Hoot and Ginger Gipson

Highly decorated veteran, Thomas "Hoot" Gipson's service didn't end when he finished his third tour in Vietnam as a dustoff pilot back in 1967. Instead, Gipson's service to his country and fellow veterans has continued for nearly half a century. Over the years, he and his wife, Ginger, have dedicated themselves to serving his fellow veterans, and even soldiers who are still on the battlefields.

Neither Gipson nor his wife hesitate to lend a helping hand. Their generosity and compassion for veterans and soldiers alike is visible to anyone who speaks to them. On any given day they can be found doing anything from offering veterans advice on where to go to file their claims to sending care packages overseas filled with miscellaneous essentials and Ginger's homemade brownies and cakes.

Gipson fondly recalls when DAV helped him get the benefits he earned. He brags about how knowledgeable and helpful his Flagstaff, Ariz., National Service Officer was and credits that positive experience with being the starting point of his long-standing relationship with DAV.

In addition to other fits they've made to DAV, Gipson and his wife have generaously named DAV in their estate plans as contigent beneficiaries for a portion of their estate. When asked what inspired such a thoughtful gift to DAV, Gipson states, "It's simply because of the fact that DAV was there for me when I needed it."

The Gipsons understand that by naming DAV in their estate plans, they are leaving a legacy that will allow DAV to continue being there for the veterans who need the same level of help and care that he did.