Events
Events & Meetings
Nine dinner meetings a year, each with a speaker worth turning out for, plus the observances and gatherings that make up the chapter's year.
When and where we meet
Membership meetings
Third Thursday of the month
Nine meetings a year — none in July or August
Running order
- 5:30 pm Cash bar opens
- 6:15 pm Dinner served
- 7:00 pm Meeting and guest speaker
Anyone is welcome, including spouses and guests. You do not have to be a member to come to a meeting.
The speakers are the draw
The chapter deliberately books speakers who bring people out — a tactic its president credits with much of the membership growth. Recent guests have included the captain of the USS Cole, an F-16 pilot who launched on 9/11, a NASA program executive, and the head coach of the Washington Commanders.
2024 speakers
- David Welker, CIA historian — the CIA in the Vietnam War
- Lt. Col. Randy Jones, US Army (ret.) — the US Military Mission in East Germany
- Peggy Kelly, American Red Cross “Donut Dollie”
- Rachel Thompson, George C. Marshall International Center — the 1948 Berlin Airlift
- John Schwarz, USS Houston Survivors’ Association
- Dan Moore, chapter member — his memoir “Whatever Cause We Have”
- Gen. David Rodriguez, US Army (ret.) — anniversary dinner
- Bob Dunn, former US Army MP — his sentry dog, Duke
The chapter year
Beyond the monthly meetings, the calendar has a shape that has held for decades.
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April
Annual meeting
Officers and directors are elected, as required by the chapter by-laws.
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May
Memorial Day observance
Brunch, building a commemorative wreath, and gathering at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial with other veterans groups, followed by a potluck dinner at a member's home.
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June
Annual awards banquet
The chapter recognizes members and partners.
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June or July
Chapter picnic
A family gathering in the summer break between meetings.
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October
Anniversary dinner
The October meeting is the chapter's birthday. The 39th anniversary dinner in 2024 featured a free buffet and a retired four-star general as speaker.
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November
Veterans Day observance
The chapter gathers with other veterans organizations to mark the day.
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December
Holiday party
Decorated and hosted by the chapter's AVVA members.
Needs confirmation: The legacy site has an empty page titled “Christmas Party”. Details needed.
Remembrance
On 18 September 2015 the chapter and the Washington Nationals dedicated the POW/MIA chair at Nationals Park — a single seat that stays empty at every home game. Its plaque reads “You Are Not Forgotten”, and records that more than 92,000 American service members have been unaccounted for since the First World War.
Members also gather at The Wall on Memorial Day and Veterans Day, joining other veterans organizations to pay homage, and have funded repairs to the Captain Rocky Versace Plaza and Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Alexandria, which honors a Medal of Honor recipient executed in captivity in 1965.
Out in the community
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Mission BBQ veteran days
Chapter teams staff four Mission BBQ restaurants on days when the restaurant gives veterans a free sandwich.
Needs confirmation: The legacy site never names which four locations.
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Tank Farm open house
The chapter exhibits at the National Museum of Americans in Wartime annual open house — more than 150 combat vehicles and around 20,000 visitors over two days.
Needs confirmation: No date or link for the next open house is published.