The call to service they once heard in the hot, muggy landscape of Southeast Asia now echoes through Hillsborough County’s densely humid air and has been answered by members of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Chapter 787, at its Veterans Memorial Park command and control center.
In the more than half-century since the official end of the Vietnam War in 1975, many who served in that conflict have organized into a national organization that advocates for all of those who defend the nation and to serve the communities in which they live.
VVA Chapter 787 is one of 29 chapters in Florida, and it has been active in local community engagement since its founding in 1988. While Vietnam in the group’s name indicates an era of military service to distinguish it from other veteran organizations, VVA members actively support the general veteran community in Hillsborough County as well as aspiring warriors in local high schools by mentoring local JROTC cadets and relating firsthand their historical experiences to students.
Tom Leavitt, the chapter’s president, wrote in an email that “Participation in the JROTC award programs in all 29 schools within the county is a special time each year of supporting our wonderful cadets.” Leavitt, who was an Army medic in Vietnam, expresses respect for the young people he and his comrades have encountered in their outreach efforts. “We have found them to be what our young people are really all about and we see their leadership skills as our future.”
Business meetings are held every fourth Thursday of each month at Veterans Memorial Park and the organization’s calendar is full of activities that support the local veteran community. Chapter 787 is a presence at many local patriotic events such as Patriot’s Day observances and Veterans Day parades at James A. Haley VA Hospital where they also host a pizza dinner every other month for families staying at the adjacent Fisher House. Conducting an annual Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans event is a significant occasion for the chapter that corrects the abandonment Vietnam veterans once endured when they came home from the war decades ago. It is held on or around National Vietnam War Veterans Day which is observed each March 29.
One invaluable resource for veterans and their families is Chapter 787’s website at https://vva787.org/ where extensive information about programs and services can be found as well as details about the VVA.
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