Michael Moreno was born and raised in Hell’s Kitchen in New York City. After a tour of duty with the 101st Airborne Division as a combat infantryman in 1969, Michael resumed his career education in electronic technology and computer sience. For the next three decades, Michael worked for three Fortune 100 companies in various senior technical positions. Michael retired from the New York City Department of Correction, where he was the director of Computer Technology and Network Administration, after 25 years of service. Mike has been happily married to his wife for over 50 years. He has three daughters and four grandchildren. Michael is an avid surf fisherman. He devotes much of his time as vice-president and webmaster for the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 126 and many other veteran causes.
Marty Edelman was born in December 1940, and raised in Coney Island, Brooklyn, NYC. He attended the NYC school system including Lincoln High School where he played clarinet with Neil Diamond in the band and Neil Sedaka in the orchestra, and served with Elizabeth Holtzman on the Constitution Committee. He attended and graduated the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, earning a BS in mathematics and a commission in the US Army, and sang all four years in the Poly Glee Club. He served in the Corps of Engineers in Germany and Virginia from 1963 to 1965, and is a Vietnam Era Veteran.
Marty married Jayne Schurr, from Syosset Long Island on 2/14/75 in Manhattan and has been living on the Upper East Side since. He has worked as an industrial engineer, specializing in logistics, for Coopers & Lybrand, NYU Medical Center and the NYC Dept of Correction, on Rikers Island, retiring in 2017. He has been singing in the Mendelssohn Glee Club of NYC since 1985, and served as their president from 1991-2003; and has also been singing with the University Glee Club of NYC. He is active in community affairs including being a member and Manhattan Chapter Secretary of the Vietnam Veterans of America. He and Jayne spend their summers in Westhampton Beach His avocations have also included skiing, swimming, traveling, theater, donating blood, and walking in Central Park’s Ramble.
Fred Gasior has worked in the sales and consultant industry for over 40 years. This knowledge, along with his military experience and training, gives him a unique approach to management problems. His success over the years has been rooted in his understanding of advancements in technology and industry expertise. Formal education in engineering and industry continues with advanced classes in sales, management, and computer technology. Excellence and exclaimed in problem-solving, analysis and expense controls by working to reduce, avoid, or eliminate problems and issues before they arise. Planning a project is the key to success. Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance.
Fred was educated at the New York Institute of Technology, Academy of Aeronautics, Master Business Administration, B.S. Mechanical Engineering Aero Space, A.S Maintenance/Industrial Technology, Private Pilot, Certify FAA Airframe/ Power Plant Mechanic, ATC Military Airforce Training Schools, Numerous Sales and Corporate Training Seminars, Landmark Education Courses, Computer Courses In M.S, Office, Power Point, Etc., OHSA Certified Inspector, License NY Real Estate Agent.
Fred is a Vietnam Combat Veteran, Member American Legion, Legion Riders, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Patriot Guard Rider, Band of Brothers, Association of Vietnam Veterans of America, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 126 President, Chapter 126 NYC Foundation President.
Loree Sutton, M.D. Brigadier General (retired) is a lifelong public servant, physician, and retired brigadier general who, as the Army's highest-ranking psychiatrist; co-founder, Threshold GlobalWorks, LLC; founding commissioner, NYC Department of Veterans' Services; and, in her current position as CEO, Veteran Services USA, has devoted over 35 years of service & leadership to the nation and New York. In recognition of her work on behalf of NYC Veterans, Sutton is the proud recipient of The Phelps Award, sponsored annually by the Friends of the Vietnam Veterans Plaza. Sutton's decorated military career includes earning a Bronze Star for her actions in combat while deployed to Operation Desert Storm. Selected as a White House Fellow, the nation's premier leadership program, and honored by the National War College as a distinguished graduate, she also commanded the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood, TX, during the height of Operation Iraqi Freedom hostilities. Serving as the founding director of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, Loree pioneered integrative approaches for building resilience, enhancing recovery, and fostering community reintegration. Spanning decades of service in the public & private sectors, her visionary leadership has yielded transformational change which continues to improve the lives of veterans, families, caregivers and survivors.
Peter Funk is a veteran who served an extended term with the Army 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) in Vietnam from 1964 to 1966. He presently is Of Counsel to the law firm of Couch White LLP. His prior professional background includes 50 years practicing in the areas of energy, utility and construction law as a partner in several large international law firms and participating in the founding of the specialty firm of Funk & Zeifer LLP. He has often written and spoken on various topics in the energy and other legal sectors and has been an active member and/or officer of many committees. He lives in New York City with his wife, Ellen Zeifer, an attorney and artist, who was his partner in Funk & Zeifer. In addition to participating in other activities, both he and she have been officers of the board in the cooperative apartment building in which they live and in which they raised their two sons.
Vincent McGowan was Honorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps in 1968, Mr. McGowan, a Staff Sergeant (E6) served in Vietnam (1966 - 1968), as the leader of the first successful Combined Action Company of Vietnamese Regional Guard and Marines involved in counter-insurgency operations. Two books, “The Village” and “Small Unit Action in Vietnam, Summer 1966”, written by F.J. West, document the actions of him and his unit as it engaged and defeated the Viet Cong in Quang Ngai Province from 1966 to 1968.
* Founding member and past President Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 126
* Past Commander & life member of Manhattan West Side American Legion Post 1396
* Veterans Advisory Board Chairman 1992 through 2017
* United War Veterans Council, Inc. (UWVC) President and Founder 1985 through 2017
* Lt. US Coast Guard Auxiliary
* Life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars
* Member New York State Veterans Corps of Artilliary
Michelle DellaFave became a familiar face to millions of television viewers, singing and dancing each week on Dean Martin's wildly successful NBC television series. Those programs gave her the opportunity to work alongside some of the most famous luminaries and legends in the history of show business — from Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Lena Horne, Jimmy Stewart, Orson Welles, and more.
Michelle took part in two of Bob Hope's USO Tours, entertaining American troops stationed around the world and in Vietnam. She has performed in many theater productions and musicals. Michelle has continued performing for veterans' groups and headlined in her original cabaret act at several New York City nightclubs, including The Metropolitan Room, The Triad, and 54 Below.
Besides producing four of her own vocal CDs — a pop-jazz album called "Cool Burn,” a Gospel collection entitled “Transformed, an inspirational called “From The Soul,” and a mixed bag of popular songs called just that. She donates to veterans her self-produced cd “Freedom Angel” to any veteran who wants a copy.
Michelle released several popular singles over the last few years, with all of her music available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, and Google Play. Michelle traveled as “Blue Eyed Soul,” a duo entertaining Vietnam Veterans across the country. She was the recipient of the United War Veterans Council Award for service to America's Vietnam Veterans and has received many certificates of appreciation for her service at Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn, New York. She is a lifetime member of AVVA, supporting all Vietnam veterans through New York Chapter 126, and is a board member of Rolling Thunder Chapter1 NYC. She is a board member of VVA’s Chapter 126 Foundation and works with the Operation Warrior Shield Foundation as a performer and goodwill ambassador.
Michelle is a soloist at St. Marks’s Church in The Bowery in New York City and dedicates her time and singing to work for world interfaith and world peace organizations. Michelle is an NGO Representative of the World Yoga Community to the United Nations. Michelle has performed for the GandiMLK Organization. She is a board member of The Society Of Mechanics and Tradesmen Of New York City. She is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation Of Television Artists and Actors Equity.
Previously, she was vice-chairman of The Children’s Home Society, Tallahassee, Florida, and a board member of Horizons, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, which supports intellectually disabled adults. Michelle is an amateur oil painter who has received First Place ribbons for her work at the Florida State Fair. She has taught children singing, acting, and musical theater at Dance Elite Studios, Destin, Florida.
David Woodrow was born in Milwaukee and, while attending high school, enlisted in the USN-Reserves his senior year and attended meetings though 1 year of college. He extended his active duty to attend Radio School and went aboard ship as a radioman. His ship was deployed to the South China Sea immediately after the Gulf of Tonkin Incident. Leaving active duty he returned home, worked a year, and re-entered college, majoring in Sociology. He obtained a B.A., Univ. of WI-Milwaukee (1970), M.A., North. Ill. Univ. (1972), and Ph.D., SUNY-Stony Brook (1982) and taught at a variety of schools. He is married to Barbara Jansen and has a daughter and son who have 2 children each.
Leaving academia in 1982, David worked at the American Cancer Society for 3 years and took a job at Standard & Poor’s in the Data Management group working in the Municipal Finance department. In the early 90’s he became a bond analyst and then rejoined the operations group to assist in digitizing the administrative process. He retired in 2009 and pursued an acting career appearing in Off-Off-Broadway productions and appearing in student, Indie, and feature films.
David has been active in Veterans affairs since college, where he was a member of the Vets club. He joined Vietnam Veterans of America in 1984. He served the Brooklyn Chapter as president, vice-president, and secretary at various points in time. After moving to Manhattan, he joined the Manhattan chapter and has been Treasurer for over a decade. He has served in the Metro Council and was the secretary in the NY State Council from 1988 – 1992, where he received a gubernatorial commendation. In addition, he has recently been recording audible books for Xavier Society for the Blind. His position on the foundation board provides a chance to serve the larger veteran community.
Adam Pacelli has been marketing and selling Brooklyn real estate for over 18 years, with over $1 billion in sales.
He previously art-directed or designed music videos, commercials, and photoshoots. He shared several awards like MTV Best Music Video of the Year for Beck's 'Devil's Haircut' and Life Magazines Portrait of the Year for Mark Seliger's depiction of Ben Stiller titled 'The Evolution of Ben.'
A Park Slope native and graduate of SUNY Albany, Adam currently lives in Prospect Heights with his wife and two daughters. He owns several units in Brooklyn and develops land upstate and homes in Sag Harbor. For fun he enjoys Ultimate Frisbee, playing in eight national championships with New York. Adam also coaches girls' lacrosse for the Brooklyn Crescents. Go Crescents!