National Adjutant's Bio
ARTHUR H. WILSON
National Adjutant
Chief Executive Officer
Disabled American Veterans
Arthur H. Wilson, a disabled Vietnam veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force, was appointed National Adjutant of the 1.2 million member Disabled American Veterans (DAV) in June 1994. As the DAV's senior staff official, National Adjutant Wilson serves as the Organization's Chief Executive Officer and leads the 650 ¬member DAV staff, managing all operations of the association of wartime disabled veterans, one of America's largest charitable institutions.
Mr. Wilson, the first Vietnam veteran to enter the DAV's National Service Program, previously served as Executive Director of DAV Washington Headquarters, guiding the organization's National Service, Legislative, Employment and Voluntary Service Programs, and 12 years as National Service Director in Washington.
Mr. Wilson's DAV career began in 1966 as a National Service Officer (NSO) trainee in Atlanta, followed by NSO assignments in Buffalo and Philadelphia, and later in supervisory positions at DAV National Service Offices in Syracuse, New Orleans, and Boston. He became supervisor of the DAV's National Appeals Office at the VA Board of Veterans Appeals in Washington, D.C, in 1974. He also served as President of the National Guild of Attorneys-in-Fact in 1973-74. In 1976, he was promoted to management duties at the DAV Washington Headquarters.
A highly respected leader beyond the ranks of the DAV, Mr. Wilson's expertise is sought at many levels by numerous organizations. In addition to serving as DAV National Adjutant, he is President of the Disabled Veterans' LIFE Memorial Foundation, working to erect a National Disabled Veterans' Memorial in Washington, D.C. and a member of the Board of Trustees of the USS Intrepid Museum Foundation.
A graduate of Lynn Classical High School in Lynn, Mass., Mr. Wilson attended Burdette College in Lynn until enlisting in the U.S. Air Force in September 1962. While working as a runway construction specialist, Mr. Wilson saw combat in Vietnam and served in the Philippine Islands, Thailand and Taiwan. Shortly after his discharge, he was admitted to a VA hospital for major surgery.
Mr. Wilson, a native of Nahant, Mass., has been active in a number of DAV chapters and departments, and holds membership in several other military and veterans organizations. He and his wife, the former Mary Robinson also of Nahant, have four children and four grandchildren.
Click to download Adjutant's bio (PDF)
Please note: In order to view PDF files,
you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.
