VIETNAM VETERANS of AMERICA Chapter 776 2011 Vietnam Veterans of America Convention Report Reno, Nevada By Gary McDermott

THIS YEAR THE 2011 VVA CONVENTION WAS HELD IN RENO, NEVADA A WELCOME HOME PARTY WAS PROVIDED BY THE SILVER LEGACY HOTEL THE FIRST EVENING, SO DELEGATES COULD BECOME AQUAINTED WITH EACH OTHER.

Richard Pimentel, a disabled Vietnam veteran who is one of the nations foremost disability rights advocates, gave a brilliant, stirring Keynote Speech at the Opening Ceremonies of VVAs National Convention in Reno. As one VVA member put it: That was not only the best Keynote Speech Ive ever heard, it was the best speech Ive ever heard, period! Pimentel, who suffered severe hearing loss after a Viet Cong rocket attack in 1968, was one of the main advocates responsible for congressional passage of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). His remarkable life story was the subject of the Hollywood film, Music Within.

NEW DELEGATES ATTENDED A SESSION ON ROBERTS RULES OF ORDER SO THEY WOULD UNDERSTAND HOW AND WHY THE ORGANIZATION CONDUCTS BUSINESS. GENERAL SESSIONS WERE HELD EACH MORNING AND SOME AFTERNOONS TO CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF VVA. WHEN NOT IN GENERAL SESSION, THERE WERE CAUCESES TO ATTEND

SEVERAL AMENDMENTS TO THE VVA CONSTITUTION WERE PROPOSED, INCLUDING: CCR CCR CCR CCR - 01: - 02: - 03: - 04: Change the at large Directors from 10, to 4. FAILED Add the use of email as a means of Communication in VVA. PASSED Affects Article III, Strike the word should and replace with shall. FAILED Change name of Employment, Training and Business Opportunities Committee to Economic Opportunities Committee PASSED

SEVERAL RESOLUTIONS WERE PROPOSED, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING: AO XX Hearing Loss added to the list of Birth Defects due to exposure to Agent Orange PASSED PM XX Forever POW/MIA Stamp PASSED VI - XX PTSD and Parole/Clemency PASSED VI - XX Retention of Benefits for Incarcerated Veterans PASSED VI - XX PTSD Treatment of Incarcerated Veterans PASSED HC - XX Department of Veterans Affairs Research PASSED HVC XX Special Needs Grants, VA Homeless Grants & Per Diem Program PASSED HVC XX VA Best Practice Model Addressing Homeless Women Veteran Transitional Residential Treatment Programs through VA Grants & Per Diem PASSED WV 02 AMENDED Medical Treatments of Women Veterans by DVA PASSED WV 05 AMENDED Women Veterans Research PASSED WV 06 AMENDED Women Veterans and Veterans Benefits PASSED HC 02 AMENDED Veterans Health Care PASSED HC 02 AMENDED Prostate Cancer Research and Treatment PASSED HC 20 AMENDED Participation in the Process of Accrediting VA Medical Centers PASSED HC 21 AMENDED Military Health Care PASSED VB 23 AMENDED Hours of Operation of VA Medical Facilities PASSED HVC 6 AMENDED Homeless Grant and Per Diem Funding PASSED MA XX AMENDED Native American Memorial Statue FAILED

SEVERAL VVA RESOLUTIONS WERE RETIRED, AS NO LONGER NEEDED FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER. (IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS RELATING TO THE DISCUSSED RESOLUTIONS; PLEASE ASK)

RESOLUTIONS NOT PROPOSED, BUT BROUGHT TO THE FLOOR FOR VOTE, INCLUDE: Native American and Alaskan Native Veterans should be provided health services immediately. This resolution FAILED, as this goal has already been met by Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Universities and Colleges shall ask for, review, and assess evidence of federal military schools and courses completed by military service members and veterans, and grant credits toward their intended major. PASSED VVA to urge Congress to pass appropriate legislation to reduce the waiting period for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation from 10 years to 1 year. PASSED VVA Supports legislation that removes the Annual 5% Deductible (MPR) from consideration of out of pocket Medical Expenses. PASSED VVA Supports legislation that amends Sections of Title 38 dealing with VA Pension, by changing the Eligibility Verification Report (EVR, Form 21-0516) due date from 3/1 to 3/31. PASSED VVA favors legislation that will provide for an effective and clear mechanism for veterans who believe their earned rights to veterans preference have been violated. PASSED VVA takes the position that accountability, open communication, incentives for performance, and free market principles need to be written into all federal and state laws that govern employment, training and related services PASSED VVA in the strongest language possible recommends that legislation that mandates the full implementation of PL 106-50, the Veterans Entrepreneurship Act of 1999, be accomplished throughout the Federal Agencies. Managers responsible for implementation, by written policy and/or oversight must be held accountable. PASSED VVA calls on all federal and state agencies to implement to the highest degree, the Welcome Home to Work , Hire a Vet First and Jobs for Veterans Act. PASSED VVA recognizes and acknowledges that the preponderance of information substantiates that there exist the possibility that there may be live American POWS or other Americans held against their will from the Vietnam War that are unable to return home, for one reason or another and directs the POW/MIA Committee and the Veterans Initiative Task Force in their efforts, must bring to the discussion this position. VVA also urges that all intelligence documents concerning this issue must be declassified, should a missing American surface, such an individual would not face punitive action or monetary penalty and the US government would take further steps to facilitate repatriation of any such American. PASSED VVA urges changes to the applicable law to allow veterans who terminate their attorney for matters before DVA to remove their fee agreement on record at the DVA. PASSED VVA strongly recommends that Readjustment Counseling Services continue with its present line authority and funding configuration as a community based service provider with locations separate from 3

VAMCS and VISNS. That legislation authorizing and funding a general expansion of the Vet Centers and Contract Care Providers to include rural areas be actively pursued after a needs assessment and submission of such assessment is submitted to the VA Under Secretary for Health and Director of the Readjustment Counseling Service. PASSED

VVA FUTURE (Task Force Report 2011 & 2005 Available upon request): Discussions regarding the future of VVA included, the possible inclusion of other veterans, the joining of VVA with other VSOs, the expanding of VVA to era veterans or those who have served on active duty during the dates established by federal law for periods after the Vietnam War, or a name change and lastly a last man standing scenario.

ELECTION OF NATIONAL OFFICERS WAS HELD FRIDAY MORNING WITH A RUN OFF ELECTION CONDUCTED SATURDAY MORNING. ELECTIONS: NATIONAL OFFICERS President: John Rowan Vice President: Fred Elliott Secretary: Bill Meeks Treasurer: Wayne Reynolds BOARD of DIRECTORS AT LARGE UNAVAILABLE

NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS REGION 6: John Margowski DELEGATES by REGION: 1 37 2 65 3 11 4 40 5 104 6 39 7 48 8 13 9 76 Total = 529

A PRESENTATION WAS MADE TO THE BODY BY JOHNNIE WEBB, DEPUTY COMMANDER FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS, JOINT POW/MIA ACCOUNTING COMMAND (JPAC). JPAC efforts to recover MIA remains from crash sites in Vietnam have been hampered because of the lack of CARB certification of helicopter crews and aircraft of foreign countries. Pentagon officials will not allow recovery teams to fly without CARB certification. Waviers have been issued on a temporary basis when it is imperative a site be explored. US teams have been restricted however in some areas and Vietnamese teams have been used in those cases. Time is running out in some recovery efforts with changes in topography or rock slides affecting recovery efforts in mountainous areas. Laos has many restrictions on teams, Cambodia is very cooperative but there are not accurate records or sites to assist these teams. Many NVA mass graves have been uncovered and several Vietnam veterans in the audience asked questions regarding known sites and offered information of sites known to them.

A SECOND PRESENTATION WAS MADE BY THE HONORABLE NGUYEN BA HUNG, COUNSEL GENERAL OF VIETNAM. MR. NGUYEN WAS COUNSELOR FOR POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS AT THE VIETNAMESE EMBASSY IN WASHINGTON D.C. While leading the department, he also was appointed to head the Viet Nams office for Seeking Missing Persons and has been a key player in the development of Vietnam-US relations, especially in their humanitarian cooperation on the American POW/MIA matter. Several crash sites have recently been uncovered and identification has been made with the cooperation of the Vietnamese Government as well as the Vietnamese people.

THE AWARDS BANQUET WAS HELD SATURDAY EVENING WITH AWARDS BEING PRESENTED TO SEVERAL CELEBRITIES IN THE AREA OF ARTS AND SERVICE INCLUDING THE FOLOWING INDIVIDUALS and ONE OF VVAs OWN; MASTER OF CEREMONIES DUTIES WERE SHARED BY MARC LEEPSON AND WES GUIDRY, BOTH MEMBERS OF VVA. The banquet dinner was excellent and was followed by the awards presentation, as follows. Dianna Dell/Presidents Award-Excellence in Arts (Toured Vietnam) Homer Hickman/VVA Excellence in Arts Award (Vietnam Veteran) Gloria Loring/Presidents Award Excellence in Arts (Toured Vietnam) Vicki Lawrence/Presidents Award Excellence in Arts (Toured Vietnam) Johnny Rivers/Presidents Award Excellence in Arts Toured Vietnam) Mickey Jones/Presidents Award Excellence in Arts (Toured Vietnam) Vikki Lawrence Carol Burnett Show and Mamma Show (Toured Vietnam) Marc Leepson - Author & Vietnam Veteran

After the awards the band THE GROOVE THANG played into the night. 5

The Convention also sponsored an exposition or memorabilia room where numerous booths were occupied by vendors and service providers, to include the Vet Center, VA Benefits Department, VA Cemetery and Internment Department, VA Research, private tour guides such as Battlefield Tours, VSAA Insurance, Medals of America and other providers of veteran hats, shirts, jackets, patches and pins. Brochures were distributed by Habitat for Humanity, recruiting Vietnam Veterans who wished to travel back to Vietnam and construct homes for needy families. The 2011 VVA Convention was certainly an informative session and I thank Chapter 776 for supporting my attendance and I look forward to the possibility of attending the next Vietnam Veterans of America Convention located in Jacksonville, Florida in 2013.