(Above) Though Hope eventually lost his arm due to injuries sustained when his helicopter crashed in Vietnam, he never lost his passion for flying. In 2015, Hope took part in a DAV-dedicated flyover of national capital landmarks in Washington, D.C. (Left) Hope was elected DAV national commander in 2014, having dedicated his career to serving fellow veterans. figuring out the next steps of his life. The Texas native enrolled at Tarleton State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration. And in 1979, he began working for DAV as a national service officer—an experience he says changed his life. He recalls helping a World War II Navy veteran who had been discharged many years prior as an amputee with no guidance on how to access VA benefits—and was using a self-made wooden leg. “The first thing that comes out of a service officer’s mouth is, ‘How are you rated with the VA?’” Hope said. “He looked up with this blank stare and said, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’ He’d never filed a claim.” The man, a farmer, had been fashioning his own wooden prosthetic legs for nearly 40 years until meeting Hope, who helped him file his claim and got him seen at the nearby VA hospital. “It was one of the most fulfilling things I think I have ever done,” said Hope. “And that was the beginning of my lifelong commitment to DAV, for the simple fact that it’s what they did for veterans every day.” Hope spent nearly 40 years serving veterans through his career with DAV and was elected as national DAV | @DAVHQ | DAVHQ | commander in 2014, giving him a chance to advocate for veterans on a much larger stage. Each year, on or around July 15, he hosts what he calls a “celebration of life” gathering to mark his Alive Day. The first, many years ago, was simply Hope sitting in his yard with a friend and fellow Army veteran—one of the hooch-mates who stood by his bedside after his crash—sharing a few drinks and memories. Fifty years later, the tradition lives on, a tribute to others as much as a reflection of his own gratitude. “I lost a lot of friends over there, and I lost a lot of me over there,” said Hope. “It changed my life, drastically. In some ways bad, but in a lot of ways good. “I met a lot of good people in Vietnam. Made some of my best friends in life over there. Unfortunately, I don’t have many of them left, but I still remember them. And I try to remember all those we left behind.” ■ DAVETERANS | DISABLEDVETERANS 21 COMPANY/DAVHQ |