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Veterans Summit in Victoria Tx - May 23, 2016
[posted on: 8-3-2016]

Victoria College Technology Center

VVA Chapter #1069 members attended the Veterans Summit on Saturday, July 23rd, 2016. The event was held at the beautiful brand new highl-tech Victoria College Technology Center Complex (see photo at left), that's located in Victoria, Texas. The event was sponsored by Congressman Blake Farenthold. Approximately 40 vendors & organizations, who provide various services and products for Veterans, attended and setup booths at the event. Congressman Farenthold and several others spoke at the event and a VA representative was there to answer questions from veterans, during a Q&A session. Nine chapter members & spouses helped setup and man the booth during the day-long event. Visit the Victoria College Technology Center Complex Website

Above photo: Our group arrived at the Technology Center Complex around 7:30 AM. We setup our booth in the pre-assigned area of the large conference meeting hall.

The above photo was taken early in the morning, before any of the vendors arrived. The photo gives you an idea of the size and expanse of the conference room facility in the Victoria College Technology Complex. Indeed, a first rate facility!

The above photo shows the VA's large mobile Vet Center van that was parked out in front of the Technology Center Complex. Those who attended the Summit were able to tour the inside of the van.

About mid-morning, Congressman Farenthold asked if our group would accompany him on a tour of the VA's large mobile Vet Center van that was parked out in front of the Technology Complex. Above photo shows the rear portion of of the van that serves as a office. VVA Chapter 1069 President, Leonard Sternadel, shown on the right, did have some questions regarding the van's functionality and the type of Veteran services the van and its personnel could provide. That's Congressman Farenthold shown on the left.

Above photo: The front of the van may be used as an examination room. Use the links below to learn more about the VA Mobile Vet Centers.

The above group photo was taken after the tour was over. That is Congressman Blake Farenthold standing out front. Chapter members (left to right) include: Bob Supak, Frank Kulcak, Leonard Sternadel, Michael Harbaugh, Randy Ratcliff & Robert Glaze. Other members who attended the event, but are not in the above photo are: Dwight Winkler, Jackie Saucedo & Dana Sternadel. VVA Chapter 1069 would like to thank Congressman Farenthold for his kind invitation to our members to accompany him on the tour of the van.

Above photo: Chapter member and our in-house Agent Orange exposure expert, Randy Ratcliff, gets his picture taken with Congressman Farenthold.

The above photo was taken later in the morning, after all the vendors had arrived. The vendor tables and booths were setup along the outer walls of the huge conference room.

The above photo shows that our display booth was setup next to the Victoria VVA chapter 898 group. Use the link below to visit chapter 898's their website.

And as the above photo shows, this turned out to be a great opportunity to exchange information and future event planning between the two VVA chapters. That's Dwight Winkler on the far left, Veterans Service Officer for VVA Chapter 1069 of El Campo. Sitting next to him is Leonard Sternadel, President of VVA Chapter 1069. In the fore-front is Randy Ratcliff, Agent Orange advocate for VVA Chapter 1069. On the far right is Ernest Montez, President of VVA Chapter 898 of Victoria, Tx.

Note that the Victoria VVVA Chapter 898 hosted a VVA Texas State Council (TSC) meeting earlier this year. Use the link below to get a bit more information about the Victoria VVA chapter.

The above photo shows Congressman Blake Farenthold giving the main talk at the Summit. It was Congressman Farenthold who hosted the Summit. This is an annual event hosted by him to help Veterans. Blake Farenthold is the U.S. Congressman for the 27th district in Texas.

Note that two other important members of Farenthold's staff were present at the event, Carol Wootton and Vanessa Hicks Callaway. We apologize that we do not have any photos of them at the event, but would like to thank them for all the help they had given us at the event. You may use the link below to get more information about them and Congressman Farenthold, including a map of the 27th congressional district along with photos and links to various Farenthold web pages.

Above photo: The main guest speaker was Rear Admiral Dell Bull, Chief of Naval Air Training at Naval Air Station, Corpus Christi, Texas. Admiral Bull talked about our War Veterans, honor and duty to Country. He and his family are recent Texas implants, and had many good things to say about Texas and the Texans they have met the past couple of years.

As above photo shows, Col. Mike Petrash, Retired, was also a guest speaker. He is a volunteer Director of the Warrior’s Weekend Field of Honor (Huge Flag Display) yearly event held in Victoria, and is President of the ”Gulf Coast Veterans and Volunteers Alliance”. Col. Petrash donates more than 1000 hrs/year toward improving the quality of life for wounded Soldiers, Veterans, and their Families. He firmly believes in the following: "That through the Field of Honor, we are building communities of Honor ... communities of Excellence as we draw from all demographic groups. We encourage patriotism, but insist on honoring Veterans; and, encouraging wounded Warriors and their Families."

At the conclusion of Col. Petrash's talk, he announced that he and Congressman Farenthold would be presenting a U.S. Flag to each Veteran that attended the Summit. The Flags were the same flags that flew in the May 2016, "Warriors Weekend Field of Honor" Flag display , held in Victoria, Tx. The above photo shows Leonard Sternadel, President of VVA Chapter 1069, of El Campo, being presented with one of the Flags, by both Col. Petrash and Congressman Farenthold.

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