WA Department of Veterans Affairs speaker highlights 'warrior ethos', services and personal connection to MIAs

Jennifer McDaniel, speaking for the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs, framed the event around the "warrior ethos," quoting its lines and saying "I will always put the mission first. I will never leave a fallen comrade." She credited the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) with dedicated work to locate missing service members and encouraged public engagement.

McDaniel described services the state VA provides to veterans and their families, including benefits navigation, transitional housing for those who have temporarily lost housing stability, counseling referrals, and suicide-prevention programs. She also noted lower attendance at public commemorations and urged continued public participation in remembrance events.

She connected the topic to her family: McDaniel said her great-uncle has been missing since April 1943 and that she has submitted her DNA sample to DPAA, underscoring the importance of family contributions to identification efforts.