Board of Directors
Executive Directors
John Wear
President
Email: [email protected]
John “Sherman” Wear was born in Frankfurt, Germany on December 4, 1946 just prior to the “Berlin Airlift”. His father was a career U.S. Air Force officer involved in the airlift 6 months after Jon’s birth. Growing up as an Air Force “brat” gave John a fairly unique slant on life since it was a constant move every two years; he has seen the world and has acquaintances all over.
Rick Lewis
Email: [email protected]
After graduation from high school in 1965 Rick enlisted with some school buddies who went Navy, while he went Marines. He graduated with Plt. 365, 3rd Bn. MCRD San Diego. He was sent to Infantry Training Regiment and then to Tank School at Del Mar. During his time at Del Mar he met some of the great names in Marine tanks: John Cornelius, E. J. Nations, Dan Wokaty and many others. These Marine legends were tough task masters.
Bruce C. Van Apeldoorn Sr.
Treasurer
Email: [email protected]
After completion of Boot Camp (MCRD Parris Island), Infantry Training (Camp Geiger/MCB Camp Lejeune), and the Basic Tank Crewman Course (Camp Pendleton) was assigned to 1st Tank Battalion, 1st Marine Division in Vietnam. As a PFC I was issued an M14 and assigned to the S3 as a member of the security platoon. For four months I was afforded the opportunity to hone 0311 skills by going on patrols, establishing ambushes, guarding strategic structures such as
bridges, building bunkers, and stringing concertina wire. In January of 1968 I was promoted to L/Cpl. and assigned to the 2nd Platoon, ‘C’ Company, 1st Tank Battalion as a Tank Crewman. At the end of the month the Tet Offensive started
ending a period of hunting the elusive Viet Cong and the beginning of battling the North Vietnam Army. Both continued the use of what would become known as IEDs.
Ron Knight
Secretary
Email: [email protected]
As a southern boy, grew up in the Chattanooga, TN (the Volunteer State), we played “war” almost everyday. One day we found, what we later learned was a drive shaft from a truck, and this became our 50 Cal. machine gun. I was addicted to heavy firepower at an early age.
After high school, went to Mississippi State University, a Land Grant college; therefore 2 years of ROTC was mandatory for all male students. During my sophomore year, the Colonel was after me to go Advanced Army ROTC. However, one day I noticed the Marine recruiters in the Student Union and wandered over to see what their story was. The year was1964 and few of us had heard of a place called Vietnam.
Directors
Lt. General Martin R. Steele, USMC (Ret.)
Director
Fred Kellogg
Director
Email:[email protected]
I enlisted in the Marine Corps' delayed entry program while I was still in high school and reported to boot camp shortly after graduation. I arrived in MCRD San Diego in the middle of the night to the sound of Drill Instructors screaming something sexually impossible about yellow footprints. After boot camp and Infantry Training Regiment (ITR) I was assigned the MOS of 1800.
Peter J “Pete” Ritch
Director
Email: [email protected]
I graduated from college on Saturday June 5, 1967 and on Monday, June 7, 1967 received my draft notice. That afternoon, I beat the draft and joined the Marine Corps. Why did I enlist in the Corps? It was simple. If I was going to go to Vietnam, as my recruiter had assured me I would, I wanted to part of the best trained branch of the US military service. My recruiter advised me that there was a 100 percent chance that I’d be going to Vietnam.
Greg Martin
Director
Email: [email protected]
Greg serves as the VTA Website Administrator, the VTA National Recruiter and in addition he was recently voted to become a director on the Board of Directors.
William Davis
Director
Email: [email protected]
Bill Davis was born and raised in the Mount Shasta, California area. Following his graduation in 1966 from California State University in Sacramento, he was commissioned a 2d Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. He served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps for 29 years before retiring in February 1995, when he became the Director of the MacArthur Memorial, Norfolk, Virginia where he served in that position until September 2013.
Jim Raasch
Director
Email: [email protected]
Jimm Raasch was born March 27, 1947, and raised in rural southwest Iowa. Jim’s Dad served in the Army Air Corps during W.W. II.