Meet the A C V A C
A L A M E D A C O U N T Y
VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMISSION
Parade Committee
Seated L/R: Mark Raymond Chandler,
George Sahatjian, Jack Ottovich, Alan Strutz, Peter J. DiGrigario. Second
Row L/R: Susan Hodges, Roberto Roche, John Lingar, Carl Slattengren,
Leo Trimble, Walter Schrank, Jr. Back Row L/R: Earl Starnes and Charles
McLain. Not pictured: Mary Collier, Veronica Acosta and Armando Pereira.
Also pictured: Rube Knoff and Tom Martines, from the VFW.
Charles McLain is the Chairman
of the Commission and the CEO of the California Veterans Advocacy Corporation,
an organization known world-wide for its service to our homeless and jobless
veterans, and is also the editor and publisher of the Veterans News Service.
Jack Ottovich is Veterans
Day Parade committee chairman and is past State Commander for the Military
Order of the Purple Heart who served in the European Campaign both in the
Army Air Corps and the regular Army.
Mark Raymond Chandler is the
Vice Chairman and VIP Coordinator for the parade, a task he has performed
for several years. He is a veteran of both the Navy, serving aboard a destroyer
in Korea and US Army Reserve. He served in Vietnam for four years with
USAID with the Defense Department, and later with the USO. Mr. Chandler
is a Freelance Journalist with the ANG Newsgroup and 35 year member of
the Screen Actors Guild. He is currently on the staff of the California
Veterans Advocacy, Corp. and a contributor to the Veterans News Service.
Alan Strutz is the Treasurer
for the Parade Committee and has the distinction of having held that position
for the past 47 years when the commission was first organized. The Veterans
memorial Building in Hayward, California has been named in honor of Mr.
Strutz, an anomaly since memorials are normally named for deceased honorees.
John Lingar is a Vietnam Veteran
and the parade coordinator, a responsibility he has accepted for two years.
Carl Slattengren is a member
of the Pearl Harbor Survivors who served in the Pacific.
Leo Trimble is an Ex American
Prisoner of War from WW II.
Walter Schrank is a well-decorated
Korean War Veteran who was featured in Mr. McLain's newspaper, recently.
Susan Hodges is a Vietnam
Veteran.
Earl Starnes is a retired
Navy Chief who served in Vietnam..
Roberto Rocha is a US Army
Vietnam veteran who served in country with the chaplain's corps.
George Sahatjian a WW II veteran
who served in the US Army in the European theater.
Peter J. DiGregario served
in the US Army in WW II and has been the Chairman of the Memorial Day Ceremonies
in Hayward and San Leandro for several years.
Armando Pereira is WW II veteran
who served in the European Theater and is a member of the VFW.
Mary Collier is a member of
the VFW Auxiliary, Post 819 and has been secretary for the Parade Committee
for over fifteen years.
Veronica Acosta is a retired
Navy Chief Yeoman who served in the Vietnam War as part of a debriefing
team in the Pacific Fleet Command.
VFW members, Rube Knop and
Tom
Martines both served in the European Theater in WW II. Knop also served
in Korea and Vietnam.
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