Vietnam Veterans of America® Chapter 973

The Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 973 supports Les Castro's Faithful Friend Ministry's Grayson County K9 Program (GCK9P). The Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 973 (VVA 973) is partnered with the GCK9P to help veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and/or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Trained service dogs paired with severely PTSD injured veterans helps by waking a veteran from a nightmare or create a buffer in large crowds or public places. PTSD injured veterans often experience a dramatic improvement, and feel renewed confidence in social situations, decrease medication use, and are less likely to experience a shock or be alarmed.

Because experience has shown that some individuals who have been wounded in war have untreated brain injuries and who are transitioning out of military service -- are much more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as excessive use of alcohol, licit, and illicit pharmaceuticals, the state has developed a network of trained peers who know how to reach out with help for these new war veterans. Realizing that new war veterans typically do not understand how their invisible wounds can affect their lives, and because they are unlikely to present themselves for medical or mental health treatment, they need a supportive hand from a peer who understands both their military experiences and their injuries. Because of this, the state has created the Military Veteran Peer Network. The understanding that comes from a fellow veteran often is the first and most important step a new veteran can take on their journey home from war.

VVA973 Member David Pedigo played in marching band, but it wasn't until he was asked by Vietnam veteran Charles Holcomb the president of VVA973 that he made his patriotic debut. "He mentioned how he was called by the Lord to play Taps, and I said, 'If I ever needed anyone to give him a call,'" Holcomb recalled. "It wasn't too long after that that I gave him a call." That was on Veterans Day 11 years ago. Ever since, Pedigo has performed Taps at more than 250 ceremonies and funerals for veterans across Texoma.

A stretch of a Grayson County road now honors a Vietnam War veteran who was killed in a motorcycle accident. The one mile stretch of FM 1417 has been renamed Vietnam Veterans Parkway. It runs from U.S. Highway 75 to Old Luella Rd. and is in memory of 69-year-old Bob Hillary, a veteran from Sherman who died after a motorcycle crash in 2013. "He served with honor in Vietnam,"

Our Needs

We need donations to keep the progress going with the many homeless veterans needing a place to stay until low income housing is available. We need donations to help veterans or service members with emergencies like rent, utilities or auto repairs. We need donations to get the word out about our PTSD and partnered service dog program. We need donations to help with veteran transportation to hospitals or doctor visits and more.