BY SCOTT DeARMAN, CHAIR

The delegates to Vietnam Veterans of America’s National Convention will cast their votes for National President, National Vice President, National Secretary, National Treasurer, ten At-large National Board members, and nine Regional Board members on Friday, August 8. Positions are for two-year terms beginning at the close of the Convention.

In this issue you will find the final roster of those who have sent the required documents in by the deadline, March 31, and by the deadline for publishing their bios in The Veteran. Also included are the candidate statements and photos of registered candidates for national offices who have submitted them. The Elections Committee encourages all delegates to read the candidates statements carefully.

Registered candidates may use the national flag of the United States, the VVA national logo, and the VVA national flag in their campaign materials. Although endorsements from any part of VVA are forbidden, photographs of the candidate wearing VVA state and chapter logos, patches, or insignia are acceptable. They may receive written endorsements from individual VVA members if the endorsements are on personal stationery. Candidates may not solicit nor accept campaign contributions in any form from VVA or from any VVA state council or chapter. All of these regulations are outlined in detail in the official Candidate Packet.

Prospective candidates who did not register by the March 31 deadline have one last option: running from the floor. Prospective candidates who wish to run from the floor at the Convention must complete a Declaration of Candidacy Eligibility and produce a copy of their DD-214 or DD-215 and sign an SF-180. Current and former National Officers and National Board members may disregard the DD-214 or DD-215 and SF-180 requirement. The prospective candidates will then receive petitions to be signed by delegates. The minimum number of delegate signatures will be determined by the committee.

Each candidate must return the signed petitions with the required number of signatures no later than 12:00 noon on Thursday, August 7 so they can be verified. All candidates must also complete all other required paperwork by the August 7 deadline. Should the deadline not be met by any candidate, their name will be removed from the Candidates Roster.

The Election Committee wishes all candidates and delegates a successful Convention and thanks everyone for participating in shaping VVA’s future. Remember that we have arrived at an important juncture in our history. Be informed; ask questions; expect answers; and remember that we started VVA to help one another and to fight for the rights of veterans and their families. Your vote and participation matters.

BY DENNIS HOWLAND, CHAIR

VVA has come a long way since we began in 1978. And we soon will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of our magnificent organization. Along with this momentous milestone, we will also be soon celebrating the 250th birthday of most of our branches of the military, and of course, the 250th birthday of the U.S.A.

I hope all VVA chapters are planning to celebrate with programs and festivities that involve the public. Everything we do in the public eye over the next few years will enhance the legacy of Vietnam Veterans of America. While hometown events may not influence VVA’s national focus, it’s important to remember that your communities will remember your activities, contributions, and support for all veterans for many years to come.

There are several programs VVA members can take to their communities that will keep Vietnam War veterans active and in the public eye. Our awards programs for young people have grown considerably, and the medals for JROTC, Eagle Scouts, Sea Cadets, and Civil Air Patrol are available for chapters to present at schools and organizations at any time of the year. They are programs the Public Affairs Committee members are proud to have initiated.

You can receive these medals through the VVA National office by emailing mporter@vva.org or calling 301-585-4000, extension 146. Please allow time for us to get back to you. If you need more information about these programs, go to vva.org

I also encourage everyone to participate in the national VVA awards program to recognize your outstanding brothers and sisters. Forms to nominate VVA members, chapters, state councils, newsletters, and websites can be found on the website at https://vva.org/docs/ under “VVA Awards and Nomination Forms.” Many members deserve to be recognized for their hard work, and this is an outstanding way to do so.

Finally, my sincerest appreciation to each of you for your support and participation in the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War ceremony held April 24 at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. It was a wonderful remembrance and honors program. A lot of hard work went into making it a success.

BY JOHN MARGOWSKI, CHAIR

April 1 was the deadline date for proposed and existing Convention Resolutions to be submitted to the Resolutions Committee. All proposed Resolutions received on time were sent to the national committee for its consideration and action.

Once that committee takes action, Convention packets will be sent to state councils and chapters which will contain all of the Resolutions—current, proposed, retired, and those rejected by a committee. Delegates should read all of them.

At the Convention, delegates will have the opportunity to go to committee hearings, which will be an opportunity to report on proposed or retired resolutions they would like to bring to the Convention floor.

Remember that those of us at the podium are there to guide the delegates through the Resolutions process.

BY KATE O'HARE-PALMER, CHAIR

In the last few months so much has happened in the world of women veterans that it can be difficult to decide what to write about now and what to keep for later columns. One piece of very good news: Four VVA women members have been selected as recipients of the VA’s Center for Women Veterans Trailblazer awards for 2025: the late Lynda Van Devanter, Joan Furey, Diane Carlson Evans, and Linda Schwartz. We are honored to have such exceptional women in VVA.

The Defense Department has issued a new mandate that has discarded some women veterans’ histories, biographies, and other online information under the pretext of eliminating DEI programs. This was alarming, and many of us spoke out about this attempt at erasing much of U.S. women’s military history.

DoD also fired top-ranking women military officials, including Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, the U.S. Deputy Military Representative to the NATO Military Committee; Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy’s top military officer and the first woman to hold the job; and Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan.

Military.com and other media outlets reported that Adm. Chatfield had been targeted by conservatives because of a 2015 speech she gave on Women’s Equality Day, an event that celebrates the 19th Amendment, which recognized women’s right to vote. Last month was Women’s History Month and no American military bases were allowed to commemorate it.

The last time I checked, women made up just over half of the U.S. population. The armed forces’ annual review process is completed without gender bias and always has been. To even hint otherwise is a disgrace to not only the women who have served, but all of our military personnel.

Committee Resolutions: WV-2 Medical Treatment of Women Veterans by DVA: In 2024, 86 percent of VA hospitals and clinics reported severe shortages of doctors. With the latest proposals by the VA to decrease staff by 80,000, services for all veterans will be severely affected.

WV-5 Women Veterans Research: We ask that the VA Secretary continues to expand the Office of Research and Development and the coordination of the VA Women’s Health Research Integration Workgroup. We also ask for the maintenance of the Women’s Health and Healthcare Notice of Special Interest. The continued research on the genetic implications of Agent Orange toxic exposure on veterans’ children and grandchildren will help in the expanded review of generational genetic defects for all servicemembers exposed to toxins.

WV-8 Military Sexual Trauma: In February, the activities of the Department of Defense’s Sexual Assault and Prevention Response Office were temporarily put on hold. We still resolve that the review results of the DoD Retaliation Prevention and Response Strategy FY 2023-2025 be forwarded to the congressional Veterans Affairs Committees and the President. We also ask to maintain the newly established dedicated prevention workforce to advise commanders in the development of strategies to reduce sexual assault, sexual harassment, and other harmful behaviors.

The Women Veterans Committee: Kate O’Hare-Palmer, Chair, Sandy Miller, Vice Chair. Members: Sandie Wilson, Dottie Barickman, Tom Hall, Linda Schwartz, Marsha Four, Chuck Byers, John McGinty, and Lee Jackson. Advisers: Linda Blankenship, Frank Arminio, and Beverly Stewart. AVVA Adviser: Bobbie Morris. Staff support: Kat Grathwol.

BY GUMERSINDO GOMEZ, CHAIR

It is always a pleasure to communicate with VVA members about the work of the Minority Affairs Committee in the pages of The VVA Veteran. I am always encouraged and energized when veterans tell me that they have enjoyed reading this column.

Recently, the Trump Administration announced that they will no longer recognize the category of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the federal government. This has spread beyond hiring practices to the removal from government websites of many recognitions of minority veterans, including Medal of Honor awardees, and women who have earned prestige and respect for their valor in the military.

As it has been used historically in the United States, diversity, equity, and inclusion have been organizational frameworks that seek to promote fair treatment and full participation of individuals who may have been discriminated against based on their identity, race, or ability.

Based on this definition of DEI, a resolution was adopted at the 1983 VVA National Convention, MA-6: Involvement by Minority Veterans, Welcome in VVA, which committed the organization to support its commitment to minority affairs programs by “encouraging all veterans to become involved at all levels of the organization, and by encouraging VVA to work more closely with other minority veterans organizations.”

Since then, the Minority Affairs Committee has presented many other resolutions ensuring that diversity, equity, and inclusion are observed on all levels for all veterans in the VA. The committee takes pride in the work that has been accomplished by our chairs and members over the decades.

I want to reaffirm in the wake of critiques of DEI that, as long as I am chair of this committee, I will ensure that DEI is observed in VVA, regardless of the mandate to the contrary by any presidential administration.

If you, as a minority veteran, need help with a situation, do not hesitate to contact us. Email me at Sgtgomez@aol.com or call 413-883-4508.

BY DICK SOUTHERN, CHAIR

The Membership Affairs Committee is here to support you in your recruitment efforts. As a membership organization, VVA has a profound impact on veterans’ lives, helping them and their families by working to get legislation passed to ensure benefits for their military service. Our members also make a difference in their communities through charity work and volunteer time.

With more than 92,600 members as of April 1, we are gaining some 200 new members a month, while losing about 90. The average number of chapter members is now 126, and these all-time high membership numbers have been achieved through the concerted effort of many.

Can VVA get to 93,000? Absolutely. By the time you read this, we’ll be even closer to that number.

VVA has 582 active chapters and 24,106 At-Large members, who account for 26 percent of our total membership.

As of January 1, 2020, according to U.S. Census data and the VA’s National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, there were 6.3 million Vietnam War veterans—men and women who served on active duty at any location between November 1, 1955, and May 7, 1975—living in the U.S. and abroad. That statistic underscores the importance of outreach and recruitment efforts to continue to tap into the large number of veterans who would benefit from joining VVA. Many prospective members are waiting for you to invite them to join. Keep up your efforts.

If you have any questions or need help in membership matters, feel free to email me at dick.southern@gmail.com

By TOM HALL, Ph.D., CHAIR

Vietnam Veterans of America has worked hard since 1978 to support Vietnam War veterans, including those dealing with Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Use Disorder. VVA has helped veterans get the care and respect they earned through the sacrifices they made while in uniform.

VVA was one of the first groups to recognize the deep emotional and mental wounds that many veterans came home with. We helped teach the public, doctors, and lawmakers about how PTSD and self-medication affect veterans’ lives. Because of these efforts, PTSD was added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, an important step in the quest to learn more about it and develop successful treatments. VVA also helped create the VA Vet Center program, which offers veterans support for PTSD and substance use problems outside VA hospitals. These centers have become an important part of veterans’ healthcare.

But our work at VVA isn’t finished, and the mission remains the same: to speak up for veterans’ needs and make sure lawmakers and the Department of Veterans Affairs listen. This includes staying up-to-date on new laws, such as Section 302 of the Veterans ACCESS Act, a measure which claims to give veterans the ability to choose any mental health provider regardless of how experienced they are with treating veterans and their emotional problems.

However, this law may weaken the VA by completely privatizing care, thereby inadvertently assuring that veterans would not be able to take advantage of the knowledge and understanding that we currently see with experienced VA psychiatrists and other mental health professionals. We understand that some veterans would benefit by going outside the VA because of distance or other factors; however, we support case-by-case review of a veteran’s needs, as well as making use of providers trained in military-induced trauma.

New treatments for PTSD and substance use are always being developed. Our committee works to keep Congress and the VA stay informed about them. Many of our members have found success with VA treatments such as Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Others have tried newer methods, including Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories Therapy, and micro-doses of MDMA and LSD. Veterans say these have helped with PTSD symptoms, and we believe serious research should be done to explore them and other options.

As we move into spring and early summer—a time when suicide rates among veterans often rise—we want to remind everyone to look out for your brothers and sisters. Sometimes, just asking someone how they’re doing can help save a life.

When we first came home, many people didn’t want to hear our stories. That didn’t stop us then, and it won’t stop us now. Now is not the time to take our foot off the gas. We will continue to respectfully bring the concerns of our members to our elected officials.

Let’s keep looking out for each other and keep working to bring our brothers and sisters in arms all the way home.

By GRANT COATES, CHAIR

As of April 11, the number of Americans missing and unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War was 1,573. No public announcements of identification have been made since January 21. The number of missing in each country is: Vietnam - 1,235; Laos - 283; Cambodia - 48; and Peoples Republic of China territorial waters -7. These numbers fluctuate due to investigations resulting in changed locations of loss.

April 7 marked the 24th anniversary of the 2001 MI-17 helicopter crash in Vietnam. The crash took the lives of seven U.S. servicemembers and nine Vietnamese government officials and crewmembers working as an advance party for a Missing In Action joint field activity.

The men died when their helicopter hit a cloud-draped mountain in Quang Bình Province. They will be remembered as embodying a post-war legacy of cooperation between the United States and Vietnam on the fullest possible accounting of POWs and MIAs.

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 the last issue I indicated that the VA was enforcing a federal hiring freeze. When I wrote the article, it was true. Then, on February 13, the freeze was partially rescinded and modified, which caused confusion because few details were provided. The freeze on new volunteers has been lifted and VAVS offices are now able to on-board new volunteers.

Still, a huge number of VA employees were dismissed. And the Secretary has said there will be staff reductions of up to 80,000 additional personnel. The VA is offering deferred resignation, telling employees they must respond by April 30 to qualify. The VA expects a total decrease of 15 percent of its personnel. It is being described as a reduction in force ordered by the President to downsize the federal workforce. It is not an attempt to solve problems.

The reduction in force at the VA is part of an overall Trump Administration plan taken from the Project 2025 program and is part of their plan to defund and privatize the VA Health Care system. We must keep monitoring members of Congress who are working to make healthcare harder for the average veteran to obtain.

Across the U.S., hedge funds have taken over private hospitals and driven them into bankruptcy after taking large salaries and mismanaging hospitals full of hard-working employees. The VA Vet Centers and many other beneficial programs are in the sights of those who don’t care about veterans and don’t understand what the VA actually does every day.

In the past, there have been many bad problems at VA Medical Centers, but over the years a lot of that has changed. During more than 30 years of volunteering and visiting and being a patient in the system, I have seen great improvements and many great employees who care and work very hard for veterans.

On a brighter note, former VVA President Tom Corey has been honored by the renaming of the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center in his name. Tom Corey did much for veterans, including serving as a VA volunteer.

I am always glad to hear from veterans and volunteers about problems, as well as good things happening at the VA. Feel free to contact me at 215-527-3494 or krose@vva.org.

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