Welcome aboard the new VLMVC website and to our Club. The VLMVC is non-profit charitable organization under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and registered with the State of Florida. The VLMVC was founded in 2012 by a group of veterans here in Valencia Lakes for the purposes of promoting veteran’s causes, supporting and educating our members on issues of interest to veterans and enhancement of social interaction amongst veteran members. We are a volunteer organization; our Board of Directors and Officers serve without pay as do our members and supporters when working on events and veteran causes.
Since our Club’s founding six years ago, we have held an annual fundraiser event – a dinner dance along with annual Memorial Day Commemoration and Veterans Day Ceremonies that are widely attended. Our Club also is responsible for maintenance of the flags and monuments at our Circle of Honor for which the VLMVC was the creative force behind that project. We normally hold our member meetings on the first Monday of each month (holidays excepted) in the VL Social Hall. This past year we were blessed with interesting speakers / presenters at our meetings on a variety of subjects of interest to veterans and VL residents. Our Club was also the recipient of a most gracious generous donation by the late John Aloysius Gasell and the beneficiaries of his estate / trust to help our Club provide transportation for veterans to the VA Hospital in Tampa and VA Clinics. We are currently working on having this transportation project become operational in Spring of 2019.
Our membership consists of veterans living in VL, their spouses / loved ones as well as non-veteran VL residents interested in helping veteran causes. Our Club and its activities are open to all VL residents. Our veterans are mostly non-career military although many are retired military. They have served in WW II, Korea, the Cold War, through the Gulf, Iraq and Afghan wars and other Post 9/11 War on Terror deployments. Many or most members served after enlisting or being drafted and then after completing their enlistment went on to civilian careers. We do not have “rank” in our Club, and everyone is on a first name basis. Currently, we have 163 active members.
My own background is that I served as a Marine enlisted infantryman in 1966-69, including service in Vietnam 67 -68 with most of my time in-country spent with the 3rd Combined Action Group. Later, after college and law school, I returned to active duty as a Marine Judge Advocate from 1975-78, following which I worked as a state and then federal prosecutor. However, I spent most of my career with the GM and Delphi Automotive Legal Staffs before retiring.
My wife, Terrie, and I have lived here since July 2012. We very much enjoy our lives here and our great neighbors, but I especially enjoy being with my fellow veterans – we have a great group of men and women in the VLMVC.
As one of my fellow Marine squad mates from Vietnam (with whom I am still close friends) is fond of saying: “We are living the dream!” and I think he is correct in that opinion. Hopefully, you are too, or soon will be, here with us in Valencia Lakes and while enjoying the camaraderie within our Club, the VLMVC.
If I or the VLMVC can be of help or service to you please do not hesitate to contact me; cebrownlawyer@gmail.com or (248) 891-1331.
Best wishes for good health and happiness to you and welcome to the VLMVC.
Sincerely,
Charlie
Charles E. Brown, President
Valencia Lakes Military Veterans Club, Inc.