From the Presidentby John R. HarveyVDHA President

     “Back in the saddle,” that is probably the most remote saying I could ever come up with. I have only ridden a horse five or six times in my life. The last time was probably 28 years ago when my son was ten. But the saying seems to be appropriate for the times. The Cambridge Dictionary defines the saying as “doing something you stopped doing for a period of time.” As we emerge as a society from the year 2020, it is difficult to imagine an America post-vaccine. At times we wonder if we can ever start over again.
     Just three months ago, we closely followed the “news” in order to obtain information to help us determine if we had yet qualified to get the vaccine. First, it was first responders, then it was convalescent home residents, then those over 75 years of age, then 65, then 45, then 16, then 12. We scoured the news papers to figure out which web sites we needed to access to find that elusive appointment.
     We experienced the gratitude and disappointment when a spouse or relative scored that appointment when sixty seconds later we accessed the same web site only to find that all of the appointments were taken. We look back on a year that witnessed us losing friends, loved ones, and relatives to the “virus.” We wondered if life would ever get back to normal, whatever normal was before the pandemic. We were told to continue wearing our masks, then told we didn’t need to wear our masks, of course unless we were in an airport or on an airplane or in church or politically-correct specialty grocery stores.
     We look forward and wonder if we have the drive, energy and ambition to get back in the saddle. Two months ago, your board struggled in good faith with
scheduling our next reunion. October 2021 was less than a year away. Knowing the details that go into planning a reunion, we decided to move our reunion to April or May 2022. This was before the travel surge we witnessed this Memorial Day weekend. Many states were still under various degrees of lock down. At the time we did not know what a 2021 participation and interest there might be.
     It appears that America has enthusiastically decided to get back in the saddle despite the increase in the price of gas, airplane tickets and hot dogs. Your board also struggled with the next location. It was finally decided that we will be going to New Orleans, AKA, the Big Easy.  (Editors Note: This location has already been abandoned as of 06/13/2021!)  We are in discussions with a number of different venues. Please visit our web site for additional information as it develops.
     In the meantime, our rodeo is not over. Let’s get back in the saddle, even if it means having to use a step stool with handles to climb up.  Welcome Home!

       The VDHA was organized in 1993 by a group of six veteran war dog handlers that served during the Vietnam Conflict. One of their original goals was to search for and re-unite veteran war dog handlers and honor the memory of their war dog partners.

       As a result, the VDHA has grown from six members to approximately 2000 members. Our membership consists of veteran war dog handlers and dog loving supporters of all ages and gender.

       Many members have been featured in the print and film media, and during many of our nation's annually scheduled patriotic events. A significant achievement is the highly acclaimed TV documentary, "War Dogs, America's Forgotten Heroes."  We welcome the informational contributions of all dog handlers from all eras.

       The VDHA was founded with three core objectives in mind:
• Educate the public of the accomplishments of dog handlers in the United States Armed Forces during the Vietnam Conflict and the dogs that served with them.
• Provide opportunities for the research and preparation of a detailed history of the use of dogs in the Vietnam Conflict.
• Locate and provide fellowship among dog handlers of all US Armed Services.

       The VDHA continues to be a part of war dog memorial projects throughout the country. Some have since been dedicated and more are on the horizon.

       Getting the US Postal Service to issue a War Dog Stamp that honors the service and sacrifice of the nation's war dogs is one of our goals.

       Educating the public on what these incredible four-footed animals have done to save American lives on the battlefields of foreign Wars is always in the forefront of every effort we support or sponsor.       During every modern War, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq, men have volunteered to serve as "Dog Handlers." The military duty of having served with a dog in War is a bonding relationship and memorable experience like no other, that lasts a lifetime.