Garry J. Augustine
Former Executive Director
Disabled Veterans of America

Gary is a combat-wounded Vietnam veteran, was appointed Executive Director for the more than 1 million-member DAV National Service and Legislative Headquarters in Washington, D.C., in August 2013 and retired in December 2018. His responsibilities included oversight of DAV’s National Service and Legislative Programs. He was the organization’s principal spokesperson before Congress, the White House and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

In his previous position as National Service Director, Augustine managed all activities of DAV’s National Service Program, which employs approximately 270 professional national service officers (NSOs), 34 transitional service officers (TSOs) and support staff in 100 offices throughout the United States and in Puerto Rico.

Prior to Augustine joining DAV’s professional staff in 1988 as a national service officer apprentice in Cleveland, Ohio, he served as the hospital transportation coordinator for the DAV Department of Ohio at the Cleveland Wade Park VA hospital. He remained at the Cleveland national service office where he was promoted to Assistant Supervisor in 1997 and Supervisor in 2000. He was appointed Assistant National Service Director at DAV National Service and Legislative Headquarters in 2002 and was subsequently appointed Deputy National Service Director in January 2004. In July 2010, he was appointed National Service Director and served in that capacity until his current appointment.

The Lake County, Ohio native enlisted in the U.S. Army in August 1969. Following training, Augustine was assigned to the 198th Infantry Brigade in South Vietnam. He was severely wounded by a land mine explosion during a combat patrol in the Batangan Peninsula on April 9, 1970. His injuries resulted in the loss of use of his left hand and left foot, multiple shrapnel wounds to his body and the loss of his spleen. Due to the extent of his injuries, he was medically retired from the Army in December 1972.

Augustine earned a bachelor’s degree with honors from Ohio University in 1978 and master’s degree in sociology at Cleveland State University in 1983. He is a life member of Chapter 42, Lake County, Ohio and Chapter 7, Bowie, Maryland. Augustine is married to the former Kellie Lambing. He is the father of two children. They reside in Huntingtown, Maryland.