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 for publishing their bios in The Veteran. In the May/June issue of The Veteran — and online at conference.vva.org — you can find the candidate statements and photos of registered candidates for national offices. 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

It is imperative that we continue our Public Affairs and community service programs so we can honor and remember the sacrifices and dedication of our generation of veterans and enhance VVA’s legacy and influence on future generations of veterans.

The work that VVA members have done for nearly fifty years could very well influence the memory or the image of those who served in the Vietnam War. It is also why we continue to serve all veterans and why we focus on getting out the message about the great work that VVA has done since it began in 1978.

Even though we are looking at the day that VVA will transform into another organization (or we turn out the lights and go home), it is important to focus on our image, our mission, and our vision. We must continue to carry our proud banner so that we will be long remembered.

Our legacy also includes our fight for legislation that honors and benefits every veteran today as well as those who will serve in the future. It is not unusual to hear younger veterans say, “Vietnam veterans paved the way for us and worked hard to earn the many benefits that we have today.” That’s part of our legacy.

Our legacy will be strengthened as we build memorials, pass legislation that will stay on the books forever, and name facilities after veterans who excelled in service to Vietnam War veterans and their communities. You are the hometown heroes who have made Vietnam Veterans of America the leading veterans service organization in the country.

I again wish to express my heartfelt appreciation to everyone who attended the 50th anniversary event in April at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington. Special thanks to guest speaker Medal of Honor recipient Paris Davis, as well as the other speakers. The VVA Communications Department team assembled a whole lot of pieces to honor Vietnam War veterans that day. As I said, “It is your day, you earned it, and no one can ever take it away from you.”

VVA’s JROTC and Eagle Scout Medals are available. In April, the Board of Directors approved two more medals, for Sea Cadets and Civil Air Patrol Cadets, which can be presented any time during the year. The only deadline is the one on April 1 for the essay competition, for state councils to submit their top JROTC cadet’s essay to be included in the National VVA competition. All four medals are available by contacting Mokie Porter at mporter@vva.org or 301-585-4000, Extension 146.

One other item the Public Affairs Committee has been involved in recently is a Memorandum of Understanding between VVA and Wreaths Across America. Approved by the Board of Directors in May, the MOU has been signed by VVA President Jack McManus and WAA Executive Director Karen Worcester.

The partnership creates a good working relationship between the two organizations. Per the MOU, WWA will “continue to highlight the VVA 50 year Legacy and impact on America” and VVA “will encourage its state councils, local chapters, and individual members to participate in WAA initiatives, including ‘Welcome Home’ ceremonies for Vietnam veterans in their local communities.”

In addition, WAA Radio plans to broadcast live at VVA’s Convention. And two VVA representatives will join WAA’s annual escort to Arlington National Cemetery in December.

To honor outstanding members for their work and service to VVA, their communities, and to other veterans please nominate members, chapters, state councils, newsletters, and websites for national recognition. To do so, go to https://vva.org/docs/" under VVA Awards and Nomination Forms.

Hope to see everyone in New Orleans.

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 appropriate national committee for consideration and action.

Once the Convention packets are sent to the state councils and chapters, please read all the resolutions, including those that are current, proposed, and retired, as well as those rejected by the committees.

At the Convention, we recommend attending committee hearings for proposed or retired resolutions you would like to bring before the delegates, as you will be able to report on these resolutions directly. This will enable the committee to move smoothly through the Convention resolutions process.

Remember that those on stage are there to guide you through the process.

BY SANDIE WILSON, CHAIR

It is time to get ready for the Convention, and there is much to share from the Agent Orange Committee. Our committee resolutions have been submitted, and it seems that we are one of the committees with the most resolutions to consider. I will be relying on your enthusiastic participation.

For many years, congressional staff members have told our committee that we must submit research in order to prove the validity of the issues we are asking them to support. As a result, we have been searching for relevant current research, and we have found material outside of veterans issues that should be considered.

For example, one study looking at PFAS, chemicals used in firefighting foam, found that negative effects from the foam can be transferred from a contaminated father to his offspring. This result may not be applicable to veteran exposures, but we feel it can be used to rebut the VA’s claim that men do not pass on birth defects.

Unfortunately, while our research continues, the law that instructs the VA to conduct toxic research for children of veterans has not been implemented. We have been excited about new methods of medical research, particularly the opportunity to revisit the Ranch Hand study data with new methods, including AI.

It has been reported that the National Institutes of Health has only issued 30 percent of the research funding normally given in previous years at this time. As there is not an accessible nationwide list of medical research that has not been funded, we cannot confirm that the research we have fought so hard for is going forward. This is a problem.

Although VVA, a veterans service organization, cannot endorse political candidates, we absolutely can and should communicate our concerns to those who represent us. We must let them know our needs and priorities and advocate for ourselves as veterans.

Our committee is looking forward to the input and direction given us by the Convention delegates.

BY LESLIE DeLONG, CHAIR

As mandated by the Constitution of Vietnam Veterans of America, Article IV, General Provisions, Section 5, Amendments, the national Constitution Committee has reviewed ten proposed amendments received by March 31, this year’s submission deadline date. The Constitution requires that any proposed amendment be submitted to the committee at least 120 days prior to the start of the National Convention at which the proposed amendment is to be addressed.

The committee met in Washington, D.C., on April 25 and electronically several times afterward to review the proposed amendments and determine the recommended action for each. The 2025 Constitution Committee Preliminary Report to the Delegates includes copies of all the proposed amendments received, along with the recommended actions. The report will be forwarded to chapters and state councils and will be available online at vva.org not less than sixty days prior to the start of the 21st National Convention or June 8, 2025.

The Report to the Delegates is subject to change after the proposed amendments are fully discussed during the hearing process at the Convention. Following the hearing, the committee will review all delegates’ comments and may revise the report and the committee’s recommendations. All chapters and state councils are invited to have representatives at the Constitution Committee hearing to present the thoughts and opinions of their members.

There are ten proposed constitutional amendments. They include amendments that must be adopted as a unit or conforming amendments. A conforming amendment cannot be separated from a previously adopted amendment with which it aligns.

All proposed amendments are being reported out of the committee for full discussion and consideration by the delegates. They are numbered and presented in the order of their position in the Constitution.

I would like to thank the committee’s members for their hard work on this important part of Vietnam Veterans of America’s mission: Fred Barks, Grant Coates, Gerry Corrigan, Jack Dean, Gary Estermyer, Kaye Gardner (AVVA), Ken Holybee, Barry Rice, and Beverly Stewart.

We look forward to seeing you in New Orleans.

BY DOTTIE BARICKMAN, CHAIR

The Finance Committee is still working carefully and in tandem with the monthly Budget-to-Actual Subcommittee reporting requirements. Although our review is only a few months into the new fiscal year budget, it is encouraging to see that VVA’s expense-to-revenue is on target.

With the continued improvements for accountability and timeliness, VVA’s Accounting Director ensures that the reports are sent to the Finance Committee on time. We continue to encourage the committee to pay close attention to the Board meetings when VVA Treasurer Wayne Reynolds provides his report, as this data is hot off the presses.

The Finance Committee added an annual Audit Review subcommittee last fiscal year. That subcommittee reviews the required annual audit before it is finalized and made public.

With the help of the VVA Accounting Department, an annual Audit Policy was created to provide guidance for the Department and the Finance Committee to review and meet deadlines. The updated policy will be reviewed by the committee and presented to the Board for approval at its next meeting.

We also are working on updates to the Finance Committee Policy, as required by a Board motion. The Finance Committee Policy was reviewed earlier this year and sent to the Board, but it was recalled in April before a motion was made and was sent back to the committee for a final review.

The Convention is on the horizon, and the Finance Committee will meet once more before it ends. There seems to be an influx of questions on how VVA will transition into a viable organization and how remaining funds will be allocated when that happens.

Although our years appear to be shortening, our passion and momentum will remain for a long time. The fate of VVA is in the hands of the membership, and with leadership disseminating information often, we can only trust that the right decision will be made.

Mission Statement: My highest priority and commitment is to ensure that the veterans who served for us, will be served by us.

Thank you for your support, and if you have any comments, questions, or concerns, feel free to contact me at dbarickman@vva.org or 712-314-1808 (cell/text).

BY KATE O'HARE-PALMER, CHAIR

On June 12, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act into law. This act officially granted women the right to serve actively and permanently in the U.S. armed forces. Seventy years later, on June 12, 2018, the first Women Veterans Day was established. I hope many of you had the opportunity to celebrate this day this year with your women vet friends.

This year, there has been a slowdown in active legislation helping women veterans. However, Rep. Julia Brownley (D-Calif.) announced the reintroduction of three bills in February to expand and improve health care for women veterans.

The first is the Veterans Infertility Treatment Act. In March 2024, the VA expanded its authority to provide in-vitro fertilization to unmarried veterans and veterans in same-sex relationships. However, while the VA can now provide IVF to an unmarried veteran, it cannot provide the same service to the partners of unmarried veterans, simply due to the couple’s marital status.

The VA is now able to treat veterans with donated gametes or embryos, although it will not cover the cost of acquiring donor gametes and embryos. The Veterans Infertility Treatment Act of 2025 will:

The second bill is the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act. It would eliminate the disparities preventing women veterans from gaining access to basic contraceptive services, providing them with the same care as their civilian counterparts without co-pays.

The third bill is the Improving Menopause Care for Veterans Act. The VA is responsible for providing veterans with timely, quality, cost-effective, and safe healthcare. This includes serving nearly two million women veterans who have a median age of 51. Women veterans aged 45 and up are the largest single demographic in the women veteran population. We must ensure that women who have served our country can age with the dignity and care they deserve.

This bill directs the Government Accountability Office to conduct a comprehensive study and submit a report on the menopause care provided through the VA. There is an 18-month timeframe to complete the study. The bill also requires the VA to submit a strategic plan within six months of the GAO report’s publication to implement its recommendations, and to improve the quality of VA menopause care.

Our healthcare system may change significantly in the future. When thinking about the future, remember that the VA has updated eligibility requirements for healthcare. All veterans who meet basic service and discharge requirements and who were exposed to toxins and other hazards while serving our country are now eligible for VA healthcare. This includes all veterans who served in the Vietnam War, Gulf War, in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in any other combat zone after 9/11.

For more info, go to https://www.va.gov/health-care/how-to-apply/"

I hope to see you at our Convention in August. Until then, take care of yourselves and be kind to others.

BY DICK SOUTHERN, CHAIR

Let’s take a moment to appreciate our progress in membership. With more than 92,800 members, we’re gaining about 200 new members each month and losing about 100. We have 541 active chapters and 24,106 at-large members; the average number of chapter members is 127; and we are always looking to start new chapters. Can VVA get to 93,000 members? Absolutely.

About 6.3 million Vietnam War veterans were living in the U.S. and abroad in 2020 according to that year’s Census and VA estimates. Today, about 16 percent of the U.S. population is 65 or older, and about half are male. And one in every three males in that age group served in the military during the Vietnam War.

Those statistics underscore the importance of outreach and recruitment efforts to continue tapping into the large demographic of veterans who are eligible to join VVA. Take a look around—many prospective members are out there. As I’ve said before: Look for ball caps.

Life membership in VVA is a bargain and the lowest price to join any veterans service organization in the world. Keep up your recruiting efforts.

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

By TOM HALL, Ph.D., CHAIR

Every one of our brothers and sisters in arms has earned world-class care for their wounds—whether visible or invisible. And yet, decade after decade, we have had to fight just to get what we were promised. For Vietnam War veterans, this struggle isn’t new. Now more than ever, our continued mission is to hold Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs accountable with no excuses, no delays, and no empty slogans.

When we hold our leaders accountable, we have successes, as with the Agent Orange Act of 1991, which finally acknowledged what we already knew, and with the MISSION Act of 2018, which expanded access to community care. More recently, the PACT Act of 2022 marked a long-overdue recognition of toxic exposures.

It is important to note that veterans’ healthcare is a nonpartisan issue. The MISSION Act and the PACT Act, for example, were passed by Congresses with Republican Party (the MISSION Act) and Democratic Party (the PACT Act) majorities. But for every victory, it seems we also experienced broken promises and other setbacks. During the 2014 Phoenix VA scandal, for example, veterans died while waiting for care as administrators cooked the books to pocket bonuses.

No one was paying attention until veterans raised their voices and veterans groups, including VVA, forced the issue into the national spotlight. We brought the facts to Congress and to the VA Secretary, and we got transparency and accountability in return.

Now, during the Trump administration, we have heard many promises about honoring veterans, but as we have seen, promises can be broken under Republican- or Democrat-run governments. We are watching closely, and we will continue to do what we’ve always done: call out the nonsense and be ready to demand real action, no matter who is in office.

One of the biggest problems we face today is ensuring that the VA follows through on the mandates Congress has already passed. This is where VSOs need to step up. When the VA drops the ball, VVA, with the full force of the veterans community, will not hesitate to ensure that all veterans get the care and recompense they deserve.

However, this effort cannot succeed if veterans do not ask for help. Over the years we have seen too many veterans feel they don’t deserve VA services because their service doesn’t “count.” VVA rejects this thinking. We firmly believe that every person who puts on the uniform deserves support.

We will not just hold the system accountable; we will also lift each other up. If you know veterans suffering in silence, reach out and remind them that their service counts, that they matter, and that they deserve the help they are entitled to by having put their lives on the line for their country.

So keep writing. Keep calling. Keep showing up. Let’s make damn sure the system that sent us to war takes care of us when we come home. We earned it. And we’re not done fighting.

Editor’s Note: Tom Hall was one of the contributing authors to the “Bridging the Gap” feature on p. 24 of our May/June issue. The VVA Veteran regrets the omission..

By GRANT COATES, CHAIR

As of June 8, the number of Americans missing and unaccounted-for from the Vietnam War was 1,571. The countries are Vietnam - 1,233; Laos - 283; Cambodia - 48; 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 May 22 that U.S. Army Master Sgt. Donald P. Gervais, 24, who was Killed in Action during the Vietnam War, was accounted for on May 16.

Gervais was assigned to Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. On May 1, 1968, he was the door gunner on an OH-6A Cayuse helicopter flying a reconnaissance mission over the A Shau Valley. A nearby aircraft witnessed the helicopter crash into a ravine.

Due to enemy ground fire and dense vegetation over rough terrain, the aircraft was unable to conduct a visual reconnaissance of the crash site. A nearby infantry unit tried to investigate the area but was forced to withdraw when they encountered enemy fire. The complete accounting of Gervais’ case will be released once his family receives a full briefing.

The DPAA announced on May 27 that U.S. Navy Capt. Thomas E. Scheurich, 34, killed during the Vietnam War, was accounted for on April 23.

Scheurich was assigned to Attack Squadron 35, Air Wing 9, on the U.S.S. Enterprise as part of the 7th Fleet’s Task Force 77. On March 1, 1968, he was piloting an A-6A Intruder during a night strike over northern Vietnam. The last radio and radar contact with the aircraft was near the Gulf of Tonkin over a series of islands known to have anti-aircraft artillery.

An air search failed to locate the aircraft, and Scheurich and another crew member were declared missing in action. On April 28, 1978, the Navy reported Scheurich as KIA.

The accounting of Scheurich’s case will be released when his family receives their full briefing.

VVA’s Veterans Initiative Program needs your help. Objects taken from the battlefields of Vietnam — 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 first quarter of 2024, VVA members had a total of 9,679 volunteer hours at VAMC and Clinics, but the number dropped to 8,543 in the second quarter. With volunteers in all 23 of the VA’s Veteran Integrated Services Networks (VISNs), we have a total of 25 Representatives and 29 Deputy Representatives working scheduled and occasional hours. There are also 107 inactive volunteers. Some of them may come back, but attrition will likely be high.

VA Veteran Advisory committees and Volunteer Advisory meetings are very important because they meet with Medical Center directors and staff. These meetings should be available at all VAMCs. But some VAMCs are not allowing staff members to hold or participate in town hall meetings in their local areas, without giving a reason for that policy change.

With the recent government policy changes, reversals, and contradictory statements, the staff at the VA is very worried about when the next axe will fall. Threats from the VA Secretary of new mass layoffs and reductions in force of 60,000-80,000 personnel appear to be in the near future.

The truth is that the VA today is understaffed and underfunded. Some of the recent foolish cutbacks have been changed or walked back, including cutting the staff at the VA’s Veterans Crisis Line, its suicide-prevention hotline. But there have been staff cuts, and this has affected veterans’ healthcare. Many beneficial programs are in danger of ending, and it appears that hospital closures are part of the plan for more efficiency.

VVA and its volunteers must keep pressure on the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Congress, and the White House to review veterans’ needs carefully before cutting staff and services.

We must encourage members, many of whom are retired, to give some volunteer time to local hospitals and clinics near where they live. Compassionate care programs, which pair a volunteer with a home-bound veteran for wellness checks and conversations once a week or once a month, offer a good opportunity to get involved in a selfless volunteer project.

Each of us must encourage fellow veterans not enrolled at the VA to do so now. Even if they don’t need care or medication now, things might change. If we don’t build up the VA Health Care System, it may disappear because of leaders who do not understand or care about veterans’ needs.

I have had a discussion with AVVA about the future of the VVA VAVS program, but much depends on the National Convention in August. Contact me with questions or problems at 215-527-3494 or krose@vva.org

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