BY JUSTIN LATINI

I want to thank all the Region 1 delegates for allowing me to return to the National Board of Directors for two more years. Meeting each delegate during the Convention week helped me understand their concerns and what they envision for VVA going forward.

With the election of a new President, Tom Burke, and a new Vice President, John Riling, we begin a new chapter. Our new Treasurer, Dottie Barickman, will ensure our funds are in order. Our longstanding Secretary, Bill Meeks, will anchor this new team, and his experience will help guide all of us into the future.

The delegates rejected a plan for closing and reorganizing VVA into a new organization. I believe that the ‘Last Man Standing’ concept is fitting as it allows our chapters and state councils to determine their own futures. We must not forget that VVA is a large corporation and needs to be handled differently than our individual chapters. This is the dilemma we are facing.

As we move forward, the Board of Directors needs to be prepared to reach out to the state councils and the members long before we gather in 2027, in order to ensure members are given the opportunity to provide input on the future or the closure of VVA.

I look forward to meeting chapter members in Region 1 to discuss their concerns and questions.

BY TED WILKINSON

The 22nd biennial National Convention in New Orleans was well attended with 702 delegates. I figure with AVVA, staff, and spouses, there must have been over a thousand people at the Convention.

The elevators at the Marriott were state-of-the-art and were driven by a device that scanned your room card and took you to your floor. It took a little bit to get used to for us old vets. There were scooters everywhere, and sometimes they would fill up the elevators quickly.

The hot topic for the Convention was the Resolution for restructuring Vietnam Veterans of America. A plan was required by a 2023 Resolution; a plan was brought to the 2025 Convention delegates; and that plan was overwhelmingly voted down. A new plan will have to be developed and brought to the 2027 Convention.

Region 2 made another strong showing with 102 delegates.

Region 2 now has two members on the national Board: myself and newly elected Board member Fred Gasior from Chapter 126 in Manhattan. Congratulations to him.

Congratulations also are in order to Westchester County, New York, Chapter 49 for receiving the VVA Chapter Newsletter of the Year award, and to Manhattan Chapter 126 for winning the Chapter Website of the Year award.

BY CHARLES R. MONTGOMERY, JR.

I would like to congratulate everyone who ran for elected positions at the National Convention in New Orleans. It’s a commitment and an honor to serve the organization. Let’s all work together to make this transition a big success for the betterment of all of us and all veterans.

I am honored to represent and serve our membership in Region 3, the largest in VVA. As the elected Director, I will help the National President as requested. I will also help other National Officers and the Board of Directors. However, I do not plan to sit idly by and will voice my opinions and yours.

As a successful VVA leader for the last 38 years, I have always felt that our members and our AVVA members are our top priority. I am a dual member of VVA and AVVA and am proud to represent our region. We should continue to focus on our needs today and in the future, as VVA National is looking to close its doors down the road.

I would also like to help the Membership Department and Committee increase membership numbers. We need to show members that we are all working for them, from the chapter level to the National level. We need to have a working strategic plan for the future. This is why it is important to be a member to help preserve VVA’s legacy.

The chapters, state councils, and the National Officers and Board of Directors need to work together as a team. We should all be aware of VVA’s goals and objectives and educate each other about them. We should also be conscious of what VVA is doing and how VVA will educate our membership on preserving our legacy.

I will give the Region’s members 100 percent of my time and support during this time of uncertainty about where VVA National will be going and what VVA has to offer to members in state councils and chapters that will close.

I will do my best to serve Region 3 to the best of my abilities.

BY MARC GOODELL

The first thing I want to do is thank all the members who have put their faith in me to represent them at the National level. I accept the reins from Spence Davis and will do my best to put Region 4 squarely in the mix in D.C.

We have set the stage for another round of development for VVA. The membership has decided we will not dissolve in 2028 but will proceed as we have historically and fold on a date yet to be determined.

We are not ready to “go gentle into that good night,” but instead to go kicking and screaming and raising hell the whole way. We made this clear at the Convention. We’ve made this clear our whole lives.

We have nearly 10,800 members in Region 4. Our membership numbers are growing, and we have great leadership. Our chapters and state councils still have a lot to give and show this all the time with community involvement and educational efforts. We still have a lot to fight for in Washington. We are not going away.

I am also reminded, though, that our leadership ranks are thinning and, like it or not, we will age out. I firmly believe in the commitment of our chapters and their desire to live on and serve their communities, but we also have an obligation to our future.

Since VVA was founded in 1978, we have built a machine that has produced more benefits and advantages for veterans than any other organization in history. Our impact on veterans of all theaters has been monumental. We can be proud of what we have accomplished.

I hope to visit state councils and chapters as part of my responsibilities, so you can put a face to my name and give your input to me first-hand. I welcome everyone’s comments and suggestions to help me serve you.

I look forward to the next two years. Thanks again.

BY GARY ESTERMEYER

Greetings from Michigan. I’m honored to serve as your new Region 5 Director and look forward to representing our members in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.

For those who don’t know me, I’m a longtime member of VVA, having joined Detroit Chapter 9 in 1982. I spent seven years at LZ Motown before transferring to Plymouth-Canton Chapter 528 when it formed. I’ve held multiple leadership roles at the chapter and state levels, including serving as Michigan State Council Secretary since 2016.

I’m a Vietnam War veteran who served with the 58th Field Depot in Qui Nhon from 1968-69, then with the 14th Air Cavalry in Germany. I spent 42 years with the U.S. Postal Service and later worked as a Veterans Service Officer, including three years as Director of the Michigan VSO Program at the Detroit Regional Office.

I’ve attended 20 National Conventions and served on multiple national committees. I bring that experience, and a sense of humor about it all, to this new role. I’ve been described as dedicated, detail-oriented, and “a little like Radar O’Reilly” – a label I proudly accept.

Region 5 is full of strong, committed chapters and passionate members. My goal is simple: to listen, to communicate, and to represent your interests at the national level. I also believe our future demands thoughtful planning.

The last-man-standing approach isn’t a strategy; it’s an avoidance. I’ll work with my fellow directors to help shape a transition plan that honors our legacy and preserves our work for generations who follow.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve. I look forward to visiting with you and hearing your thoughts on all things VVA.

BY JOHN MARGOWSKI

A Region 6 conference was held in Janesville, Wisconsin, on July 12. There were 42 attendees, and then Vice President Tom Burke presented the proposed future plan for VVA National, chapters, and state councils. Attendees also went over all the proposed Constitutional Amendments and the Resolutions in preparation for the upcoming Convention.

At the 22nd National Convention in New Orleans in August, Region 6 had 53 delegates in attendance. At the opening session on Wednesday, the ground rules for discussion and debate were established. And then, President Jack McManus discussed the proposed future plan for VVA.

The delegates debated the plan that morning before adjourning. That afternoon, committee hearings were held to discuss proposed Resolutions.

On Thursday, the Board-approved Resolution on the plan for dissolution was put before the delegates. After much discussion, the plan was voted down. On Wednesday and Thursday evenings, regional caucuses were held for the delegates to hear presentations from those running for office.

Friday was election day. On Friday afternoon, as chair of the VVA Resolutions Committee, I presented the proposed Resolutions for discussion and adoption by the delegates.

Throughout the Convention, there were VVA award presentations and very moving presentations by Sons and Daughters in Touch, The Gary Sinise Foundation, Mission POW/MIA, and the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency.

The next National Convention, in 2027, will be held in Arlington, Virginia.

BY DICK SOUTHERN

With a membership of some 11,000 in Region 9, it is challenging to stay in touch with all the state councils, chapters, and members, but I make every effort to do so.

During the 2025 VVA National Convention the delegates debated the future of VVA through resolutions and amendments to our Constitution, and our Officers and Board members were elected for the next two years. Region 9 was well represented with 97 delegates at the Convention.

The chapters and state councils in Region 9 have been working hard. They are holding fundraisers and ceremonies, meeting for lunches, sponsoring Wall replicas, and attending meetings. There is plenty of excitement in Region 9.

I will continue to advocate for the region’s veterans and their families as I attend state council and chapter meetings and participate in National Board of Directors meetings and National events.

One of my goals for 2025 is for every state council in Region 9 to increase the number of chapters in their state. This can be accomplished by actively recruiting new members.

I pray that you all stay safe, stay well, and check on your friends. Continue to make a difference by attending meetings and renewing your efforts to recruit new members.

Feel free to email me at dick.southern@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.

AT-LARGE

BY STEVE WILLIAMS

I had a wonderful week attending the Convention in New Orleans. I want to congratulate Tom Burke, John Riling, Bill Meeks, and Dottie Barickman for being chosen as our new officers. I also want to welcome the new At-Large Directors: Liz Cannon, Frederick Gasior, and Charlie Stapleton, as well as our elected Region Directors.

In addition, I want to thank Terry Courville and the Louisiana State Council who hosted the Convention. Most of all, I want to thank all the delegates. During the next two years, I hope to earn your trust and get the job done well. As I told many delegates, I plan to be highly active this term as a director, as a member of the POW/MIA Committee, and as a strong voice as we plan for our legacy.

Many delegates did not understand the resolutions and the procedures relating to our legacy plan put forward at the Convention. The Board of Directors needs to take the plan that was put forth, make modifications that are necessary, and come up with a new plan that will clarify goals and procedures.

Also, I felt that the delegates had a challenging time getting answers to questions while following the meeting’s parliamentary procedures. I suggest that in the future we schedule a question-and-answer session before bringing a Resolution to the Convention floor.

As I spoke with many of the delegates, I heard several ideas that I believe should be incorporated in a new plan and I urge those who have ideas to email their suggestions to me at swilliams@vva.org as well as to their state councils, region directors, and other members of the Board of Directors.

To sum it up, we must come up with a Resolution that is workable and that has a plan of action and milestones well in advance of the next Convention and send that Resolution to the membership, incorporating changes when practical.

I look forward to working with the state councils and the BOD to complete our final mission with a clear, concise plan of action and clarity.

AT-LARGE

BY DOTTIE BARICKMAN

The Defense POW-MIA Accounting Agency held its 2025 Vietnam War Annual Government Briefing in Nebraska for the families who still wait for answers about their missing loved ones. The mission of the DPAA is to recover and identify remains of servicemembers listed as Prisoners of War or Missing in Action. This was the first time since the agency was founded in 2015 that it held meetings outside Washington, D.C. The briefing took place primarily at the DPAA laboratory at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue.

Beginning in late 2024, the DPAA started conversations with the Nebraska Vietnam Veteran Memorial Foundation and shared their vision of collaboration between the two organizations. The NVVMF Board of Directors quickly began making plans and were honored to coordinate and host the DPAA tour. In addition to more than 250 Gold Star families representing 141 missing servicemembers, the guests included DPAA officials and staff from the DPAA laboratory, members of Mission POW-MIA, field investigators, casualty officers, and Nebraska leaders.

This somber tour included many guests who have hoped for years that their family see their loved ones brought home from the Vietnam War. The families shared stories and emotions that resonated powerfully, especially as they held our hands and told us that being in the group made them feel heard.

The families expressed their sentiments of loss, explaining that they can only imagine how life would have been if their loved ones had come home many years ago. “Bring them home” were the last words we heard as we parted.

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

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

Editor’s note: Former At-Large Board member Dottie Barickman was elected VVA’s National Treasurer at the 2025 National Convention in August.

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