Heather Bell
RADFORD – After 21 years as Commander of VFW Post 776, Gary Harris has turned over the gavel to Nathan VanHoy.
VanHoy served as a specialist in the Army’s 3rd Brigade 1st Infantry division and was active duty from 2009 to 2013 active duty, including a yearlong tour in Afghanistan in 2011 and service in many other countries. He said he is looking forward to taking the helm at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post and credits Harris for getting him involved.
“Gary has done a lot for veterans and for this community as a whole for a long time,” said VanHoy. “He is the kind of guy that will give you the shirt off of his back. I would not have known about the VFW if that were not for him. I used to think VFW’s were just a bar for the old World War II guys to go and share war stories. But it is so much more than that. In fact, our post is alcohol free and gambling free.”
“We provide ceremonies around the city and town surrounding,” he continued. “We provide Honor Guard for funerals that anyone needs us or wants us to provide honors for, and we provide any support we can for our community of veterans and their families. We also advocate for veterans for their healthcare, their benefits, transportation, or just their livelihood as a whole.”
“Gary has been taken care of so many people; I have some big shoes to fill. Someone has to step up and keep taking care of that place so that we can continue to advocate and provide veterans support and provide Honor Guard ceremonies for our fallen comrades.”
Harris, an Army veteran of the Vietnam War, said the generation before him, the World War II veterans, led him to the VFW after her returned from Vietnam.
“After leaving high school, with no plans, I soon got a job at the pipe shop,” said Harris. “I soon realized I did not want to stay there forever, about all the jobs were dirty and hot. I always wanted to be a policeman; someone told me to join the Army, take the military police training, get out and it would be easy to get a police job. That’s what I did, not thinking about the Vietnam War. In training, in one of our classes we were asked for volunteers for Nam. I raised my hand, the rest is history, never regretted it.”
“I came home in 1972, back to the world,” he continued. “Treatment of us Vietnam veterans was not the best. Radford had a VFW, for WWII vets. I went to church with a WWII vet that was a good friend, and he signed me up. At first I was not accepted and did not go to a meeting for years until they realized the VFW needed members. So, I started going, and made a lot of good friends.”
“At the VFW, we do not tell war stories. As the years went by, the position of quartermaster came open, they voted me in, and I had that job for five years. At that time the Commander wanted to step down. They voted me in as commander. It means a big honor, to be sitting in front of some of the most distinguished men in Radford, bank president, fire chief, police chief, lawyer, salesman and two were my bosses at work. Over the years we lost all of them and now the Vietnam vets were the old guys and some of the younger guys started to join.”
Harris said he felt it was time to turn over the command to the younger generation and thinks VanHoy will be a great leader for the post. He said he will be happy to move to the “back row” at meetings.
“The new guys, Iraq, Afghan are younger and sharp,” he said. “They knew about all the computer stuff that the state wants to change to, no more paper reports. I will continue to go to meetings, do what I can, as long as I can. All I am doing now is giving up the gavel, moving to the back row.” We are ‘bound by a tie others know not’.”
VanHoy said his own experiences in returning to civilian life after military combat gives him the desire to help other veterans.
“I have had a long journey exiting the military to now; combat does a lot to a person,” he said. “The healthcare we are given is full of so many hurdles and challenges and everyone’s path is different. I do not work currently as I am battling a number of health issues due to my time in the Army.”
He credits his wife, Mallory for helping him in his journey.
“My wife is the President of our VFW Auxiliary and she is a director of finance at VCOM University in Blacksburg,” he said. “She has been my biggest support since she met me when I was homeless. I guess I am one of those logistical veterans that has battled suicide, drug addictions and other mental health challenges, along with my spine injuries, brain damage, neck injuries and my legs. She has helped bring me back into a halfway normal life.”
“I just want to give back because I know how hard it can be to get the help veterans need.”
More information about VFW Post 776 can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/people/VFW-Post-776/61560824476405/?_rdr (or simply search VFW Post 776 on Facebook).