The beginnings of Disabled American Veterans followed the wake of World War I, when thousands of American doughboys came home to an America that was not prepared to care for the carnage of war. More than 4.7 million Americans served, 53,500 were lost in combat. Accidents and illnesses (mostly from the deadly Spanish flu pandemic) took the lives of 63,000. More than 200,000 soldiers were wounded during the war.

     The DAV was started in 1920 by Cincinnati-born Captain Robert S. Marx (pictured left), a wounded veteran who upon recovery returned to his law practice in Cincinnati, won a Superior Court judgeship and became the champion of the disabled veterans cause.  He is considered to be the "Father of the DAV".  The history of the DAV is the story of victory and defeat, success and near disaster, but always the commitment to build better lives for disabled veterans and their families. By holding to this single purpose the DAV is today the finest veterans service organization in the world—offering free services to millions of veterans each year.