VFW National Convention Recognizes State Funeral Board Members and Mission

State Funeral
Dallas, TX
AUG 6, 2018 —
Kansas City, Mo., was the host city for the 119th VFW National Convention, July 21-25, 2018.

A number of distinguished guests and award recipients, as well as President Trump and a number of elected officials from Missouri and Kansas appeared during the weeklong event. In addition to an address by President Trump, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joe Dunford, Command Sgt. Maj. William F. Thetford, Dr. Barbara Van Dahlen (Founder & President of Give An Hour), Maximilian Uriarte (author of Terminal Lance comic strip about the US Marine Corps life) and Andrew Lumish (the “Good Cemetarian” who restores fallen hero headstones) all received VFW national awards.

We want to especially thank Medal of Honor recipient and State Funeral National Board Member Donald “Doc” Ballard, and Missouri State Chairman and Woody Williams Award recipient Richard LaBrash, for teaming up to actively represent the State Funeral Mission at the Convention.

“Doc” Ballard was honored to stand at the podium in front of the entire assembly to personally promote the State Funeral Mission and objective to petition the President.

Before President Trump spoke, “Doc” Ballard was personally approached and embraced by 4 Star Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. This was an honor that will not be forgotten by both Ballard and LaBrash. After the President spoke, our National Board Member Donald “Doc” Ballard PERSONALLY handed a SPECIAL LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT FROM THREE MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS (our two national Board Members – Don “Doc” Ballard, James “Doc” McCloughan – plus “Woody” Williams).

We greatly appreciate the time and efforts by both “Doc” Ballard and Richard LaBrash for working the floors of the Convention with State Funeral Petitions and promoting the Mission throughout the four days of the Convention.



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