I started this blog in July 2019, when I was elected as the Junior Vice Commander in Chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. Now, in July of 2021, I have been elected to the position of Commander in Chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States!
I served my country in the Air National Guard and Active Duty Air Force as a Security Policeman, with service in Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1990-1991. I received the usual medals one gets for being in a war zone, plus a few individual ones. However, I am particularly fond of the Outstanding Unit Award with Valor [V] Device. That was a team effort and we all did our part to earn that one. As the saying goes, 'all gave some...'. No one really sets out to earn medals; I'd be suspect of a person with that goal.
On my return I joined the VFW and have been a Gold Legacy Life Member since that time. I was fortunate to hold many elected and appointed positions at all levels of the VFW and I like to think that I did reasonably well enough to garner the current position which I occupy.
There is a bit of a twist in this bio. Long before I enlisted in the National Guard, I had already received my Bachelor of Arts and Doctor of Jurisprudence degrees. I was a state judge when I entered basic training, and near the venerable age of 29! I didn't have to enlist; I wanted to enlist and give something back to the greatest country on earth, a country of which I am proud to be a citizen. I chose this path of service as, for me, it was the right and proper thing to do because of all I gained from this country.
I'm a retired attorney now and fill my free time, such as it is, with scuba diving, being a magician, traveling, and of course, serving veterans!
