Vietnam Dog Handler Association

2026 VDHA Reunion
Doubletree By Hilton Riverfront
New Bern, NC
May 28th - May 30, 2026

REUNION INFO CLICK ON LINK Link #mce_temp_url#

REUNION FORM CLINK ON LINK Link #mce_temp_url#

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From the VDHA President

by John R. Harvey

December, 2025

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. November has been an exciting month. I had the humble opportunity to attend the South Carolina War Dog Memorial Rededication in Columbia, South Carolina, presented by the Military Working Dog Heritage Museum. The memorial is the creation of Johnny Mayo, a former U.S. Army scout dog handler, and Renee Bemis a renowned sculptor originally from Florida. The first time I saw the piece was when Dennis Lewis pulled into the parking lot of the hotel holding a VDHA reunion in October 2015 in Nashville, TN. It was sitting on a large flatbed trailer. Dennis was moving the memorial from Illinois to its final home in Columbia, SC. The emotions felt by the attendees are forever remembered.

This tenth-year rededication was a wonderful two-day event starting Monday morning with registration followed by a K-9 demonstration presented by units from Fort Rutledge in Columbia, SC and Fort Jackson in Clemson, SC. The demonstration was coordinated by SGM Viridiana Lavalle. SGM Lavalle currently serves as the Army Military Working Dog Sergeant Major and Program Manager at the Pentagon. SGM Lavalle has been a long time friend of the VDHA family. The demonstration was followed by a pizza dinner on Monday evening. There were about 40 participants.

Tuesday morning the attendees participated in Columbia’s Veterans Day Parade. The participants rode on a large open flatbed trailer outfitted with seats on which to sit. Some of the lucky ones snagged a ride in various military vehicles escaping the wind and cold. The morning started at a brisk 34 degrees and it was windy. As the day progressed, it finally warmed up to around 40 degrees. The rededication ceremony was held Veterans Day, Tuesday afternoon. The invocation was given by Dennis Lewis followed by remarks from Al Dobbs, Albert Johnson, president of MWDHM, and Johnny Mayo. Unfortunately, Renee’s plane flight was canceled due to the government shut down, however we were fortunate enough to have her call in and make a speech thru the speaker system provided by the city.

SGM Lavalle was the keynote speaker. MSG Terry Young gave an inspiring reading of the poem, “The Guardians of the Night.” All in all it was two days of comradery, meeting old friends and making new ones.

A quick reminder to get your registrations in for our reunion in May in New Bern, North Carolina. Wishing you all the happiest of holidays in December and a happy and healthy New Year.

AFTER THE TEARS.

What do you do after losing a close friend or loved one

one? Some cultures perform a wailing ritual as they do

carry the individual to their final resting place.

Much to my wife's dismay, I don't cry a lot. During

our seven years together, she has probably only

witnessed me cry three, maybe four times. The first time

was when she showed me a letter that she had written

to God asking him to bring to her someone who would

love and honor here. I quickly volunteered AFTER THE TEARS.

The Deadline to submit Articles

for the December 2025 DogMan

issue is November 23, 2025.
Please send to dogman@vdha.us

       The VDHA was organized in 1993 by a group of six veteran war dog handlers who 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 at 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.

Welcome Home
Vietnam Dog Handlers!

The VDHA Banner has proudly been displayed since the 2008 San Antonio VDHA Reunion.
This Banner is available for you to use for any parade or event, and gives us a chance to proudly display our presence. All you need to do is place your request and pay the return postage when you are through with it.

Contact Bob Palochik at bobpalochik@vdha.us

To submit a photo for "Photo of the Day", contact photos@vdha.us

Dogman - Volume 32/Number 4 - 12 /01/2025

2026 VDHA Reunion Set

in New Bern, NC

Steve Lemish, Dogman Editor

For as long as I can remember, going back to our

St. Louis Reunion, Dave Broeker was the webmaster of

our website and a fixture at every reunion along with

his wife Pat. They worked the front check-in desk and

managed the BX after unloading tons of inventory to

the hotels. He missed out on so many fun outings with

the rest of the guys because he worked right through so

the other officers and directors could enjoy the

reunion. Never a complaint or an excuse, he soldiered

on even working the evening events like dinners and

entertainment, making seating arrangements and

escorting people to their tables.

Dave joined the VDHA in 2001 and for 24 years did

not stop working. He was our webmaster from 2002

through 2023 when he trained Jim Stiles to take over.

Jim took over and became a great webmaster thanks to

a greater master. In 2010 he became our BX manager

and in 2023 he trained Mike Hurder to take his place

and Mike did a great job with it.For as long as I canFor as long as I can remember, going

VDHA dog handlers generally

get together every two years for

a reunion. We are excited to

announce our next reunion will be

held in beautiful New Bern, North

Carolina, from May 28th to May

30th, 2026.

As many of you know, our

reunions rotate across the country,

moving between East, West, and

Middle regions to make it easier

for more dog handlers to attend.

The upcoming gathering will

bring us to the East Coast,

offering a chance for members

from that area and beyond to

come together once again.

With each passing year, we

are keenly aware that our

numbers are dwindling. While we

cherish the memories of those

who are no longer with us, we

also recognize the importance of

the time we have left to connect.

These reunions offer a unique

opportunity to rekindle the

powerful bonds we forged during

our service in Vietnam, alongside

each other and our loyal canine

partners who stood by our side

and saved the lives of so many.

The reunion will be held at the

New Bern Doubletree by Hilton

(Waterfront) located right where

the Neuse and Trent rivers meet.

For those who are driving, the

Doubletree has free parking and

you can make arrangements with

the hotel to bring your dog. They

also have an outdoor pool.

Christophs on the Water has lunch,

brunch and dinner and room service

is available during limited hours.

Drinks are available at the

bar/lounge or at the pool bar. There

is a fitness center and smoking

areas.

Many of the rooms have

excellent views of the rivers and the

marina is steps away. It is close to

the city center, Tyron Palace and

Union Point Park. Marine Corps

Air Station, Cherry Point is down

the road about 30 minutes by car.

The nearest airport is Coastal

Carolina Regional Airport (EWN),

about three miles away by car. You

can also fly into airports at

Greenville, NC (48 mi),

Wilmington, NC (96 mi), Raleigh,

NC (131 mi), Myrtle Beach, SC

(176 mi), Richmond, VA (216 mi),

or Charlotte, NC (287 mi).

The Neuse River is the longest

river in North Carolina, stretching

248 miles. At its mouth, it is the

widest river in America at six miles

across. New Bern was the first

capital of North Carolina and has

historic charm. You can take a tour

of nearby Tyron’s Palace.

It was the Royal Governor’s Mansion

before the revolution and later

housed the state capital and beautiful

gardens. Pepsi-Cola was invented

there in 1898 by a local pharmacist

and you can visit the site, have a

Pepsi and get souvenirs.

Join us in New Bern to share stories,

photos, laughter, and camaraderie

with your fellow dog handlers who truly

understand the unique experiences

we shared. Let us honor the past and

create new memories together.

You can find details regarding

registration, accommodations, activities,

banquet, and meeting schedules are

displayed on pages 4-6 and you can

use the form on page 7 to register

for the reunion. More information

regarding the reunion, including

the reunion pin design contest,

voting for officers, awards and other

details will follow in future issues of

Dogman and on our website.

We hope to see you there.

Dogman - Volume 32/Number 4 - 12 /01/2025

Calling All Unit Directors

By Ernie Ayala

For as long as I can remember, going back to our

St. Louis Reunion, Dave Broeker was the webmaster of

our website and a fixture at every reunion along with

his wife Pat. They worked the front check-in desk and

managed the BX after unloading tons of inventory to

the hotels. He missed out on so many fun outings with

the rest of the guys because he worked right through so

the other officers and directors could enjoy the

reunion. Never a complaint or an excuse, he soldiered

on even working the evening events like dinners and

entertainment, making seating arrangements and

escorting people to their tables.

Dave joined the VDHA in 2001 and for 24 years did

not stop working. He was our webmaster from 2002

through 2023 when he trained Jim Stiles to take over.

Jim took over and became a great webmaster thanks to

a greater master. In 2010 he became our BX manager

and in 2023 he trained Mike Hurder to take his place

and Mike did a great job with it.For as long as I canFor as long as I can remember, goinThe Vietnam Dog Handler Association has been

The Vietnam Dog Handler Association has been

around for about 35 years now. It has always been the

largest and oldest group around for military dog

handlers, past and present.

When I joined up back in 2000 I was so proud being

part of this organization because all the members did

what I did in Vietnam. When I was asked to be a unit

director for all Army Sentry Dog Handlers, I gladly

accepted the job. A few months later Jesse Mendez, the

living legend who started the Scout Dog Handling

School at Fort Benning asked me and the other unit

directors to go to our groups and raise enough money

to pay for our pedestals around the War Dog Memorial.

I had to raise $8,000 from members I hadn’t even

known yet from my units. Somehow all we unit

directors did it and were proud of our contribution

because of our own pride in the project. We attended

the grand unveiling at Fort Benning in 2003 and the

pedestals are still standing, despite several scares of

them being removed or relocated.

Members, I need you now to know exactly who

your unit director is. Is he still active? Is he still alive?

Our structure is in need of a Vice President of Units

and some fresh faces who want to keep the VDHA alive

and work to keep units up to date with what we do or

can do for them. We need unit directors to keep us

informed of their members when one dies. Get us an

obituary and a photo usually provided by the funeral

home.

These are so important to the membership because

these are our brothers and many knew them from past

reunions or even served with them back in the day.

As editor of my unit’s newsletter, every three

months I put in the obituaries of all our membership

and I usually include between 10-20 members per issue,

that’s 40-80 members a year! How do we do it? Our

webmaster Gary Smith has found just about every

member we have lost track of using an application that

zeroes in to a person matching a name, certain year born

and home state. If you want the name of this magic

application call Gary at (713) 614-2503. He uses it

sparingly because there is a monthly cost to this so its

best used when you have many names you wish to look

up. Once I printed three pages of obituaries and got a

call from one of our old timers how sad it made him to

see so many he knew. I try to limit it to two pages now.

Elections will be coming up. We need a VP of

Units, VP of Tracker Dogs, an Assistant Webmaster

and Unit Directors to represent every unit without one.

Please contact me if you are interested. (626) 862-2667.

If you know of a recent member who has passed away,

active or non-active, call me or any board member.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and have a very

happy New Year.