VVA Press Release

Health Care Reform Hysteria: ‘Death Book’ Scare Tactics Inexcusable

(WASHINGTON, DC) --“Health care reform is a legitimate topic for discussion and debate,” said John Rowan, National President of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), “but it is outrageous for some partisans to politicize the debate by targeting veterans with blatant scare tactics.

“The issue du jour is the so-called Death Book for veterans,” Rowan said. In an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, the person who headed the office of faith-based initiatives for the Bush White House attacked ‘Your Life, Your Choices,’ a 52-page booklet of end-of-life options to be considered by veterans and their families that has been given out by the VA as per federal law.  This booklet, developed in 1997 when Bill Clinton was President, was given to veterans and their families, if requested, under a directive in 2007 from President Bush.  It was updated last month, under President Obama.

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VVA National Convention Follow up

Newly Elected
2009 – 2011 Board of Directors

John Rowan—President
Jack Devine—Vice President
Barry Hagge—Secretary
Larry Frazee—Treasurer
Pat Bessigano—At Large
Thomas Burke—At Large
Wayne Cartier—Region 1
Richard DeLong—At Large
Fred Elliott—Region 2
Marsha Four—At Large
Steve House—Region 6
Allen Manuel—Region 7
John Margowski—At Large
Bill Meeks—At Large
Tom Meinhardt—Region 5
Charlie Montgomery—Chair, CSCP
Francis Rowan—Region 8
Carol Schetrompf—Region 4
Dick Southern—Region 9
Dan Stenvold—At Large
Patrick Welch—At Large
Bruce Whitaker—Region 3
Sandie Wilson—At Large
Jerry Yamamoto—At Large

2009 Committee Chair List
Standing Committees

• Agent Orange/Dioxin And Toxic Exposures (AO/DOTS) - Alan Oates
• Constitution - Leslie DeLong
• Economic Opportunities formerly ETaBO - Ric Davidge
• Finance - Bruce Whitaker
• Government Affairs - Patrick Welch
• Homeless Veterans - Sandy Miller
• Membership Affairs - Bill Meeks, Jr.
• Minority Affairs - Jerry Yamamoto
• POW/MIA - Gary Jones
• Public Affairs - Keith King
• Veterans Benefits - Jerry Klein
• Veterans Health Care - Pat Bessigano
• Veterans Incarcerated - Terry Hubert
• Women Veterans - Marsha Four
  

Task Forces & Special Committees

• National Leadership Conference Planning - Alan Cook
• National Convention Planning - Alan Cook
• Credentials - Jim Blount
• Elections - Scott DeArman
• PTSD and Substance Abuse - Dr. Tom Hall
• Resolutions - Fred Elliott
• Rules - Dan Stenvold
  

Appointments

• National Chaplain - Fr. Phil Salois
• National VA Voluntary Service Representative - Judith McCombs
• Parliamentarian - Michael Swift
• Sergeant-At-Arms - Grant Coates

2009 Mike Nash Scholarship Recipients

Thomas Orion Hall
Iris Alexis Hillis
Courtney Lee Jeter
Ava Lorenzo
Ashley M. Mallon
Stephanie Tabibian

Convention Press Release

John Rowan to Serve Third Term As National President of
Vietnam Veterans of America

John Rowan was reelected August 1 to a third term as National President of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) at the organization’s 14th National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. Rowan, who was elected to VVA’s highest office in 2005, has served as the chairman of VVA’s Conference of State Council Presidents, for three terms on the organization's Board of Directors, and as president of VVA’s New York State Council. He served as a linguist in the U.S. Air Force’s 6990 Security Squadron in Vietnam and at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, providing the Strategic Air Command with intelligence on North Vietnam’s SAM sites to protect their bombing missions.

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More information coming soon!

VVA Self-Help Guide

Click on the cover image to read the VVA Self-Help Guide to Service-Connected Disability Compensation for Exposure to Agent Orange

VVA Victim of Email Hoaxes

An email hoax, “States From One State,” has been circulating the Internet for more than a year. Unfortunately, someone has taken his/her personal initiative to attach the Vietnam Veterans of America logo to this flyer after it had been in circulation. The content of this email has nothing to do with Vietnam Veterans of America. We regret this egregious misuse of our logo and appreciate your efforts in setting the record straight.
 
For information on the LA Times response to this email hoax, please see the linked article.

An email hoax concerning Target stores and VVA has been circulating for a number of years. Please click here for more information.

Thanks so much for your assistance in dispelling these email hoaxes.