PORT ANGELES — The local chapter of the Disabled American Veterans organization will introduce five new case managers Wednesday.
The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. at the Clallam County Veterans Center, 216 S. Francis St.
Brian Pettyjohn, commander of DAV Chapter 9, which covers Clallam, Jefferson and North Kitsap counties, said the new case managers are part of a program he’s enacted called the Angels Brigade.
The brigade looks for surviving spouses of deceased American veterans who haven’t received their benefits because their paperwork was lost or they don’t know it was filed.
“There’s no advocate organization to look out for them,” said Pettyjohn, a delegate to the Clallam County Veterans Association.
Three of the Angeles Brigade case managers will be based in the Port Angeles-Sequim area.
One will work in Forks, and one will work in Port Townsend, Pettyjohn said.
All but one of the case managers are new members of the recently reorganized DAV Chapter 9.
The appointed case managers have “already located a bunch of ladies,” including one in Alabama, Pettyjohn said.
“Oddly enough, since the military is more gender-blended than it was 40 years ago, some of spouses are going to turn up to be male,” he added.
Anyone interested in volunteering with the Angels Brigade can phone Pettyjohn at 360-460-0079 or email brian.pettyjohn@gmail.com.
DAV Chapter 9 plans to take the Angels Brigade concept nationwide.
“I’m going to be trying to enlist all the [Disabled American Veterans chapters] to sign on to help do this,” Pettyjohn said.
________
Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
