Newsletter

 VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA

Chapter No. 891, Mat-Su, Alaska

 For Immediate Release:

 June 1, 2002

 Alaska's Vietnam Vets Form New V.V.A. Chapter

 WASILLA, Alaska -- With more than 72,000 Vietnam veterans making

 their homes in Alaska, a small group of Alaska Vietnam Vets decided it

 was high time to have a Vietnam Veterans of America chapter in the

 state. More than 20 military veterans of the Vietnam War -- enlisted

 men and officers representing all branches of the U.S. military -- met

 in Wasilla Saturday, May 11, and unanimously voted to create the newest

 chapter, No. 891, of the Vietnam Veterans of America. The group then

 elected chapter officers.

      Former Capt. Robert Moore, U.S. Army, was unanimously elected

 chapter president. Moore served in Vietnam in 1965-66 with the 1st

 Brigade, 101st Airborne; in 1969 as a Chinook helicopter pilot in I

 Corps; and in 1972-73 as Senior Squadron Advisor to VNAF.

 Moore expressed his gratitude following the vote." With so many

 Vietnam military veterans living in Alaska, it seems only natural to

 form a V.V.A. chapter here", Moore said, adding that Alaska is second

 only to Wyoming in the percentage of Vietnam veterans who make up the

state's overall population. "By affiliating with the Vietnam Veterans of America,

 I believe there is a lot we can do to help our fellow veterans in both

 the Mat-Su region and throughout Alaska," Moore said following the

 chapter's first  meeting.

      Former Army 1st Sgt. Noel Gast was elected chapter vice president. A

 member of the Special Forces, Gast served in Vietnam in 1967-68 with

 MACV's Phoenix Program's Delta Project; and again in 1970-71 with

MACV's SOG.

      Barry Perkins was elected chapter secretary. Perkins served two

 back-to-back tours in Vietnam from 1965-67 as part of the U.S.M.C.'s

 1st Force Recon Company, and 1st. Battalion 5th Marines, Delta Company.

      Greg Hanson was elected treasurer. Hanson served in Vietnam in

 1970-71 with the U.S. Army's Combat Engineers 15th Engineering Brigade.

      James Kendall was appointed membership director. A Navy man,

 Kendall served in Vietnam in 1970-71 with CBMU 302's Navcat 9 and 1.

      Gerald D. "Stoney" Stoneking, was elected chapter chaplain.

 Stoneking served in Vietnam in1968-69 with the Army's 173rd Airborne

 Battalion as a door gunner on UH1H helicopters.

     Joe Drago was elected the chapter's sergeant-at-Arms.  Drago served in

Vietnam in 1968-69 with the U.S. Marine Corps' 2/3 Golf Infantry Division.

      Bill Kelder was elected chapter historian. An Intelligence

 Operations Specialist, Kelder served inVietnam in 1970-71 as the NCOIC

 Collections/Reports Section of the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing's

 Directorate of Intelligence.

      Vietnam veteran Robert Gable was voted in as a charter member of

 V.V.A. Chapter 891. Gable was unable to attend the first meeting because

 of disablities suffered in the Vietnam War. Fellow Vietnam veteran Lyle

 Osterhout made the proposal which was enthusiastically and unanimously

 approved.

     Following the election of officers, Moore announced that Northwest

 Regional Director Jim Grissom would be arriving in Alaska in the near

 future to visit with chapter members. Plans were made to host a dinner

 to welcome Grissom and introduce him to the new chapter's members and

 spouses.

      The chapter also participated in Mat-Su's annual Memorial Day

 ceremonies at the local Veteran's Wall of Honor, with Mount

 P.O.W./M.I.A., in the scenic Chugach Mountain Range, in the background.

 Capt. Moore addressed the 300 people in attendance, while other chapter

 members formed a color guard as part of the raising of the American

 flag.

      Plans are also underway for the chapter to participate in the City

 of Wasilla's annual Fourth of July parade.

 ******

 For further information, contact:

Bob Moore

Phone: (907) 376-1052