Dannion Brinkley
Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board

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.

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.
However, it is not the awards that matter to Dannion, it is the smiles and thumbs up he gets when entering the room of a veteran in response to his Ooh-rah!. Through The Twilight Brigade, Dannion is working every day to fulfill his life’s mission to ensure No Marine—No Vet—Need Die Alone. Semper Fi!

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.

Dannion with President Bill Clinton, a long time supporter of The Twilight Brigade.

Dannion with Oprah and his beloved father. Oprah's O Magazine named The Twilight Brigade its favorite charity in 2000.

Dannion with former VA Secretary Anthony Principi.