a place held in honor of all of our nation’s veterans, your #ReservedForAHero place setting will serve as a reminder of the sacrifices made by the men and women who served our country and all that we have to be grateful for as Americans.

Thank you so much for supporting DAV — and heroes like Jim.

J. Marc Burgess
DAV National Adjutant/CEO