Dannion Brinkley

Dannion Brinkley, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, best-selling author and entrepreneur has been a hospice volunteer for 33 years.  From his own experience of taking his World War II veteran father to VA hospitals for care, Dannion saw the need and began spending time with veterans. 

Having spent more than 32,000 hours at the bedside of dying veterans, Dannion is a leading expert in the role of volunteers and complementary care in palliative, end of life care.

Dannion, like a majority of Americans and many in the palliative, end of life care community has an interest in integrating complementary therapies into mainstream health care. He has for more than 20 years been active in educating legislators and policymakers about the value of complementary therapies and urging for research and wider access. He was invited to the famed Chantilly meeting and has testified before Congress, a White House Commission, the National Academy of Sciences, and at numerous Alternative Medicine Advisory Committee meetings.

Dannion has received dozens of awards for his achievements and volunteer service, including the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service, the VFW Women’s Auxiliary Cherished Heroes Award; the Courage and Valor Award from the National Foundation for Women Legislators and numerous VA Awards including numerous VA Special Service Awards.

He was also nominated for the VA Special Secretary’s Award and the Heart of Hospice Award of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Association’s highest honor.

In 1997, Dannion founded The Twilight Brigade, Compassion in Action in Los Angeles with a small but dedicated team of experienced hospice volunteers and trainers. More than 5,500 have taken the volunteer training since.

It is his vision to expand Twilight Brigade nationally and see Chapters and Affiliates active in every VA VISN, with trained volunteers serving in every VA hospice unit in the country. This way, loved ones and VA providers have more access to the Twilight Brigade and truly no veteran at the end of their life will be alone.