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2001

Treasurer’s Report

BY WAYNE REYNOLDS

Membership in Vietnam Veterans of America has allowed me to see many wonderful places in our nation. For this special travel issue I’ll comment on one city in each of our nine VVA regions.

WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS

I attended a Massachusetts State Council meeting several years ago. The city of Worcester is centrally located in Massachusetts and has easy access to all of New England.

The Massachusetts Vietnam Veterans Memorial in the heart of Green Hill Park was dedicated in June 2002. It honors the 1,536 Massachusetts men and one woman who remain missing or who died as a result of wounds received while in action in Vietnam.

Few cities have a greater concentration of world-class colleges and universities. Worcester, with its population just over 182,000 and more than 36,000 students, is home to ten colleges and universities.

OWEGO, NEW YORK

I visited Owego to attend a New York State Council meeting. Owego is one of the most majestic and rural sites in the state. The name of Tioga County’s seat is derived from the Iroquois word “Ahwaga,” meaning “where the valley widens.” Owego sits where Owego Creek flows into the Susquehanna River.

Scenic, serene, and historic are appropriate descriptors for Owego. While I was there the Strawberry Festival was taking place. Hundreds of thousands of people had been drawn to downtown Owego to experience the charm of this annual festival. 

BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY

We frequently stop in this scenic town when I travel north from Alabama on I-65. Bowling Green is home of the National Corvette Museum, located just off I-65. In 2008 the museum began honoring veterans, POWs, and MIAs with “Vets ’n Vettes.”  In the ensuing seven years the event has expanded to include the American Warrior Recognition, a way of providing our returning veterans with a special Corvette experience.

Bowling Green is the third largest city in Kentucky and the dining and shopping site for a dozen surrounding counties. The city has many historic districts and restored landmarks and has been selected as one of a Dozen Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The Bowling Green VA Outpatient Clinic, which opened in November 1997, provides services for veterans in Kentucky.

HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA

This is my home town in North Alabama. It’s nicknamed “Rocket City” because of its close association with U.S. space missions. On January 31, 1958, America’s first satellite, Explorer 1, was launched into orbit using a Jupiter-C launch vehicle, a descendant of the Redstone Rocket. This brought national attention to Redstone Arsenal and Huntsville as a major center for high technology.

Huntsville is the fourth-largest city in Alabama. German scientists came to Huntsville after World War II when NASA was started. Nearby Redstone Arsenal is the home of the United States Army Aviation and Missile Command as well as NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. NASA and the Army maintain facilities that keep Huntsville the center of rocket propulsion and missile research. With the end of the Shuttle Program, the Marshall Space Flight Center was selected to develop NASA’s future Space Launch Vehicle. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command is developing a variety of rocket-based tactical weapons, including drones. Space camp and rocket science are big business in our city.

OMAHA, NEBRASKA

I attended the Region 6 meeting in Omaha in 2013. We saw wild turkey every evening from the front of our hotel. Located in the midwestern United States on the Missouri River, Omaha is the largest city in Nebraska.

VVA meeting attendees were treated to Omaha’s historic Old Market Entertainment District, whose cobblestone streets are lined with distinctive boutiques, antique emporiums, and art galleries—not to mention pubs, great restaurants, and sweet shops.

Omaha was identified in 2009 by Forbes as America’s “Best Bang-For-The-Buck City” and America’s fastest recovering city. In addition, the College World Series is held in Omaha and brings thousands of tourists each year. 

CHICAGO

I have made two trips on behalf of VVA to Chicago. After a flight into O’Hare, it was a quick trip to downtown Chicago on the “L.” The elevated train makes a circular route around the center of downtown. The Chicago River runs through the middle of the city, and the surrounding areas are top entertainment and recreation destinations for residents and tourists alike. 

With 2.7 million residents, Chicago is the third most populous city in the United States and the most populous city in the Midwest.

LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS

I visited Little Rock when I was a member of the board of the Vietnam Veterans Assistance Fund. The residents and VVA members were the epitome of southern hospitality.

The Clintons may have put Little Rock on the map, but this charming and historic capital city offers plenty of reasons to keep it there. The William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park is located in Little Rock.

SALEM, OREGON

Oregon State Council President Ron Morgan was my guide when I visited Oregon this year. After I flew into Portland I went to Salem, forty-five miles down the I-5 Corridor. The entire valley along the interstate was green and warm. Salem’s name is an anglicized form of the Hebrew word “shalom,” meaning peace.

Salem has many historic sites and plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation. Oregon’s capital and one of its oldest cities, Salem combines hospitality with politics and culture. After touring the gold-domed State Capitol, you can go to the observation deck for a fantastic view of the city and its surroundings.

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO

Colorado Springs recently reestablished a VVA chapter as part of our reorganization in the state. This historic city has a busy airport, which has a unique restaurant housed in a real cargo plane, a fully intact Boeing KC-97 tanker built in 1953.

Ute, Arapahoe and Cheyenne people were the first to live in the area that became Colorado Springs. The city was formally organized in 1859 during the Pikes Peak Gold Rush.

Fort Carson is the city’s largest military base. In 2009 Fort Carson became the home of the 4th Infantry Division. The U.S. Air Force Academy borders the northwestern side of the city. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is located in Cheyenne Mountain Air Station.

Colorado Springs is home to the U.S. Olympic Training Center and the headquarters of the U.S. Olympic Committee. One of the most popular areas in Colorado Springs is the Garden of the Gods, a National Natural Landmark that features 300-foot sandstone rock formations against a backdrop of snow-capped mountains.