BY DOMINICK YEZZO, CHAIR

The questions before the Veterans Incarcerated and in The Justice System Committee are: What will we do to preserve our work? Who can continue our success? And, what, ultimately, will our legacy be? These same questions, on a slightly different scale, are ones we must ask as members of VVA as well.

We have achieved much, but I believe we have only just begun. The VINJUS Committee vision draws from VVA’s Founding Principle: “Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another.”

This is the heart of our mission, to serve veterans who are incarcerated, to foster the development of Veteran Treatment Courts, and to prepare and support veterans about to be released from incarceration. Our platform remains focused on the treatment and study of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury, particularly in how these maladies affect veterans who have to navigate the justice system.

We are also dynamic: we visit federal, state, county, and local institutions; we meet with wardens, prison administrators, judges, district attorneys, Legal Aid lawyers, and concerned citizens; we insist that veterans incarcerated can and should serve the community, especially in veterans-only wards; and we insist that veterans who are incarcerated respect one another.

VVA National is working on finding the answers to the organization’s legacy questions.

I would like to add this idea to the discussion: What if we could have one consolidated national veterans organization that encompassed all the other veterans organization?

Imagine the work that a leadership council selected from all the American veterans organizations could achieve. Imagine what we could achieve working together.

Regardless of how we answer these questions, however, our legacy many years from now will absolutely show, at the very least, that VVA preserved the dignity of the men and women who served the nation in the U.S. military.

By JOHN MARGOWSKI, CHAIR

The purpose of the Resolutions Committee is to fulfill Article I, National Provisions, Section 7, Committees, Paragraph A.4. of the VVA National Constitution:

“The Resolutions Committee shall report the resolutions to be addressed by the delegates assembled from among those submitted by the Chapters, State Councils, standing committees, membership, or other sources. Provided, however, that any such resolution shall be filed with the Resolution Committee at least one-hundred twenty (120) days prior to the commencement of the National Convention, at which resolutions are to be addressed.

“The Resolutions Committee shall review proposed resolutions received, and shall, not less than sixty (60) days prior to the commencement of the National Convention, forward to the Chapters and State Councils copies of all proposed resolutions submitted to the Committee pursuant to this section along with the Committee’s recommended action regarding each proposed resolution. Resolutions not reported by the Resolutions Committee may be brought to the floor for debate and action upon the motion of any delegate and concurrence by a majority of the delegates.”

Proposed Resolutions must be received or postmarked no later than April 1, 2025. The Resolutions Committee will mail all the proposed resolutions with appropriate committees’ recommended actions to all state councils and chapters no later than May 17 by first-class mail.

Proposed resolutions must be submitted to the National Resolutions Committee on the official resolution form located at https://vva.org/convention-resolution

Completed forms may also be emailed to convresolutions@vva.org or mailed or delivered to:

Note: Only proposed resolutions submitted on the official resolutions form will be accepted and sent to all national committee chairs. You do not need to submit existing resolutions to the committee if there are no changes in the “Resolved, That…” section. Administrative changes will be processed internally by the committee.

BY SANDIE WILSON, CHAIR

As November comes to a close, you may find yourself grateful for the end of the political season. As veterans, we know that regardless of the 2024 election’s outcome, we will need to adjust to changes in the White House and Congress and determine how best to educate people and staff on Capitol Hill on what we need and why. It will be refreshing to get to that work again.

After years of meetings with the VA, the Air Force, and other federal agencies, a Memorandum of Understanding has arrived at the VVA office for signature by President Jack McManus. This MOU states that the 91,000 specimens collected from Operation Ranch Hand participants will be transported from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to medical facilities in California by land transport under refrigeration. The process for using these samples, which represent 20 years of work, has yet to be announced, but this is an exciting next step.

New legislation has been introduced in Congress that would transfer the responsibility of completing the research on birth defects to the National Institutes of Health. This would replace the current law, which specifies that this research should be overseen by the VA. This is a necessary step, as VA leadership has refused to conduct the research on economic grounds.

The birth defects registry is the first step in having useful research for toxic exposures. Our efforts to expand the registry continue to improve with more admissions. This registry is the only one in this country to accept admissions online from parents of disabled children. The resulting database includes affected people whose parents served in the Vietnam War, veterans who served during the war but not in Vietnam, veterans of the Persian Gulf wars, and the general public. The biggest need is from the non-veteran population. The registry is the first step in having useful research for toxic exposures.

VVA members have been using the BDRC business cards we mentioned in the last issue of The Veteran to guide potential registrants to the site. The cards can be printed from the VVA website and the registry is capable of accepting nearly 100,000.

All the scheduled VVA seminars on veteran toxic exposure have concluded. The literature has been revised and is on the VVA website or ready for shipment from the printer. Now is the time to plan and schedule a seminar in your local area for next year. Remember: Planning and advertising are important.

In this vein, VVA is considering holding a seminar on toxic exposure next year if membership wants it. Please let us know if you do.

BY KATE O'HARE-PALMER, CHAIR

By the time you read this, we will have celebrated Veterans Day in Washington, D.C., and across the country at parades and events. Women veterans served as the Grand Marshals in my town’s parade. These events are a great place to meet fellow veterans and make new friends in the veterans community.

At our last committee meeting, Linda Schwartz reviewed the military health history pocket card - www.haveyoueverserved.com - published by the American Academy of Nursing. It is a great resource that includes many healthcare areas of concern for all veterans including: PTSD; MST; TBI; nuclear weapons and Agent Orange exposure; Camp Lejeune water contamination; and hepatitis C and exposure to burn pits. We will have the information on the VVA website to download, and pamphlets will be available soon.

Of the twenty million veterans in the U.S, some 4.7 million live in rural areas. Fifty-eight percent, or 2.7 million, of these rural veterans are enrolled in the VA healthcare system. Of that group, 55 percent are 65 years and older, and 56 percent are affected by service-related conditions.

Women veterans are increasingly using VA healthcare in their older years, accounting for the biggest rise in VA use. The increase in OB/GYN, gerontology, and specialty services is great. However, the delayed timing of care taking place across the country is unacceptable. We have asked the director of the Center for Women Veterans to join us at the January committee meeting to discuss this and to review the 2024 Quadrennial Women Veterans Summit held in September.

The committee has nominated six VVA women veterans for Center for Women Veterans Trailblazer Awards. We will know the results in March. I am proud to stand with our VVA women veterans and am always amazed at their accomplishments.

The legislative agenda is winding down at the end of this year’s congressional session. We are disappointed that the Molly R Loomis Research for Descendants of Toxic Exposed Veterans Act of 2024 stalled. We will continue to work to obtain data and legislation for our children and grandchildren. Each of us can share this work in our chapters and you can find great information on the VVA website.

There are legal services related to housing, family law, income support, domestic situations, and caretaker guidelines that most women veterans don’t know about. Legal support is now available in the larger VA hospitals. Often, we don’t know where to start. Living on retirement incomes can be challenging for women. VVA chapters and state councils are great resources to help you navigate the legal maze.

Until next time, be kind to others and take care of yourselves.

By DENNIS HOWLAND, CHAIR

The Public Affairs Committee is looking at 2025 as an exciting year for VVA. We want to make certain that members draw the attention of their communities as we observe the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.

It’s hard to believe that next year the war began some 70 years ago, and many of us were serving in Southeast Asia 50 and 60 years ago. I am sure the stories will resurface next year as our camaraderie brings us together. So, take that as an opportunity to tell your story to help make sure that our dedicated service doesn’t fade with time.

Tell your story in recorded programs and tell them to family members. As I have said many times, our legacy is dependent on everything we have accomplished and everything we do from this day forward.

VVA is planning a big event on April 24, next year in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the war. One part of the event will be a ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The date and event were approved by the Board of Directors during its October meeting.

I will be sending information on other 50th anniversary commemorations to the VVA state council presidents by email and anticipate they will share material with their chapters. We also will include AVVA members as part of the observation events.

The Public Affairs Committee has been busy over the past few months. Now that members of Civil Air Patrols and Sea Cadets have been approved to be considered as part of the VVA JROTC essay contest, we have two new medals, designed by Wes Guidry, to present to those young people to encourage them to enter the essay contest that had been strictly for JROTC.

The survey of our members on VVA’s support of Mandatory National Service went well. More than 8,500 members responded to the survey. The results will be published in The Veteran.

2025 dates to remember:

March 29– National Vietnam War Veterans Day

April 24 – Vietnam Veterans of America Ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

April 25 – Public Affairs Committee Meeting

August 5-9 – VVA National Convention in New Orleans

October 24 – Public Affairs Committee Meeting

I wish each of you a joyful and wonderful holiday soon and a Happy New Year.

By GRANT COATES, CHAIR

As of October 28, the number of Americans missing and unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War was 1,574. The countries are Vietnam (1,237); Laos (282); Cambodia (48); and Peoples Republic of China territorial waters (7). These numbers fluctuate due to investigations resulting in changed locations of loss.

The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced on October 17 that U.S. Army Warrant Officer Albert R. Trudeau, who was killed in action during the Vietnam War, was accounted for on September 11.

In October 1971, Trudeau was assigned to the 68th Aviation Company in the 17th Aviation Group’s 52nd Aviation Battalion. Trudeau, 22, was the co-pilot of a CH-47B Chinook helicopter when it went down on a supply mission over water in bad weather on October 26, while flying from Tuy Hòa to Cam Ranh Bay in South Vietnam.

Remains of four of the ten soldiers on board were recovered during subsequent search and rescue operations, but Trudeau was not accounted for. The complete accounting of Trudeau’s case will be published once the family receives a full briefing.

VVA’s Veterans Initiative Program needs your help. Objects taken from the battlefields of Vietnam are more than souvenirs or war trophies. Maps, stories, after-action reports, pictures, and military items may have a story that could result in finding the location of missing war dead.

Contact the Veterans Initiative at:
Veterans Initiative Program
Vietnam Veterans of America
8719 Colesville Rd., Suite 100
Silver Spring, MD 20910
vi@vva.org

By KEN ROSE, NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

In early 2020, we were nearing VVA 50 Representatives across the country. When the pandemic hit, our growth stopped. Now we have less than before, with 34 Representatives and 18 Deputies.

These numbers keep fluctuating. When we gain one or two, we lose three or four. The reasons have to do with age, health, and death.

Our volunteers are like most of us: they are in their seventies, with some in their eighties.

If you are a Representative or Deputy, and you are no longer able to continue in these roles for VVA, please let me know so I can find a replacement.

The VA will soon begin a new on-boarding badge system intended to tighten security around patient information. It will make it even harder for volunteers to get into the system. Volunteers already have to go through background checks and are screened before they can gain access to VA computers and patient files.

There are 137 VAMCs across the country and some have never had a VVA Representative at the local level. For that reason, VAVS volunteering has not been considered an important program for many chapters. I would like to see this change, and for state councils and local chapters to support more local volunteers.

In several recent columns, I have written about a VA Postage Stamp program and have received responses from members. One member in California has been donating stamps to Stamps for the Wounded, which has been around since 1942. To learn more about the organization, including how to donate stamps and other philatelic materials, go to www.stampsforthewounded.org

Christmas and other holiday VA programs are especially important to hospitalized veterans, so I urge VVA members to get involved now. Happy Holidays to you all.

If you have a question or problem about VA Voluntary Service, I can be reached at d5cav9thkrose@yahoo.com or you can call me at 215-527-3494, and leave a message. I will get back to you as soon as possible.

By DOTTIE BARICKMAN, CHAIR

The Finance Committee met for our regularly scheduled meeting during the October Board meeting week. All members, advisors, and most of the officers and staff were in attendance, with the exception of Treasurer Wayne Reynolds, who was excused. We were able to complete several tasks that began outside the meetings, after which we could formally make motions and prepare to present to the Board.

One of the roles of the Finance Committee and the Budget to Actual Subcommittee, is to review the monthly report from the VVA Finance Department and oversight to the Board. The resulting report to the Board includes comments, concerns, and alerts brought up during the monthly review that may need attention.

We have completed the September 2024 oversight, and in passing the half-way mark in our fiscal year, VVA’s revenue exceeded expenses, and the budget continues to remain fiscally sound. As a reminder, the Finance Department posts all the subcommittee reports on the VVA website for transparency.

The current Life Membership Dues funds have reached their sunset: The Finance Committee was tasked with developing a new policy for funding the membership from VVA revenue, which will become a line item in the annual budget, beginning in Fiscal Year 2026.

Our business at hand was to develop, review, and approve a Membership Revenue-Sharing Policy, and to send it to the Board for approval. Both the Finance Committee and the Board approved the policy. The new policy will ensure revenue-sharing to provide funds for state councils and chapters to continue their work.

The Finance Committee, and the newly created Annual Audit Subcommittee, also reviewed a proposed updated VVA Annual Audit Policy provided by the Finance Department and will present the proposed policy to the Board prior to the next regularly scheduled board meeting in January.

The Finance Committee will also interview potential independent auditors prior to the VVA Annual Audit process as required under the proposed Annual Audit Policy, and IRS best practices for nonprofits. Any proposed changes to the auditors will be presented to the Board for final approval.

According to the VVA Finance Committee Policy, as amended in 2020, “the annual budget meeting is by far the longest, if not most important, meeting of the committee.”

The committee selected a date in December to facilitate the FY2026 VVA Annual Budget. This will be the second year for the pared-down budget packet, which was introduced for the previous budget year.

This new process has vastly reduced the time needed to facilitate the budget, and has provided a much more robust and clearer view of departments and their overall proposed budgets.

Thank you for your support. If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please contact me at drbarickman@hotmail.com; dottiebvva.org; or 712-314-1808 (cell/text).

By STEVE WILLIAMS, CHAIR

This quarter has been fast and full of interesting developments. The committee had a meeting on October 18 in Silver Spring where we reviewed documents that website developers will use in creating our website offshoot, and we reported that development to the Board.

We were fortunate to have Justin Latini, who coordinates the Veterans Voice Network in New England, attending. Latini is the VVA Region 1 director and the Network helps veterans find the resources they need to get ahead.

We also welcomed ten others who are dedicated to helping veterans and their families to find economic opportunities. Curtis Cuetis, one of our VSOs, spoke on a DOD program called Skillbridge, which allows veterans to work for employers for 90 to 180 days while serving the final days of their enlistments. Information on this program is available at benefits.va.gov/transition/skillbridge.asp

I am working with Dave Gates, who is developing a program to help veterans with mental health issues such as drug and alcohol addiction and suicidal history. The program will re-train veterans to help them learn basic and advanced skills required for new careers in building homes.

President Jack McManus has asked the committee to draw up a plan for the program after VVA’s termination. The committee will ask AVVA President Sharon Hobbs if AVVA would be willing to take on the project.

We must continue building a database of websites that help veterans and their families. If anyone is interested in helping the committee, please email at swilliams@vva.org.

By GUMERSINDO GOMEZ, CHAIR

Warm greetings from the Minority Affairs Committee. I would like to wish my brothers and sisters affected by the two big hurricanes that hit the Southern U.S. my best wishes and hope that they are recovering from their struggles from these storms.

VVA’s Board of Directors and many state councils across the country came through with generous donations to help VVA members and others in the regions that were affected.

In August I attended the National Leadership Conference in Reno. Even though the committee did not present a seminar this year, I believe everyone who attended will agree that those of us in attendance learned much from the seminars and presentations, particularly those concerning Veteran Service Officers training.

The Korean American VALOR Act, which became law in 2023, indicated that in order for its provision to be implemented there must be an agreement between the Republic of Korea and the VA. The VVA’s Government Affairs team has been given a mandate to follow up on this issue and resolve it quickly.

VVA Puerto Rice State Council President Jorge Pedroza informed the committee about a conflict at a local VA Medical Center. VA employee union personnel have been parking in spots previously designated for veterans in a new hospital parking lot. As a result, veterans have to park in an old lot much further away. This has been a burden on elderly and disabled veterans who must walk a significant distance to the hospital. We are investigating to see if there is a way that VA can help resolve this issue.

The Minority Affairs Committee was able to raise $10,000 to book entertainment for a Before Christmas party on November 30 in Cidra, Puerto Rico, at which veterans and their families will be able to attend free of charge.

By DICK SOUTHERN, CHAIR

I want to start this report by encouraging everyone to keep recruiting. And by asking the question:

Can we increase the membership numbers to 92,000? The answer is: Yes, we can and, in fact, we did. As of September 30, Vietnam Veterans of America is 92,126 members strong.

What’s more, we are gaining about 200 new members a month, while losing about 90. The average number of members in any given chapter is now 120. Two new chapters have been chartered since our last report. The goal to reach 92,000 members was ambitious, yet it was accomplished with the concerted effort of VVA members across the country.

Can VVA get to 93,000 members? Again, the answer is that we can—and will. Here are some statistics about Vietnam War veterans. There are some 6.6 million veterans living in America and abroad who served on active duty from November 1, 1955, to May 7, 1975, at any location around the globe. About 16 percent of American citizens are 65 years or older and 44 percent of them are males. About a third of American men 65 or older are Vietnam War veterans. That equates to about 2.1 percent of the total U.S. population based on 2020 U.S. Census.

These statistics underscore the importance of outreach and recruitment efforts to this large number of prospective members just waiting for you to invite them to join Vietnam Veterans of America. Here’s a recruiting hint: Keep a sharp lookout for folks in “Vietnam veteran” ball caps.

The committee continues to be available to help you find ways to recruit members. Feel free to contact me with any membership-related questions at dsouthern@vva.org

By SCOTT DeARMAN, CHAIR

VVA will conduct its National Officer and Board elections during the 22nd National Convention, August 5-9, in New Orleans.

The Elections Committee encourages all those considering running for office to think about whether they are willing to take on the responsibilities of an Officer or Board member.

The election process begins January 1, 2025, when the committee starts accepting Letters of Intent.

The positions open for election are VVA National President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer, as well as the ten at-large seats on the National Board of Directors and the nine Regional Directors’ seats on the Board.

All National Officer and Board positions are for two-year terms, beginning at the close of the 2025 National Convention, and ending at the close of the 2027 National Convention.

ELIGIBILITY  

Candidates for all positions must be members of VVA in good standing.

Candidates for National Officer positions must meet the requirements to hold office as set forth in the VVA National Constitution under Article I, Section 5, Paragraph A: “To qualify for election… to any of these offices a candidate must have been an individual member of the Corporation, in good standing, (1) for a continuous period of not less than twelve months immediately preceding the opening of the National Convention at which such candidate seeks election;… and (3) such candidate must have held a position as an officer or board member at the national level or as an officer at the state council or chapter level, during any continuous period of twelve months prior to the date of the opening of the National Convention.”

Candidates for At-large and Regional Board of Directors seats must meet the requirements to hold office as set forth in the VVA National Constitution, Article I, Section 4, Paragraph, A-(1 and 3) for Regional Directors, and Article I, Section 4, Paragraph 2:(A) for At-large Directors: “To qualify for election, a candidate must have been a member of the Corporation, in good standing, for a continuous period of not less than the twelve months immediately preceding the opening of the National Convention at which the candidate seeks election… The candidate must have held an elected position at the national, state, or chapter level for any continuous period of twelve months prior to the date of the opening of the National Convention.”

In addition, candidates for Regional Board positions must reside within the region they wish to represent.

LETTER OF INTENT  

Prospective candidates must submit a Letter of Intent to the VVA Elections Committee postmarked no later than March 31, 2025. The letter must include the candidate’s telephone numbers, email addresses, and physical mailing addresses. Prospective candidates also must include the position they seek.

A prospective candidate may run for only one position. The Elections Committee will send the Candidate’s Packet by email unless otherwise requested. Please remember to send us the signed original Letter of Intent and always keep a copy of the document.

The Elections Committee will begin accepting Letters of Intent on January 1, 2025, at the following address (please do not send before this date): VVA ELECTIONS COMMITTEE, c/o Adolph Gardner, 7 Crum Road, Walkersville, MD 21793-8018.

Any Letter of Intent that does not meet the March 31, 2025, postmark deadline requirement or is sent to any other address will be considered invalid and will not be accepted.

RUNNING FROM THE FLOOR  

After the March 31, 2025, deadline for the Letters of Intent passes, the only way to run for office is by running from the floor of the Convention in New Orleans. To do so, you need to come to the Elections Committee Office at the Convention and present copies of your DD-214 or DD-215, a signed SF 180, and a filled-out Declaration of Candidacy. You will then be permitted to gather the required number of delegate signatures for the position for which you are running.

Once you have obtained the required number of signatures by the deadline, 12:00 noon on Thursday, August 7, then, and only then, will your name be placed on the final Certified Candidates Roster.

SPECIAL NOTE  

Incumbent Officers and Board members should refer to the VVA Board Policies Reference Guide, under Strategic Documents, Travel Policy, Additional Criteria, page 65:H (2) (a-b). Once you have announced your candidacy, this policy applies to your travel and budget expenditures.

CANDIDATE PACKETS  

Once the Elections Committee has received a candidate’s Letter of Intent, the full Candidate Packet will be emailed, unless you request it be sent by mail. These packets contain important information, instructions, and rules regarding the conduct of the election process that are of vital importance. Candidates are required to complete the forms in the packets and return them to the Elections Committee.

When the packet is sent by email, it will be in a PDF format and the forms will be fillable and printable, with the exception of the signature block. We also will request a delivery receipt to ensure that candidates have received the packet, if it is mailed. If the packet is emailed to you, please respond with an email to Adolph Gardner at adolphgard@aol.com letting him know that you’ve received it.

All forms must be sent back to the committee by U.S. mail (return receipt requested). For candidates requesting that physical packets be mailed, they will be sent via certified mail, return receipt requested. Questions should be directed to Adolph Gardner at 301-845-4296 or by email at adolphgard@aol.com

The Candidate Packet will include a Deadline Calendar that lists events and dates. Failure to meet any deadline will be grounds for disqualification.

CONDUCT OF CAMPAIGNS  

Candidates may use the national flag of the United States, the VVA national logo, and the VVA national flag on their campaign material. No VVA, state council, or chapter letterhead may be used. Campaign materials are considered to be but not limited to buttons, pins, brochures, posters, pictures, business cards, emails, and websites.

A photograph of a candidate wearing a VVA national, state council, or chapter lapel pin is acceptable. A photograph of a candidate wearing a jacket, shirt, or hat that has a VVA national, state council, or chapter logo or patch on it is also acceptable.

Candidates may not solicit or accept campaign contributions in any form from VVA or from any VVA state council or chapter. Campaign contributions are considered to be but not limited to money, paper, envelopes, postage, free printing, free phone calls, use of websites, and use of emails.

Candidates may not solicit or accept any campaign endorsements from VVA, any VVA state council, chapter, or VVA newsletters, newspapers, or web sites.

Candidates may solicit and accept campaign contributions and endorsements from any VVA member, provided that the contributions or endorsements are not in violation of the rules and that any written endorsements are on the individual’s personal stationery. It is strictly prohibited for any person to use VVA national, state council, or chapter letterhead, website, or email for the purpose of writing endorsement letters.

A candidate’s own website or email may be used to campaign. The Candidate Packet has more detailed instructions on this. If you choose to use a website, once we have received your Letter of Intent and prior to receiving your packet, you must send your campaign email address to Terry Nolan at tnolan1.tn@gmail.com it will be registered with the committee. His phone number is 602-618-5988.

Failure to abide by all rules, instructions, and requirements in this announcement and the Candidate Packet will result in disqualification from the election.

The committee wishes all future candidates the very best as they move forward.

The Elections Committee: Scott DeArman, Chair, Adolph Gardner, Terry Nolan, and Ben Humphries.

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