New York State Council

Francisco Muñiz III, born on September 21, 1941, in Rincon, Puerto Rico, passed away on December 23, 2025, at the age of 84.

Francisco was an Army combat veteran of the Vietnam War, serving with the First Infantry Division.

He had served in various positions of Vietnam Veterans of America as well as the New York State Council during his forty plus years of active involvement. Francisco was the President of the New York Vietnam Veterans Foundation...

(New Orleans, Louisiana) – Tom Burke of New Philadelphia, Ohio, was elected to serve his first term as Vietnam Veterans of America National President at VVA’s 22^nd biennial National Convention held this week in New Orleans, Louisiana. Burke previously served three terms as VVA National Vice President and multiple tours on the VVA National Board of Directors. He volunteered for military service in the U.S. Navy in 1963, serving aboard the U.S.S. Hancock in his final year.

“To my mind, VVA over the past now approaching fifty years, has become the best VSO in the land. I have been able to represent our VVA members within the highest government offices in the country. I can guarantee you that our officials in Washington know who we are, and they ask for our opinions on many items. They respect us, because we respect them. Whatever we face, whatever road we choose, whatever comes our way, our organization has risen to the

(Washington, D.C) — “The enactment of the Korean American VALOR Act is a significant step toward rectifying the inequity in care for those who fought alongside us in Vietnam,” said Jack McManus, National President, Vietnam Veterans of America. The VALOR Act expands eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs benefits like medical and dental care to over 4,000 veterans of the South Korean armed forces who served in Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975.

“Our government offered healthcare to generations of allied forces prior to the Vietnam War; our Korean brothers in arms — now American citizens — have until now been unjustly denied access to care that they earned through service,” said McManus.

President McManus emphasized VVA’s commitment to collaborating with members of the Korean Vietnam Veterans community and the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that the VALOR Act is implemented in a way that maximizes access to