By AnnElise Hatjakes

annelise@dailysparkstribune.com

In an effort to show their continued support of fellow veterans, the Vietnam Veterans of America hosted a dinner at John Ascuaga's Nugget on the evening of Sept. 20.

"This dinner continues VVA's commitment to our motto that, 'Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another,’” Darrol Brown, the VVA Chapter 388 president, said.

The national VVA was organized in 1978 with the mission of advocating for not only Vietnam veterans, but all American veterans. This was the first year that this local event was held, Brown explained.

Master Sgt. Jeff Best was one of the Iraq veterans honored at Saturday’s VVA dinner at the Nugget. Best, who is currently on active duty for the Nevada Air National Guard, said the event was a great success. "The dinner was amazing,” he said. “It was a great opportunity to show support for fellow veterans. Many of the people who came to the dinner have done much more for this country than I have, and to have them recognize what I've done was truly an honor."

Best has done five tours to the Middle East and has been in the military for 19 years. Formerly a student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Best was forced to stop his schooling when he was activated in 2001 following the Sept. 11 attacks. He joined the Air National Guard in 1998 and has lived in the Sparks area at different times between 1998 and 2003, at which point he became a permanent resident.

As a Sparks resident, he appreciates the support provided for veterans in the community.

"The Reno/Sparks area has a lot of support systems set up for returning veterans," he said.

Rick Shuster, an officer of the local VVA chapter 989, described aspects of this support system.

"We try to make sure that all returning veterans have access to the appropriate agencies, whether the agencies are related to the veteran's health, education or finances," he said.

Shuster, a Sparks resident, has been dedicated to providing support for veterans since his son returned from the Gulf War completely incapacitated. As the head of the Board of Directors for the Veteran's Guest House in Reno, he has helped to provide a "home away from home" for veterans and their families who don't have anywhere to stay while the veterans are being treated at the VA hospital. Shuster is a stalwart believer in the need to support veterans and he hoped that the dinner hosted by the VVA helped show these men and women that "they are not alone."

Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient Bob Marshall was a guest at Saturday’s dinner. He described the resources available to veterans returning home though the Military Order of the Purple Heart, which has a chapter in Reno.

"The organization provides guidance for young men and women who are returning home and works closely with the local VA hospital and vet centers to make sure that veterans are taken care of," Marshall said.

All organizers and attendees were in agreement that the event was a success.

"The event was overwhelmingly successful. The dinner helped to show our support for returning veterans. It is important to remember, though, that we should be honoring and showing our support for these people every day," Shuster said.

The dinner featured several inspring speeches.

"One speaker described a rescue operation in Columbia where members of the military spent an entire year searching for three Americans who were being held by Columbian officials," he said.

Marshall also said that monetary contributions from businesses like International Game Technology lended to the success of the event.

"With support from IGT, we were able to put on a dinner for all of the veterans and their significant others, which was pretty amazing considering the large number of people who attended," Marshall said.

The dinner accomplished its set goal of recognizing veterans. As described by Shuster, "The dinner was one among many efforts to show support for American veterans and to recognize those who have helped to preserve the freedom all American citizens cherish."

Brown and Shuster hope that this event will be held annually and will continue to raise awareness about the sacrifices made by veterans and help honor and recognize these men and women.