Never again shall one generation of veterans abandon another.














• CHAPTER 391 HISTORY •


Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. was chartered in September 1988 as the 10th chapter in Californa. It has grown to become the second largest chapter in the State.

Below is a brief narrative history of the Chapter.



by Frank M. Smart
Principal co-founder, Chapter 391
     In the fall of 1987, I was working at the Horseshoe Club (now known as Zane's Iron Horse Saloon) on Washington Street as the night bartender.
     One day, the Union Democrat ran a story on the front page-three columns wide with photographs-of black activist Huey Newton, who was then serving a term at Sierra Conservation Center in Jamestown.
     This article incensed me, but probably not for the reasons you think.
     Granted, there was a time when Mr. Newton was a rallying point for his people and did a lot of good. But, in 1968, when Mr. Newton was inciting his people to "Burn, baby, burn," I was in Vietnam serving my country honorably and getting shot at daily.
     I fired off a letter to the editor chastising them for running the article on this man who was now a menace to society and serving time. Mr. Newton was in jail for stealing money from a government-funded education program he had convinced some politician to get funding for. He was also, at this time, a heavily-addicted drug user.
     In my letter to the editor, I suggested that if they were looking for a good business-interest story, that they should find a down-and-out Vietnam veteran who had pulled himself up by the bootstraps and made something out of his life.
     That letter caught the eye of Marine Corps, Vietnam Veteran Robert Pacelli, a local locksmith.
     Pacelli came into the Horseshoe Club one night, introduced himself, and suggested we get a bunch of 'Nam vets together and do something. "What will we do," says I. He said, "I don't know. Let's just do something as Vietnam vets."
     At that time, I was a member of the VFW and the American Legion, but did not belong to any group which had a particular identity which noted our service in Vietnam.
     I contacted Beth Barnes who put me in touch with some people in Fresno who had just started a VVA chapter. At that time, I had never heard of VVA.
     Along with my then fiancée, Kathleen, and her friends, John and Julie Bright, we went to Roeding Park in Fresno and attended a VVA meeting, viewed a miniature version of what we now know as the Moving Wall, and received a start-up kit for VVA.
     In November 1987, I attended the traditional Veterans Day Parade in Tuolumne thinking I would find a lot of Vietnam veterans there. I didn't. But, remarks I made to the UD reporter about the poor parade and the poor attendance got the VFW Post 4768 moving and since then, they have had a great parade.
     I got an article in the UD about the formation of the VVA chapter and started receiving phone calls.
     In late November 1987, seven Vietnam veterans held a meeting at the home of John and Lisa Grimes. In attendance, as far as I can remember, were myself, Greg Hourigan, Pacelli, John Grimes, Mike Brewer, Ron Sutton, and John Fox.
     The question I posed to the group was this: Do you want to organize a 'self-help' group and attempt to counsel guys with problems or do you want to form a 'Kiwanis'-type club which was community-service oriented? Everyone voted for the latter.
     On Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1987, we held the first public organizational meeting of what was to become Chapter 391, VVA, Inc. of Tuolumne County at Kate's family restaurant at the Sonora Inn.
     As I recall, there were about 35 in attendance and 23 signed up that night. It took one more meeting in January 1988 to get the 35 paid-up members necessary to apply for a charter. It took until September 1988 for Chapter 391 to be chartered as the 10th VVA chapter in the state of California.
     In 1988, we started talking about building a memorial and later acquired permission to use the property at the Tuolumne County Library on Greenley Road. The Tuolumne County Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated on June 30, 1991.
     The group has held together and grown over the years and has made their mark on this community.
     My original intent was to show Vietnam veterans in a good light and show the people of this County, this State, and America that we are, basically, no different from any other veteran who has served their country.
     I think the mem and women of Chapter 391 VVA have acquitted themselves well and is held in high regard by the people of this community.
     To say that I am very proud of 391's accomplishment would be a great understatement.
     Thank you for all you have done and all you will do in the future in the name of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.