Vietnam Veterans of America · Chapter 787 · Tampa, FL
Leadership Board
The Leadership Board is made up of dedicated Vietnam Veterans who carry the weight of both their service and their continued commitment to justice, honor, and accountability. Each member brings firsthand experience, unwavering integrity, and a deep resolve to ensure no veteran is forgotten and every sacrifice is remembered. Guided by our mission, this board leads the charge in advocacy, remembrance, and support for all who served—especially those still missing or suffering from the lasting effects of war.
President
Tom Leavitt
Staff Sergeant, Army Medical Corp.
- 1969–1970: 50th Medical Clearing Company, 44th Medical Brigade – Long Binh, Republic of Vietnam
- 1971–1972: Georgia National Guard – Redeye Team Leader, Milledgeville, GA
Tom Leavitt brings decades of leadership, service, and advocacy to his role as President. His frontline experience and continued dedication reflect the unwavering spirit of Vietnam Veterans across the nation. As a voice for those who served—and especially for those who never came home—Tom leads with honor, purpose, and a deep commitment to our mission.
Board of Directors
Officers
Vice President
Bob Vigil
Navyvet350@gmail.comRobert (Bob) Vigil, USN, GMG2 (Gunners Mate, Guns 2nd Class)
- Boot Camp Co. 73-108, San Diego NTC/RTC
- USS Niagara Falls AFS-3
- USS Mars AFS 1
- Service Dates 3/30/73 – 11/25/77
Treasurer
William 'Bill' Blevins
Blevinswj@hotmail.comSMSgt, Intelligence Superintendent
Duty Stations
- RAF Upper Heyford, UK, 1974-79, F-111E
- Pope AFB, NC, 1979-81, C-130E
- Rhein Main AB, GE, 1981-85, C-130E
- K.I. Sawyer AFB, MI, 1985-87, B-52G
- COMFIVEATAF, Dal Molin Aeroporto, Vicenza, Italy, 1987-90
- RAF Lakenheath, UK, 1990-98, F-111F / F-15E / F-15C
- USCENTCOM CCJ2, 1998-01
Secretary
Loretta Danielik
ldanielik@gmail.comU.S. Air Force
Service Record
- 1968–1970, Naha AFB, Okinawa: Non-operationally Ready Supply (NORS) Control. Responsible for managing supplies and parts for communications equipment and HH-3E helicopters in support of the Vietnam War.
- 1970–1972, McGuire AFB, New Jersey: War Readiness Materials (WRM) Supply. Maintaining prepositioned equipment and supplies to support combatant commanders during wartime contingencies.
- 1971: Deployed to Frankfurt, Germany in support of Return of Forces to Germany (REFORGER).
- 1972: first WAF to deploy to Rhein-Main Airbase, Germany, in support of Wing Airlift Command Element (ALCE).
Directors
Bill Dixon with Tank, his assistant.
Board of Directors
Bill Dixon
U.S. Army, Combat Engineers
- Vietnam, 1967–1968, serving through Tet '68, a pivot point in the war.
- Returned to Vietnam three times with the Vietnam American Communities, including support for local Vietnamese orphanages.
Bill has been named Veteran of the Year five times, served 10 years as President of the North Carolina Veterans, and served six years as Commander of an American Legion Post. As Chapter Education Director, he developed and teaches "The Lessons of Vietnam" and hosted an online show of the same name for eight years. During the 2025–2026 school year, he brought those lessons to more than 700 high school students.
Board of Directors
William 'Bill' Knarr
U.S. Army, 1968–2002
- June 1968 to June 1969: Assigned to the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, operating south and west of Saigon in country dominated by rice paddies, canals, and rivers, clustered with small villages connected by foot paths and dikes.
- Served as a Specialist 5 working with an 11-man Vietnamese paramilitary unit as part of the Phung Hoang program, the Vietnamese counterpart to the CIA's Phoenix program: to find and destroy the Viet Cong infrastructure.
In 2019, Bill was inducted into the U.S. Army Infantry Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame. He attributes much of that honor to his enlisted experiences and the lessons he learned during Vietnam.
Board of Directors
Constantine 'Charlie' Chagares
U.S. Navy
- Completed Fleet Sonar School, October 10, 1966
- Active duty: February 14 to November 3, 1969
- Reserves: November 4, 1969 to February 13, 1972
- Served two years in Argentia, Newfoundland
- Remainder of service in Norfolk, Virginia
Board of Directors
Felton Dunnehoo
U.S. Army, drafted January 1969
- Basic training at Fort Polk, Louisiana.
- Advanced Individual Training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, followed by a 15-week Artillery Combat Leadership School, where he finished second in his class.
- January 6 to November 27, 1970: Vietnam with the 2nd Battalion, 94th Artillery Regiment as a Gun Chief along the DMZ in I Corps.
Felton is presently the President of the 2nd Battalion, 94th Artillery Regiment Vietnam Association. He is married with two children and four grandchildren.
Board of Directors
James Hawkins
U.S. Air Force, retired E-7 in 1987
Duty Stations
- 1966: Basic training, Lackland AFB
- 1966–1967: Tech School, Chanute AFB (Jet Engine School)
- 1967–1970: RAF Lakenheath, England (F-100 aircraft)
- 1970–1971: Fairchild AFB (B-52 and KC-135 aircraft)
- 1971–1972: MacDill AFB (F-4E aircraft)
- 1973–1983: Fairchild AFB (B-52 and KC-135 aircraft)
- 1983–1987: RAF Lakenheath, England (F-111F aircraft)
Board of Directors
Lynn Mattingly
U.S. Navy, 1968–1972 · U.S. Naval Reserve, Seabees, 1977–1996
- Two tours in Vietnam
- First tour aboard the USS Constellation
- Second tour aboard the USS Enterprise, attached to VF-143, the "Pukin' Dogs," as an AME working on the F-4 Phantom
- Joined the Naval Reserve in 1977 and cross rated to Builder in the Seabees
- Retired in 1996 with 24 years served
Board of Directors
Terry Varvil
U.S. Army, 1969–1972. Acting Sergeant at the end of his Vietnam tour and during his stateside assignment.
- March to July 1970: Quang Tri Province, Vietnam, 13 miles from the DMZ, as a Combat Engineer and Company Armorer with the 18th Engineer Brigade.
- July 1970 to March 1971: Assigned to supply, finance, and accounting at Long Binh.
- Stateside for the next year and a half at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis, in the Finance Corps, departing active service in 1972.
Coordinators
POW/MIA Coordinator
Pam Cain
Board of Directors and Advisor
powmiamemorial.orgDaughter of Col Oscar Mauterer, USAF, missing in action in Laos since February 15, 1966.
AVVA Coordinator
Robin Chagares
Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America
What the AVVA Does
- Provides support to Veterans and their families through programs, projects, and education.
- Creates better everyday life for Veterans and their families.
- Supports veterans by participating in ceremonies, events, and fundraising.
Join and work with us to honor and support veterans.