VDHA Officers

President

John Harvey

Vice President

Ernest Ayala

Vice President - Thailand Units

John Homa

Secretary

Billy Barnes

Treasurer

Robert Palochik

National Director-Associate Members

Dennis Lewis

Sgt. at Arms

Michael Duran

Chaplain

Steve A. Janke

Membership Chairman

Randy Kimler

Webmaster & Facebook Administrator

Jim Stiles

Asst. Webmaster

Dave Broeker

Born in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa - June 30, 1947.  Raised near Mt. Union, Iowa.  Attended school at Winfield-Mt. Union Consolidated at Winfield, Iowa.  Graduated Winfield-Mt. Union High School - Class of 1965.

1965-1966 - Worked at GE in Burlington, Iowa.
1966-1967 - Joined the USAF.  Assigned 814th Combat Defense Squadron, Westover AFB, MA (Strategic Air Command), Handled Military Working Dog Prince (1X63).
1967-1968 - 635th Security Police Squadron U-Tapao Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand, Handled Military Working Dog Ara (9M72).  She was donated later to the King of Thailand to start their K-9 Corps.
1968-1970 - 408th Fighter Group, Kingsley Field AFB, OR (Air Defense Command), no K-9 assigned. Member of the elite “Kingsley Field Memorial Volunteer Drill Team”.
1969-1970 - Earned my FCC license as an Open Circuit Radio and TV Broadcaster and worked at Radio station KAGO in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
1970 - Completed 4 years of Active Military Duty in the USAF.
1970 - Returned to GE in Burlington Iowa.
1974 - Became an Electrical Engineer at GE and worked in Engineering until 1987.
1987 - Retired from GE in Burlington, Iowa after 21 years.
1987 - Started work at Sherex Chemical as an Electrical Engineer in Mapleton, Illinois.
1990 - Married Patricia Bond.  (Second marriage for both of us).   She has 2 wonderful daughters and I have 1 son.
1991 - Became Manager of Information Technologies and Communications.
2001 - April 27 - Joined the VDHA by request of Retired TSgt. Ben Cox, 635th SPS, U-Tapao, Thailand, the Assistant Kennel Master in 1968 who had been looking for me for many years.
2002 - April - Became VDHA Webmaster.
2007 - October 1 - Siemens Technologies bought me and my I/T services from Evonik.  I then worked for Siemens Technologies at the same location for the same people until retirement. Note - Over the last 20 years Sherex went thru several name changes.  (Sherex, Witco, Goldschmidt, Degussa, Evonik)
2009 - July 1 -  Retired from Siemens Technologies at age 62 after working 22 years.
2010 - February 9 - Became the VDHA "BX Manager".
2013 - October VDHA Reunion:  Received the "Warriors Medal of Valor".
2020 - March 27 - My wife Pat and I just celebrated our 30th Wedding Anniversary.
2020 - August 23 - Appointed as the VDHA "Vice President - Thailand Units".
2022 - November - Resigned as VDHA BX Manager after 12 years.
2023 - March 1 - Resigned as "Vice President - Thailand Units" because of poor health.
2023 - March 1 - I have 1 son and 3 wonderful grandchildren plus 2 lovely step daughters.  My wife and I now reside in Pekin, Illinois, working with the VA to maintain support for my 100% disability.  My wife is now 82 and I am 76 and since I am wheelchair bound I only get out to go to doctor appointments when the doctor can't do a home visit.  Pat does all the errands and scheduling.
2023 - June 11 - Retired as VDHA Webmaster.  Became Assistant Webmaster to trane new Webmaster Jim Stiles.

BX Manager

Michael Hurder

DogMan Editor

Steve Lemish