VVA - Key Persons
Admiral Elmo R. "Bud" Zumwalt, Jr., is one of the transcending figures of the Vietnam War. An Annapolis graduate and a veteran of the fighting in the Pacific in World War II, he served as…
Bill Meeks was re-elected National Secretary of VVA at its 19th National Convention in Spokane, Washington.
Meeks served in the U.S. Marine Corps for almost three years, receiving an honorable discharge at the rank of Lance Corporal. During his 1968 tour of duty in Vietnam, he served as a squad/platoon radioman, and received three Purple Hearts.
Since joining VVA in 1992, Meeks has held numerous elected positions at the chapter, state, and national levels. He has served on VVA's National Board for six terms, and he served five terms as chair of VVA Membership Affairs ending in 2010.
Meeks has served on VVA's National Disciplinary Task Force, Resolutions Committee, Government Affairs Committee, and Council of State Council Presidents Handbook Committee. He has helped draft policies including a 2008 policy on the use of VVA trademarks and logos.
Meeks has also served as president of VVA's Texas State Council for five years. As president of host Chapter 343, he chaired the Texas Planning Committee for VVA's 1995 convention. In 1999, Meeks was recognized as VVA Member of the Year.
Meeks is employed by Van De Wiele & Vogler Engineering and resides in The Woodlands, Texas, with his wife, Suzie. They have three children and nine grandchildren together, including son Chris, a Desert Storm veteran who served two tours in Iraq.
Dan Stenvold serves as a Director at Large on VVA's National Board.
Stenvold served three consecutive tours in Vietnam (1969, 1970, 1971) with U.S. Army artillery units attached to the 11th Cavalry and other units.
His involvement with VVA has included service as president of the North Dakota State Council and a member of the North Dakota Coordinating Council since 1999. Stenvold was instrumental in winning $50,000 grants from the state legislature for Agent Orange education and outreach in 2013 and 2015, and has held Agent Orange roundtables in 32 of the state's 54 counties. Stenvold serves on VVA's Finance, Public Relations, Substance Abuse, and Suicide Prevention committees; chairs the Convention/Leadership Conference Committee; and subchairs the National Awards Committee. Stenvold is a life member of VVA, VFW, DAV, AMVETS, and the Canadian VVA, and an annual member of the American Legion.
Stenvold is now in his 11th year as the Mayor of Park River, N.D., a city of almost 1,700 with annual budgets of up to $7.5 million. He is a past president of the Red River Regional Council, a multicounty business incubator, and is on the board of the Northern Municipal Power Association. He was elected vice president and president-elect of the North Dakota League of Cities in 2017.
Stenvold has three children and seven grandchildren living in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Georgia.
Dennis Howland was elected at the 19th National Convention in Spokane, WA, to serve the VVA as one of ten National At-Large Directors. He serves as the newest member of the Board of Directors. Dennis was elected to the only At-Large Director's slot in which an incumbent wasn't re-elected.
Howland served in the U.S. Marine Corps for nearly 8 years, receiving an honorable discharge at the rank of Sergeant (E-5). He served in Vietnam in 1966 and 1967 in Aviation Operations with MACS-7, MASS-3 and MAG 36.
Since joining Vietnam Veterans of America Dennis has created a new VVA Chapter serving as President, created a new State Council and is serving his third term as SC President in Utah. He has served as VVA National Public Affairs Committee Chair for nearly than 3 years. During that time the Committee has been instrumental in creating the JROTC Cadet Ribbon and Medal Award and the Eagle Scout Medal. He also serves the Region 9 Disciplinary, Government Affairs and POW/MIA Committees.
Howland currently serves on Utah's Veterans and Military Affairs Commission, was recently appointed to serve on the Utah Governor's World War II Monument Commission, serves the County Veterans Advisory Council, and serves as VFW Utah's Legislative Chair. He has spearheaded or co-spearheaded 5 pieces of legislation in Utah to honor Vietnam Veterans and most recently served as project chair with VVA Chapter 1079 Team to partner with Layton City, Utah to create, raise funds, develop and build a beautiful replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. He coordinates many activities with other veterans' organizations such as the Veterans Parade in November, Wreaths Across America in December and periodically serves on Honor Guards for Veterans Funerals. He also works with the Vietnamese Community in Salt Lake City to bring the community and our veterans together by participating in joint Memorial Day services, inviting them to VVA programs and parades. They use these programs to say "Thank You for all you did for our country."
Dennis has a background in the fire service, taught the Fire Science Jr. College program, is a retired federal employee, retired a second time from the local school district and is a member of several veterans' organizations.
Dottie Barickman was elected Director at Large at VVA's 18th National Convention in New Orleans, La.
Barickman served in the U.S. Air Force from 1970-1974. Stationed at the Lackland, Barksdale, and Offutt bases, she specialized in data automation and computer programming.
Advocating on behalf of all veterans, Barickman's priority is to ensure that those who served for us are served by us. A VVA member since 1987, she has participated in VVA's National Finance, Constitution, Women Veterans, and PTSD committees. She has held first vice chair and committee chair positions with the Political Action Committee of the VVA Council of State Council Presidents, and has served as alternate director of Region 6.
At the state level, Barickman has been active with the VVA Nebraska State Council, and has held the positions of president, vice president, secretary, and delegate with Chapter 279 in Omaha. She has also held roles with the Nebraska Veterans Home Board, Nebraska Veterans Council, and Governor's Round Table.
Barickman helped stage the Omaha production of A Piece of My Heart, a play depicting the struggles of nurses serving in Vietnam, and participated in events with the Women in Military Service Association, the Vietnam War 50th Commemoration, and the Offutt AFB Open House Committee. Barickman frequently hosts Region 6 workshops, keynotes veterans' events, advises veterans' projects, and offers testimony on Nebraska legislative proposals affecting veterans.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Chairman of the VVA 's National Board of Directors
Francisco Ivarra was elected Region 8 Director at the 18th National Convention in New Orleans, La.
Ivarra served with the U.S. Army's Americal Division, 196th LIB, 3/23 Infantry, I Corps, RSV, from 1968-1969. He received a Purple Heart in combat during his tour and was honorably discharged.
Ivarra has served as chairman of the VVA's National Board of Directors from 2004-2006, and chaired the Minority Affairs Committee from 2002-2004. He has also served as president of the VVA Washington State Council and Chapter 102 since 2014, having previously been elected vice president and secretary. Ivarra is a recipient of the 2016 Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs Superior Service Award "for outstanding service to veterans and their families," and served as Grand Marshal of the 2017 Skagit Valley Veterans Day Parade.
Ivarra chaired the VA's National Minority Veterans Committee under Secretary Anthony Principe, and served as national commander of the American GI Forum, the largest Hispanic veterans' organization in the country. He was chairman of the King County Veterans Levy Board, a multimillion-dollar program that funds veteran programs in the Seattle area, including those that provide housing for homeless veterans.
Ivarra lives in Seattle and is a retired university professor of sociology. In his spare time, he writes poetry and listens to his complete collection of Bob Dylan records.
Job Titles:
- Director at Large
- President of VVA 's Massachusetts State Council
Gumersindo Gomez was elected a Director at Large at VVA's 18th National Convention in New Orleans, La.
Gomez joined the U.S. Army in June 1966, and deployed to Vietnam to serve in Company D, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry of the 196th Light Infantry Brigade. After a one-year tour, he stayed in the Army for another 19 years.
In 1986, he moved to Springfield, Mass., where he established a Veterans Outreach Center through the Puerto Rican Veterans Association. The center continues to serve veterans and their families as the Bilingual Veterans Outreach Centers of Massachusetts, with a second center located in Boston.
Gomez has been married to fellow veteran Eva Gomez Sierra for 35 years and raised nine children; they have 26 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He enjoys biking and fishing in his spare time.
Hochreich served in the U.S. Army's 86th Combat Engineer Battalion, which left Fort Dix, N.J., on the USS Weigle in October 1966 and deployed to Phu Loi and other locations in the Mekong Delta. After about a year of active duty - including three months with the 11th Armored Cavalry near the Cambodian border at Tay Ninh - Hochreich left Vietnam.
Hochreich is a charter member of Chapter 111 in Springfield, Mass., and served as president of Chapter 866. Hochreich is a past president of the Massachusetts State Council, and is also a life member of the VFW, a member of the American Legion, and a member of the Massachusetts Chapter 2-1 of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association. Hochreich attended the dedication of the Vietnam Memorial in 1982, and serves on VVA's National POW/MIA Committee.
Hochreich holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Westfield State University. After graduating from the Massachusetts Police Academy in Worchester and Springfield, Mass., he served as a police officer for several years; Hochreich later drove as a long-haul trucker. He has one son and enjoys motorcycling and skydiving.
Job Titles:
- President
- National Treasurer
Jack McManus serves as VVA National Treasurer. He was first elected VVA national treasurer in 1995 and was reelected to the position in 1997. He previously served as the VVA Michigan State Council President for six and one-half years from 1989 to 1996, overseeing the largest state program in VVA. In 1997, he was awarded VVA's highest honor, the VVA Commendation Medal, for his extraordinary service to the organization, to all veterans, and to the community at large. He has also been recognized by the VVA New York State Council with its Commendation Medal.
During his career as a private businessman, McManus's company employed approximately 3,500 in two service-sector businesses, with $150 million annually in sales. In 1978, his company was recognized as the first drug-free workplace in the building service contracting industry. The company also emphasizes special hiring programs for handicapped individuals, ex-offenders, and rehabilitated substance abusers for its internal rehabilitation programs. From 1978 to 1985, McManus was the program manager for his company's contract with the Kennedy Space Center space shuttle program in Florida.
Originally from New York City, Jack McManus joined the Air Force in 1965, where he served until 1969. Between 1967 and 1968, he was assigned to Operation Ranch Hand in Vietnam.
Jack received his B.A. in Business Management from New York University in 1973. He resides in North Carolina with his wife Jackie. He is a recipient of numerous business and community awards.
Jack Wells was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps' Sixth Basic Class of 1967, from which 498 newly minted second lieutenants graduated on November 1 of that year. "BC 6-67 sent more lieutenants off…
John Erby, who died too early in 2008, was one of Vietnam Veterans of America's most accomplished members---before, during, and after his service in the Vietnam War. As his wife Delores J. Erby notes in…
John L. Margowski is a Director at Large on the VVA Board of Directors.
Margowski served in the U.S. Air Force from 1969-1974. After attaining the rank of Captain, he was honorably discharged in 1985.
He became a life member of VVA in 1987. He has served as Chapter 414's treasurer, vice president, and president. Margowski was first elected to the National Board in 2005, and was VVA Region 6 director from 2011-2015. Margowski is now a member of Chapter 425 in Waukesha, Wis., and serves on its board.
He was appointed as Wisconsin State Council chief service officer in 1988. He serves on the Wisconsin State Council Toxic Exposures Team, and was a Wisconsin State Council vice president and State Council president from 1998-2002. Margowski was assistant Waukesha County veterans service officer from 1977-1986, and service officer for Waukesha County from 1986 until his retirement in 2009.
Margowski is also active with the American Legion, VFW, and Disabled American Veterans. He is a member of Amvets and Wisconsin Vietnam Veterans Chapter 1. He served on Sen. Herb Kohl's U.S. Service Academies Screening Committee from 1992-2012, and has received numerous awards for his service.
Margowski is married to his wife, Barbara, and has three stepdaughters, a son, and six grandchildren. In his spare time, he enjoys shooting, hunting, and bowling.
Kerwin Stone is a Director at Large for VVA, a position he has held since 2015.
Stone entered active duty with the U.S. Air Force in 1970 and was assigned to Ko Kha Air Station in Thailand. His tour ended in 1973, and Stone separated from the military at the rank of Captain in 1975. He is an Agent Orange survivor.
VVA has been Stone's passion since 1993, when he joined as a life member. From 1999-2005, he served as treasurer of Chapter 292 in Beaumont, Texas, and has been chapter president since 2005. He has served as secretary of the Texas State Council, and has been its vice president since 2014. He has also been a director of the Texas Vietnam Veterans Assistance Foundation since 2010.
Stone earned bachelor's and master's degrees in mathematics from Southern Methodist University, and completed a law degree at the University of Texas on the GI Bill. He has practiced law in Beaumont since 1978, specializing in corporate law, contracts, banking, and real estate. Stone has served on the boards of several companies, served as a school board trustee, and is an active member of his church.
Stone's two sons have blessed him with four grandchildren. The elder son is a retired fighter pilot and now an airline pilot, and the younger son is a Methodist pastor.
Kim Do is a Saigon-born Vietnamese-American lawyer who grew up attending Catholic masses. She has a law degree from the University of Washington, and lives in Saigon with her husband and two children. Her short…
Marc Eliot is a biographer who specializes in telling the lives of movie stars. So it's no shock that his latest bio is American Titan: Searching for John Wayne (Dye St./HarperCollins, 413 pp., $28.99). In his engagingly written,…
Mary Travis were Christian missionaries to French Indochina and Vietnam from 1925-75, where, according to Trena Chellino, they "experienced an abundant measure of Christ's indwelling and overflowing life." The Travis family, with their…
Job Titles:
- Connecticut State Council President
Pete Peterson serves as a Director at Large on VVA's National Board.
Peterson was drafted into the Army in 1962 and served enlisted tours with the 5th Special Forces Group and the Army Security Agency. After being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Field Artillery, he went on to serve in a series of officer assignments, commanding at the battery and battalion levels. Peterson served two tours of duty in Vietnam, three tours in Germany, one tour in Korea, and numerous tours stateside. He retired at the rank of Colonel.
Peterson chairs VVA's Government Affairs Committee and is a member of the Minority Affairs, Veterans Benefits, and National Convention committees; he also chaired the 2012 Leadership and Training Conference. At the state level, he serves as chairman of the Oklahoma Veterans Council and as VVA's chief service officer for the state of Oklahoma.
Peterson has served as an institutional aide and swim instructor at Central Wisconsin Hospital and Training School for the developmentally disabled; program administrator of Oklahoma's Agent Orange Class Assistance Program; and coordinator of a program serving veterans' families, pregnant teens, and teen parents. He currently serves as director of Veterans Family Services.
Peterson attended the Command and General Staff College and Army War College, and holds a bachelor's degree in business management. He has completed a master's degree in human relations and additional postgraduate work at the University of Oklahoma.
Rex Gooch's 2015 book, ACE: The Story of Lt. Col. Ace Cozzalio , received a 2016 Independent Publisher Books Award Bronze Medal in the category of Best Adult Nonfiction Personal E-Book. In the book Gooch---who served…
Robert Komer earned the colorful nickname "Blowtorch" for his decidedly unwarm personality. Komer was "prickly, irascible, and abrasive, but always in command, always willing to speak without reservation, his thoughts expressed directly, interlaced with curses and profanity, "…
Job Titles:
- Chairman, Council of State Council Presidents
Sandie Wilson is serving as a Director at Large to VVA's Board.
Wilson spent seven years with the Army Nurse Corps, serving in Vietnam at three hospitals from 1968-1969. She subsequently spent 20 years in the reserves and retired as a Lt. Colonel.
Her current national committee positions include Service Benefits, Women Veterans, Health Care, and Government Affairs. Wilson's past national experience includes positions on the Constitution, Finance, Health Care, Veteran Affairs, and Strategic Plan committees; she also served with the Vietnam Veterans Assistance Fund. At the state level, Wilson served five years as a State Council president, five years as state secretary, and on multiple committees.
Wilson was appointed to the Michigan Agent Orange Commission, and is a past commander of the Michigan Commanders Group. Current state-level veteran activities include the Michigan Veterans Trust Fund (commissioner), Vietnam Veterans of Michigan (president), and the Michigan Veterans Foundation (board member).
Wilson has advocated for her military and veteran brothers and sisters for more than 40 years, aided by her background in nursing, which helps identify opportunities for improvement in the lives of veterans. Military experience added a foundation in teamwork and leadership, she says, and union positions gave her the skills to negotiate and represent on behalf of constituents.
Wilson is retired from the University of Michigan and resides in Saline, Mich.
Joseph "Spence" Davis was elected Region 4 Director at the VVA's 18th National Convention in New Orleans, La.
Davis was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1966 and was assigned to Fort Benning for basic and AIT (infantry radio repair) training. After leaving Fort Benning, he went to Biggs Field in El Paso, Texas, and deployed to Vietnam in August 1967. He was a part of the HHSB 2/4th Artillery, 9th Infantry Division, in Tan An, south of Saigon. Davis' Army career ended in August 1968.
Davis is a past treasurer of VVA Chapter 1010 and the Georgia State Council, and is currently serving his third term as president of the Georgia State Council. He is active on the Region 4 Disciplinary Committee and the National Disciplinary Committee.
He and his wife of 41 years, Elaine, have a son and grandson who live in California.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Life Member of VVA Chapter 193
- Member of VVA 's POW / MIA Veterans Initiative
Ted Wilkinson was elected Region 3 Director at VVA's 18th National Convention in New Orleans, La.
Wilkinson enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1969 and served two tours in Vietnam with the 20th Engineer Brigade and Engineer Command, earning an Army Commendation Medal, a Good Conduct Medal, and two Bronze Stars. Wilkinson was honorably discharged as a Spec. 5 in 1972.
As a life member of VVA Chapter 193, Wilkinson served 10 years as chapter vice president, two years as chapter secretary, and was named Member of the Year three times. He has served as a New York State Council delegate since 2002. He served as the state council's Western District Director from 2006-2016, and has chaired its Membership Affairs Committee since 2008.
At the national level, Wilkinson is a member of VVA's POW/MIA Veterans Initiative, Veterans Against Drugs Task Force, and Membership Affairs Committee. He is the founder of the New York State Wyoming County Joint Veterans Council, and served as its president from 2007-2015. Wilkinson helped organize 2005's Echo Taps, and brought the Moving Wall memorial to Western New York multiple times.
Wilkinson serves on U.S. Rep. Chris Collins' Veterans Advisory Council. Among his many commendations are the Conspicuous Service Cross (New York state's highest award for combat valor) and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry. He was inducted into the New York State Veterans Hall of Fame in 2012.
Wilkinson had a distinguished career with General Motors, and was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1982. He lives in Warsaw, N.Y., with his wife, Nyla, who has supported his veteran advocacy efforts throughout their nearly 40 years together.
Job Titles:
- Nebraska State Council President
Tom Burke is serving his first term as National Vice President of Vietnam Veterans of America. He was first elected to the VVA National Board of Directors in August of 2009, and he has served as an At Large Director for four terms and as National Region 5 Director for two terms. Over his tenure at VVA, Tom has been appointed by the VVA National President as National committee Chair, Vice Chair, and as a member of several committees. He has led or has served as a member of the following VVA national committees: Government Affairs; Veterans Benefits; Public Affairs; Finance; Veterans Incarcerated; and Disciplinary, as well as on the Council of State Council Presidents. Tom served as Ohio's State Council President for eight years. Starting out at the local level, he also served as First and Second Vice President before being elected as President of Chapter 857, a position he held for four terms. Tom holds VVA's highest commendation, and is a member of the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame, Class of 2016.
In his professional career, Tom rolled for 37 years in the Transportation & Logistics industry. He was employed by the Canadian National Railroad for 27 years, with current annual sales in excess of $14 Billion Canadian dollars. As a Market Manager for this company's pulp and paper division, he was responsible for $38 million in Pulp & Paper Products. Later, he was employed by the Wheeling & Lake Erie, having operational control as well as Marketing & Sales of their intermodal Terminal operation.
After leaving the Railroad Industry, Tom moved over to the trucking side of the transportation industry, serving as Vice President of Marketing for a privately held trucking company. Additionally, he operated his own consulting business in Logistics, serving many companies during this time, maintaining a highly successful business.
Tom was raised in Minnesota volunteering for U.S. Navy in 1963. After training and various assignments, he was sent to Helicopter Combat Support Squad One at Ream Field, California. In his final year, he was aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS Hancock.