Virginia Beach, Virginia, Chapter 969 donated a commemorative Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bench, complete with the VVA logo, to the Hampton VA Medical Center’s North Battlefield Outpatient Clinic, where it was officially unveiled on July 1. “We are grateful for this meaningful gift and for the continued dedication of VVA Chapter 969 to honoring those who served,” said Shane Soto, the clinic’s Interim Executive Director. “Their commitment ensures that the stories, sacrifices, and spirit of Vietnam veterans remain visible for future generations.” Chapter President and VVA Board member Steve Williams said he “was honored to commission the bench as part of VVA’s legacy.”

Dryden, New York, Chapter 377; Owego, N.Y., Chapter 480; and Cayuga County, N.Y., Chapter 704 co-sponsored the 17th annual 100-mile Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway of Valor Tribute Ride on July 1. The police-escorted ride of motorcycles, cars, and trucks, which was free and open to the public, began in Owego and ended in Hannibal, N.Y. The event honored local Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipients Terrence Graves and Robert Stryker, as well as Gold Star Families.

New York State Department of Veterans’ Services Deputy Commissioner Jason Shaddock presented New York State Council President Ned Foote a framed citation signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul at the NYSC annual Conference July 10, recognizing his decades-long Vietnam War veterans advocacy. Among many other accomplishments, Ned Foote has served on the national VVA Board of Directors and was a founding member and president of Adirondack (N.Y.) Chapter 79. He received the VVA Commendation Medal, the organization’s highest award, in 2017, and in 2019 was named VVA Member of the Year.

Port Huron, Michigan, Blue Water Chapter 284 President David Hoffman and Vice President Kenny Hahn presented a $500 donation on June 29 to Medilodge of St. Clair, a long-term nursing care and short-term rehabilitation facility, through the chapter’s Assistance Veterans Fund, which Hahn set up. The grant will help support 12 veterans housed at the facility.

Courtesy Al Sperry/VVA

Members of Queens, New York, Chapter 32 delivered a large shipment of personal items to the Borden Avenue Veterans Residence in Long Island City on June 16. The facility is New York City’s only shelter working exclusively for homeless veterans, providing short-term housing, mental health support, and more to its residents. The donated items included socks, fans, bars of soap, razors, toiletry kits, shower shoes, underwear, and bandages. “I want to commend [chapter President] Lennie Williams and the members of Chapter 32 for once again stepping up to support those who served our nation,” said NYC Council Member Phil Wong, who coordinated the delivery for the city.

Janesville, Wisconsin, America Rock River Chapter 236 celebrated its 40th anniversary recently with a dinner and ceremony. Bob Maves, a founding chapter member, spoke about how the chapter grew from a meeting that six VVA members who lived in Janesville had in 1986 to explore starting a new chapter closer to home. “They scheduled a meeting knowing we had to have 35 members to create a chapter in Janesville,” he said. “Well, they had more than 35 an hour after the meeting started,” and “the VVA Janesville chapter was officially recognized.” Starting the chapter that year, Maves said, “helped us assimilate back into our communities. Like The Wall in D.C., the local chapter acts as a way of healing. We are proud of our service and we are always eager to give back to our communities.”

Niagara County, New York, Chapter 268, which also organized in 1986, recently decided to produce a digital version of its “Our Photo Album” exhibit, a collection of members’ photographs taken in Vietnam during their tours of duty, which chapter member Walter Moxham started in 1990. The collection, which now includes nearly 500 framed photos, has been widely exhibited through New York State and southern Ontario. You can take a look at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lAv3uHvzys

Staten Island, New York, Thomas J. Tori Chapter 421 held its annual Day of Remembrance Roll Call of Honor June 14 at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park in West Brighton. The ceremony included a solemn reading of the names of the 83 Staten Islanders who lost their lives or remain missing in the Vietnam War. The memorial, which was built in 1988, is maintained by the chapter.

MEMORIALS

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, Pocono Chapter 678, hosted a four-day visit of the Moving Wall in early July in the Stroudsburg High School parking lot, with logistical help from volunteers in the community, local Boy Scouts, and Stroudsburg High football players. “Vietnam veterans are a part of history, and many young people might not be aware of the history of [the war], what it meant to the country, and what it meant for those of us who have served,” said chapter treasurer John DeFazio.

The following week the Moving Wall came to the Franciscan Manor in Patterson Township, Pennsylvania. Larry Goggins, Pennsylvania State Council president, emceed the opening ceremonies on July 16, and members of Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter 862’s Honor Guard rendered a 21-gun salute.

Courtesy Jason Karwoski/VVA

SCHOLARSHIPS

Cumming, Georgia, Chapter 1030 presented a college scholarship to Elizabeth Clark of West Forsyth High School in June in honor of PFC Jerry Lynn Poe of Dalton, Ga., a 9th Infantry Division infantryman killed in action in Vietnam on September 16, 1968. The ceremony “was the best program I’ve ever seen, and those veterans honoring Jerry and his sacrifice helped our healing,” his sister, Sheila Poe Sneed, said following the event. “They went to Vietnam and then made it back, and they want to remember and honor those who didn’t.”

VVA Chapter 1071 Awards Scholarships

Denver, Colorado, Chapter 1071 awarded four $5,000 scholarships this year through its Tony Lopez Scholarship Fund, continuing the chapter’s support of high-achieving students.

The chapter’s Scholarship Committee reviews each application based on the quality of the student’s essay, academic achievement, extracurricular activities, and whether the applicant is a descendant of a Vietnam War veteran.

To qualify, applicants must be the child or grandchild of an active-duty U.S. military member or U.S. military veteran, living or deceased; be accepted to an accredited college, trade school, or technical school; meet Colorado residency or school requirements; not have previously received a Chapter 1071 scholarship; and submit an essay about a veteran. Applicants also must attend a Chapter 1071 meeting in person and read their essay to the membership.

Essay topics address the Vietnam War, the experiences of Vietnam veterans and their families, veteran suicide, and public perceptions of the war and its veterans. Essays must be 1,000 words or fewer and may not be assisted by artificial intelligence.

This year’s recipients are Addison Kozub of Prospect Ridge Academy, who will attend the University of Missouri and major in nursing; Jackson Stillman, a University of Colorado Boulder engineering student; Morgan Thompson of Lakewood High School, who will attend Baylor University in a pre-med/nursing program; and Alexander Rhode of D’Evelyn High School, who will attend the University of Colorado Boulder in a pre-med program.

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