Tampered Election - 2007
The Year 2007 KWVA election campaign began by tampering with candidate eligibility. The application of John "Jack" Edwards of Largo, Florida, was rejected by the KWVA's Nominating and Election Committee based on an arbitrary ruling by Dechert-appointed KWVA Judge Advocate Leo Agnew. Agnew determined that Edwards (a Dechert opponent) ceased being a member in good standing of the KWVA as of October 2006, and thus is not eligible to run for office. Edwards reportedly was never notified that his status in the KWVA altered from "good" to "bad" at the KWVA national convention in Texas until he sought to run for office on an anti-Dechert platform. He has been receiving issues of Graybeards as all members in good standing do. And thus the Year 2007 "circus of silliness" (otherwise known as the Korean War Veterans Association national election) begins with Dechert supporters attempting to control the election process.
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Year 2006 Election Results Nullified
Sometime in December 2006, KWVA President Lou Dechert in effect overturned the Year 2006 KWVA election results. Weeks earlier, he and his supporters orchestrated the removal of newly elected 2nd Vice President Nick Pappas, pressured Director John Edwards into resigning his position, and placed 1st Vice President Byron Dickerson on "probation." With Pappas and Edwards out of the way, Dechert then appointed losing Year 2006 candidates (and Dechert supporters) Jim Ferris as 2nd Vice President and Jake Feaster as Director. Ferris lost his bid for office by a clear defeat of 1368 votes for Pappas and 1297 votes for Ferris. Feaster had the second lowest overall votes for director, losing his bid for office with just 1801 votes compared to the highest winning vote (Marvin Dunn) of 2328. Dechert supporters say the KWVA president "went by the book" in appointing the losing candidates with the second highest votes. However, Dechert's opponents are quick to point out that the losers would not have had their second chance at gaining power in the KWVA if it weren't for Dechert's efforts to oust the winning candidates.
The overturn has left many members of the Korean War Veterans Association wondering, "Why have an election at all? Our votes don't matter. The KWVA is a dictatorship, not a democracy." The nullifying of the election results is an odd turn of events in an organization comprised of men and women who served in the Korean War to preserve the rights inherent to "freedom".
It is the personal opinion of Lynnita Brown of KWVAFirstAmendment.Org that the nullifying of this election is the worst abuse of power in the history of the Korean War Veterans Association. When certain KWVA national directors voted to nullify the ballots that elected non-Dechert candidates to office, their unspoken message to the members of the KWVA was, 'We like our candidates better than the ones you elected. You people are obviously too dumb to know what's good for you. Therefore, we've decided to oust your winning candidates from the KWVA. With those people out of the way, we can now appoint the directors of OUR choice. Your votes do not matter to us. If you don't like what we're doing, that's tough. You will do as we say because we have rank and you don't. Pay your dues, do not question us, and keep your mouth shut. Otherwise, you will be next on our chopping block.'
For this Korean War veterans fought and died in Korea? Someone needs to step forward to put an end to the outrageous conduct of the Dechert people currently running the KWVA. In Nebraska, state authorities recently stepped in to aggressively pursue legal action against a man whose conduct was perceived as harmful to veterans. Something similar needs to be done with the KWVA. Its half-million dollar assets need to be protected while legal authorities scrutinize board activities, review ethics and conflict of interest issues among board members, and study board spending practices via a thorough external audit. - Editorial, Lynnita Brown
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Year 2006 Candidates
President
Richard Adams
Louis T. Dechert
First Vice President
Byron Dickerson (Adams supporter)
J. D. Randolph (Dechert supporter)
Second Vice President
Jim Ferris (Dechert supporter)
Larry G. McKinniss (Dechert supporter) (Coon supporter)
Nicholas J. Pappas (Adams supporter)
Director
Michael J. "Mike" Doyle (Adams supporter)
Marvin Dunn, Jr. (Dechert supporter)
Jacob L. "Jake" Feaster (Dechert supporter)
James A. Fountain (Adams supporter)
William E. "Bill" Hutton (Dechert supporter)
Christ Yanacos (Dechert supporter)
The following candidate information was submitted by the individual candidates.
Adams, Richard "Dick" - Candidate for President
It is my intent to run for the position of President of the Korean War Veterans Association, Inc. for the year of 2006-2008.
I will attend all called meetings of the Executive Council and I understand that two unexcused absences could be used for removal from office. This year's election is very critical to the future of the Association. I believe that a profit and loss statement should be published in each "Graybeards." Expenses need to be cut. If they are not cut we will be bankrupt in three years or less. The Association should welcome veterans who have served in Korea since 1953, and keep the "Tell America" program going strong.
Submitted by Richard Adams LC00076 Life, P.O. Box 334, Caruthers, CA 93609; telephone 559-864-3196.
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Dickerson, Byron - Candidate for 1st Vice President
I am a candidate for 1st Vice President of the KWVA. I presently serve as the 2nd Vice President. I have served on three non-profit corporations' Board of Directors. I presently serve on one other Board of Directors.
Some of the things that I would like to see in the KWVA are:
to continue seeking a National Charter; a detailed Financial Report in every issue of the Graybeards.
During my present term I have encouraged many to seek the benefits they have from the VA and also their State benefits. I had a short article in the Graybeards about Cold Weather Injury and as a result I mailed out about 120 tapes to individuals about Cold Injury. Most had never heard of this. I have also written and forwarded to the editor an article for Graybeards about PTSD.
If I am elected to the position of First Vice President I will continue to encourage everybody about seeking their benefits. I believe that since we are a Veterans Service Organization this should be a top priority. I am asking for your vote to this position of 1st Vice President.
I was born raised and attended school in Girard, Texas. I enlisted in the US Army on the 3rd of August of 1948. I took basic at Ft. Ord, CA. I then was assigned to Ft. Story, VA. Shortly after the Korean War started I was shipped to Korea. I left the US on the 15th of December, arriving in Pusan on the 5th day of January 1951. This was shortly after the Chinese had entered the war and they were not sure we would be able to hold Korea. I was bounced around Pusan and Koje Do Island for a couple of months and then was assigned to Hq. Co. 2nd Bn. 23rd Inf. Regiment of the 2nd Infantry Division. I participated in several battles, the last one being Heart Break Ridge. I consider myself really blessed to have survived.
I rotated from Korea on the 25th day of November 1951. I tried to put Korea out of my mind for 50 years. When I learned there was a KWVA I joined. Then I was asked If I would be willing to serve in the formation of a chapter in the Dallas, Ft. Worth area by Sam Naomi, National Organizer. I served as the Judge Advocate for 3 years in Chapter 215, which is the General Walton H. Walker. I also served one year as the Department of Texas Judge Advocate.
My personal awards are CIB, Good Conduct, National Defense, Korean Service with four Bronze Stars, US Presidential Unit Citation, and the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and others.
I am a life member LR22282 of the KWVA. I also am a Life Member of VFW, DAV, American Legion, CIA, 2nd Infantry Division Association. and the 23rd Infantry Regiment Association. I am 74 years old, in good health, married for 53 years to the same wife, and retired from the US Postal Service with 37 years service.
I consider it an honor and privilege to be a candidate for First Vice President and I solicit your vote.
Byron W. Dickerson
314 South Horne Street
Duncanville, TX 75116
Fax 972-296-8211
972-298-7462
Cell 214-532-9018
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Fountain, James "Jim" - Candidate for National Director
Fellow members - Let me introduce myself. I am James A. (Jim) Fountain of Florissant, Missouri. I served with the 2nd Infantry Division, 23rd Infantry Regiment, "K" Company from October 1952 through September of 1953. I am presently the 1st Vice Commander of Chapter 4 (96) in Florissant. I am married with three children, eight grandchildren, and one great one due in the fall. I am a Mason and a Shriner Provost.
I am running for one of the National Director positions for a term of three years. If elected I will not be an officer in the local chapter so I can dedicate all of my time and efforts to the job at hand--that being trying to give a sincere and honest effort to the membership and presenting that to the board of directors for action.
I believe that we as a national organization need to do away with the internal bickering and one-way leadership and work to find the ways and means to work together and make everyone proud to be a member of the KWVA.
The most important thing is for every member to exercise his or her right to vote. I understand that in previous elections only half or less of the members voted. So this election, let's get everyone to pull that ballot out of the Graybeards and vote. We have to get involved if we as general members want to see changes made in the way things are done. Make your ballot speak for you.
Again, all I can promise is dedicated, honest, and sincere effort on my part as a director. I would appreciate your vote, but if not for me, VOTE and let your ballot be heard.
James (Jim) Fountain
14541 Soho Drive
Florissant, MO 63034-2653
(314) 355-6499 (Home phone)
(314) 974-3579 (Cell phone)
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Pappas, Nicholas J. "Nick" - Candidate for 2nd Vice President
I am submitting my name for the Office of 2nd Vice President of the KWVA. My record speaks for itself:
My resume as KWVA President:
The above "fiscal actions" enabled President Coon to proclaim, "I can tell the general membership that we are in the best financial condition we have been in for the last 5 years. As of 10/31/99 we have $375,705 cash in the bank in all funds. All bills are paid." (Nov/Dec 1999 Graybeards, page 4)
I will attend all called meetings of the Board of Directors and understand that 2 unexcused absences could be used for removal from office.
Respectfully submitted by Nicholas J. Pappas, LM 6509, 209 Country Club Drive, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971; phone 302-227-1309.
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KWVA Election Scandals - 2006
A wide assortment of scandals surfaced during the KWVA's Year 2006 election. Similar to the Hatfields and McCoys, the scandals pitted pro-Dechert supporters against anti-Dechert supporters. They were as follows:
There was an attempt on the part of two KWVA national officials to disenfranchise two general members who stand opposed to the current president. According to information sent to the KWE in recent days, just as the KWVA's Year 2006 election got underway, Lou Dechert appointees Bill Hutton (Secretary) and Jake Feaster (Assistant Secretary) joined forces to arbitrarily freeze the membership renewal checks of two general members of the KWVA, Sam Naomi of Iowa and Dick Predmore of Texas. Naomi and Predmore had openly expressed their disapproval of Lou Dechert and were personae non gratae with the current president. Hutton and Feaster are both KWVA officials/Dechert supporters who live in Florida. Both are candidates for national office on the Dechert slate. With the dues checks of Naomi and Predmore held non-cashed by KWVA Administrative Assistant Nancy Monson (apparently by order of Hutton and Feaster), the two members were then ineligible to run for office and/or vote in the election. Intervention by other Executive Council members eventually released the checks and thus validated Naomi and Predmore's memberships in the KWVA, but a formal complaint about the dues tampering was filed in April of 2006 with Lou Dechert. He responded on April 10th that he had turned the complaint over to the KWVA's lawyer.
When the ballots began to arrive in members' homes, a glaring error was discovered on the ballots. The ballots in the Graybeards magazine had the incorrect return address. Instead of the correct Tucson, Arizona address to the CPA, the ballots stated "Tucson, IL." It is possible that some ballots were never received by the CPA due to this error.
Scandal #3 - Mail Fraud Charge
John Kronenberger of Belleville, Illinois is a vocal opponent of the KWVA's current president, Lou Dechert. When Dechert chose to run for re-election in the Spring 2006 KWVA election, Kronenberger began to write letters in opposition to Dechert. In the letters, he explained why he is so adamantly opposed to the re-election of Lou Dechert to national office. Kronenberger immediately became persona non grata with Dechert and Dechert supporters. On May 16, 2006, Dechert posted an "Attempted Election Fraud Notice" on the home page of the KWVA, stating that Mr. Kronenberger "may have violated" federal postal laws in sending out letters urging KWVA members to oppose Dechert's bid for re-election. The alleged violations concern the return address on the anti-Dechert material.
Ironically, Kronenberger was a postal supervisor when he served in the United States Army. Kronenberger is a life member of the KWVA and a member of the Imjin Chapter of the KWVA. He claims that the mail fraud charge is a "new low in the history of the KWVA." John
Kronenberger's response to the official KWVA posting is as follows:
"Hi All: There has been an important development in the current election. Mr. Dechert is accusing me of mail fraud. I would laugh if it wasn't so serious. There is no way in hell that I would try a dumb stunt like he is claiming. As an ex Postal Supervisor in the Military, I am fully aware of the consequences when a Postal law is violated. This is a new low in the History of the KWVA. If he thinks that this will change the outcome of the Election in his favor, he better think again. His days are numbered.
There was over 10,000 Election letters sent to KWVA members by 13 supporters of Dick Adams and his running mates. I mailed letters to 16 States and I probably would have sent more but the Dechert Administration restricted the use of rosters to only a select few. All of my letters have my return label. Permission was given to all of the mailers to use my Election letters.
My personal take of this is that my letters about the Dechert Administration must have had a big impact on the minds of some of his supporters. There are a lot of kooks out there, and I wouldn't put it past for one of them to concoct a lame brained stunt like this.
I will tell the world that I did not do this and I will cooperate with the Postal Authorities as long as it takes to find the person or persons who did this terrible deed. This is more proof that the Dechert Administration is bad for the KWVA.
Please let me know your feelings about this matter. Most members have already voted, and I pray that those who haven't voted yet, do so to put an end to stop the turmoil that is happening now. Thank you!"
A defense fund has been established to help Mr. Kronenberger take the issue to court. His contact information is: phone (618) 277-2311; e-mail: JKronen809@aol.com.
KWVA President Lou Dechert has forwarded a formal request to his Ethics and Grievance Committee, asking for an investigation of anti-Dechert letters that were sent to KWVA members during the Year 2006 election. According to Martin O'Brien, a member of the E&G Committee, some members found the letters "unwanted and offensive," and thus an investigation is now underway. The person being investigated is an anti-Dechert candidate running for 2nd Vice President of the KWVA. He is Byron Dickerson, who also happens to be the current 2nd Vice President of the KWVA and one of the persons spearheading the Kronenberger defense fund.
Thirteen KWVA members sent the same letter out to the general membership, but as of June 10, 2006, only Candidate Dickerson had received the investigation letter and admonition that if he did not respond within 15 days, he would be presumed guilty as charged.
Dear Mr. Dickerson:
As 2nd Vice President of the corporation, you are aware that a standing Ethics and Grievance Committee was formed by the Korean War Veterans Association (KWVA) to investigate complaints filed by members of the Association. You are also aware of the following: All complaints received, which do not involve the President, are referred to the committee for investigation. The committee is an impartial fact-finding body solely, as equally receptive to evidence that is exculpatory as well as incriminating. The committee is not a disciplinary body; the power to discipline resides with the Board of Directors under the provisions of Article I.2.B and Article II.5.A of the Corporate Bylaws.
Oscar Cortez Complaint
On May 4, 2006, KWVA Member Oscar Cortez, LP 000094, 2931 White Tail Dr., San Antonio, TX 78228-2750, a member of TX #298 - Alamo Chapter, complained to President Louis T. Dechert at KWVA Headquarters, Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, that he had received an unwanted letter from a National KWVA official, the contents of which he found to be personally offensive to him--a few days later he received another unwanted and offensive letter from another National KWVA official.
On May 13, and May 17, Mr. Cortez mailed repeated his personal concerns in a formal, signed letter, along with all of the documents that he had received to the Ethics & Grievance Committee.
On May 10, 2006, KWVA President Louis T. Dechert forwarded a formal request to the Ethics & Grievance Committee, in which he requested an investigation into the facts surrounding the complaints, letters, inquiries received from a number of complaintants/individuals who had received unwanted and offensive letters from a member of KWVA officials and members, including the complaint rendered by Mr. Oscar Cortez.
Mr. Cortez received an envelope that bore a return address label that indicated that Byron Dickerson, 314 S. Home St., Duncanville, TX 75116-4609 was the sender. The postmark showed that it was mailed in Dallas, Texas on April 20, 2006. The label was addressed as follows: P00094 01/01/03 782282750, Oscar Cortez, 2931 White Tail Dr. San Antonio, TX 78228-2750. [Encl. #1] Contained in the envelope was a copy of an unsigned "KWVA Election 2006" letter. The letter was identified as having originated with John Kronenberger, LR17020, Imjin Chapter, Southern Illinois." It was not signed. The letter informed KWVA members that, "There will be seven members selected for office in this upcoming election." The letter listed a recommended slate of five individuals for officer and director positions, and stated that two unnamed individuals were "Not Recommended." [Encl #2]
As you know, Mr. Dickerson, Mr. Kronenberger is not a member of the official duly appointed KWVA Nominations and Election Committee, chaired by Director Robert S. Banker of Fallston, Maryland. The Nominations & Election Committee's official election certification notice was published on the KWVA website at www.kwva.org and in the official publication of the KWVA The Graybreards [sic], March-April 2006 issue [Encl #3].
Mr. Dickerson, the following is a list of questions that the KWVA Ethics & Grievance Committee would like you to answer, fully and forthrightly. Please return your answers to me at the address shown in the letterhead.
- Did you send the document identified in Enclosure #1 by US Mail to Oscar Cortez?
- Did you create the address label?
- If so, did you create others?
- If so, from whom or from what source did you obtain the list of names?
- If not so, from whom or from what source did you obtain the label that was adhered to the envelope and addressed to Mr. Cortez?
- Did you receive any other such mailing labels from an individual or source?
- If so, who was the individual or source?
- If so, how many of these labels did you receive and how many did you use?
- Did you send the document identified in Enclosure #2 by US Mail to Oscar Cortez? Please answer "Yes" or "No."
- If the answer is yes, did you create this document?
- If so, what was your motivation for doing so?
- If you did not create the document, then where did you get it and/or who sent it to you?
- Did you receive only one copy?
- If you received more than one, how many copies did you receive?
- Why were they sent to you?
- If you sent more than one copy using the US Mail, how many did you send?
- Did anyone help you with the mailing?
- Who paid for the postage?
- To whom were the documents mailed?
- What was your motivation for mailing the documents?
- Did you use a mailing list?
- If so, who created it?
- If so, who sent it to you?
- If so, please enclose a copy of the mailing list along with your answers to this question.
- Do you know the names of any of the other mailers of the "KWVA Election 2006" notice?
Second Vice President Dickerson, please answer each and every question above concerning each document referred to above and enclosed herein.
The Executive Council on the 26th of July, 2005 passed resolutions requiring all members to respond in good faith to inquiries made by the E&G Committee, and establishing a rule of procedure that a refusal to respond in writing, signed and dated within 15 days, to a request made by the E&G Committee for information about a potential charge, shall result in a presumption of validity in favor of the charge.
Sincerely,
[signed] Martin J. O'Brien
June 5, 2006Enclosures - 3
The text of Dickerson's "unwanted and offensive" letter to Oscar Cortez follows. The letter was written by John Kronenberger, one of the KWVA's most vocal opponents of Lou Dechert.
"KWVA Election 2006 - To All Members:
There will be seven members selected for office in this upcoming election. Keep this letter handy when you mark your ballot, and please pass this information on to members of your Chapter if you belong to one.
Please give your vote for the following men for the offices indicated.
Check their resumes for their experience and their intentions. They will put the interests of the members first. All of these men are well qualified to represent you and will have your best interests at heart.
Several more good members have been asked to run for Director but they had to decline for personal or family reasons. One is still teaching in a college and said that he will definitely be a candidate next year.
One of the failures in the present leadership has been that the KWVA is not being represented by the Executive Council. They are supposed to be the governing body, not the President. Changes have been made without involving the E.C. members. What the KWVA has under the present leadership is a one-man rule.
Another reason there is a need for a change for a President is that the Treasury under President Lou Dechert has been reduced by over $152,000. Dick Adams will insist that the KWVA curb the spending and make sure there is fiscal responsibility.
President Dechert has turned his back on many of the members who worked hard at considerable time and expense to get him elected. He has violated the By-laws by naming a "Chief of Staff" and sending him to Washington in Dechert's behalf instead of asking the 1st VP as is required by our governing rules. Then he did it again.
Never in my ten years as a member have I witnessed a more unappreciative person. It is time for him to go.
Help with your vote to bring back fairness and respect for all of the members by casting your votes for the men endorsed above.
Thank you,
John Kronenberger
LR17020
Imjin Chapter, Southern Illinois
jkronen809@aol.com
Phone 618-277-2311
Scandal #5 - Mail Fraud/Copyright Infringement Charges
In June of 2006, Dick Adams (candidate who ran unsuccessfully against Lou Dechert in the Spring 2006 election) joined the ranks of those anti-Dechert members who are now being investigated by Dechert's Ethics and Grievance Committee. Stephen Szekely of South Euclid, Ohio was appointed by Dechert to serve on his investigatory committee. Szekely sent the following letter to Adams on June 20, 2006:
Dear Mr. Adams,
The Ethics and Grievance Committee of the KWVA has been directed by President Louis Dechert to investigate possible mail fraud and copyright infringement in the campaign literature and mailings during your candidacy for the office of president of the KWVA. Three separate written complaints were received from members regarding unwanted and objectionable literature received by them.
The E&G Committee is an investigative body, not a disciplinary body, it's [sic] work is impartial fact-finding of evidence pro or con to the subject at hand. You are aware that the power to discipline rest [sic] solely with the Board of Directors according to the Bylaws of the KWVA. We are providing copies of election mailings received by the complainants [sic] for your information and knowledge of that which we have questions. We would appreciate your answers to the following questions to the best of your knowledge and ability:
We respectfully request answers to the above questions and must inform you of the following:
Notice: The Executive Council (Board of Directors) on the 26th of July, 2005 passed resolutions requiring all members to respond in good faith to inquiries made by the E&G Committee, and establishing a rule of procedure that a refusal to respond in writing, signed, within 15 days, to a request made by the E&G Committee for information about a potential charge, shall result in a presumption of validity in favor of the charge.
Respectfully,
Stephen Szekely,
E&G Committee
Approximately the same time that Dick Adams received the Szekely letter, Adams also received the following letter from Lou Dechert:
Dear Dick,
I am sorry that you are leaving the Board and leadership in a manner less fitting than I would have had it to be. It will seem strange to me to be President without your presence in our councils. That is one reason that I asked you several months ago if you wanted to run again. You turned me down.
After turning me down you cast your lot with some of the vilest of our members. I am sorry for that, Dick. You are a better man than that, and you were used by them to try to cast a veneer of decency to themselves.
The poet/writer Chaucer said many years ago he that sups with the devil needs a long spoon. I guess that is somewhat your case.
Thank you for your support and contributions to our administration. I never considered you less than a key man. Good luck and best wishes as you continue to soldier on.
Louis T. Dechert
National President, KWVA/US
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The campaign for the Year 2006 election of national officers of the Korean War Veterans Association is at hand. It is a time of heavy responsibility for the members of the national KWVA because the organization is in serious trouble. Its reputation at the national level as a properly functioning veterans service organization is not a good one. It has membership problems, leadership problems, financial problems, and a heap of other problems that have carried over from past administrations. There are seven positions up for election this spring. If the seven persons voted into office are not seven persons with strong leadership ability who have equally strong ethical standards and moral character, I believe the KWVA will be heading to sure extinction, for I am convinced that it cannot survive yet another scandalous administration.
Its future has looked grim for quite some time. Similar to the now defunct Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) that died with the death of the last man standing, the KWVA’s membership is mostly comprised of actual Korean War veterans, and they are aging. Born long before the outbreak of World War II, many members of the KWVA have died while active members of the organization. (There were 417 names on the organization’s Year 2005/2006 newsletter Last Call.) Others dropped out of the organization because they were on a fixed Social Security income and felt that they weren’t getting much in return for their dues. Still others dropped out because they were tired of the circus at the national level. With each dropped membership there has been a drop in revenue for the KWVA. Revenue from advertising in the newsletter has also plummeted. While the organization's income is going down, expenses are going up.
The previous administration in particular refused to extend a welcome hand to the thousands upon thousands of post-war veterans who served in Korea. Then, too, many of the general members of KWVA were (and still are) also not in favor of accepting DMZ veterans as members, believing the KWVA should be composed entirely of veterans who actually fought in the war. Thus, like the GAR that died with the last man standing, many feel that so should the KWVA die when the last Korean War veteran falls. To have the “young people” onboard could have made a big difference in the KWVA’s chances of survival. Snubbed by the previous administration, however, many of the DMZ vets now have a “We don’t need you either” opinion of the KWVA—and they won’t join, in spite of recent efforts to woo them into the fold. The window of opportunity is very nearly closed as far as recruiting new members goes. The KWVA’s reputation at the national level for mistreating both its existing members and its potential members has spread wide and far.
During the last election campaign, there was an uphill power struggle to wrench the KWVA leadership from the clutches of a dictatorial (and illegal) board president named Harley Coon. In his perk-laden position as president of the KWVA, he led the organization to an all-time low. His enablers were Coon-appointed flunkies who served on the board. They let him get away with one transgression after another. Coon has since been expelled from the KWVA for his role in a quartermaster scandal that involved thousands of dollars worth of missing inventory. In the wake of his long-overdue expulsion, he left a legacy of corruption that his successor, Louis Dechert of Pineville, Louisiana, has semi-successfully dealt with since taking office in 2004.
In the campaign to reclaim the KWVA from the Coon stranglehold, a network of volunteers was created to fight the battle. This group of volunteers discussed the best strategies needed to reach out to a membership that was completely locked out of the truth about the KWVA by Coon and those riding his gravy train. The watchdog Yahoo group “KWVA Ad Hoc Group” offered an excellent public forum in which to exchange ideas by e-mail. One member distributed a privately funded publication that ferreted out the truth about the Coon Administration, making that truth available to any eyes that were willing to see. Individual chapters carried editorials in their newsletters. The Korean War Educator website opened a KWVA News page that exposed in detail the cold hard facts about the Coon administration and its shameful history of corruption. Meanwhile, the volunteer network spent hours upon hours generating mass mailings that went out to thousands of KWVA voters. Their efforts took a whole lot of collective and individual guts, not to mention a whole lot of money. Unlike Coon, who used his position of power to dip into a ready funding source (the KWVA treasury), the money for the Dechert campaign came straight from the personal pockets of dedicated KWVA members who were genuinely concerned about the welfare and future of the organization.
I say that their efforts took “guts” because Harley Coon was a powerful man—and he was also a vindictive one. With his henchmen supporting him (because there was “something in it” for them if they did), Coon expelled and/or threatened to expel those movers and shakers who had the bravery and the fortitude to stand up to him. Once again using the national newsletter, KWVA funds, and the membership mailing list, Coon made personal and false attacks on the Ad Hoc Group, the Ferret, the KWE, and the Dechert campaign volunteers prior to and during the last election. He threatened lawsuits. He ridiculed. He blustered. He bullied. And in the end, he lost the battle. The single-most corrupt administration in the history of the KWVA finally came to an end. Good riddance.
But as I mentioned earlier, the legacy of corruption carried over to the new administration. Although a new president has been at the helm since 2004, Coon flunkies still hold positions of power on the executive council of the KWVA, and the ridiculing and bullying continues. I am sad to report that those who have dared to criticize Dechert and/or Coon carry-overs have been called “childish—pigheaded—senile--vigilantes” and “bastards” by either Dechert or members of his administration. Some of those members have also been told to "go to hell" by current national KWVA leaders.
Here is the problem that I have with all of this. When Dechert was running for national office, he was willing to use the resources of all those “childish, pigheaded, senile vigilantes” to get himself elected. He used their time, talent, and money to further his campaign. Once the campaign was behind him and he was officially the “colonel in charge”, his attitude changed dramatically. The childish, pigheaded, senile vigilantes became expendable in a hurry. Dechert surrounded himself with colonels and other yes men, and then he distanced himself from those who disagreed with him on the issues at hand.
In all fairness to Lou Dechert, his job as president of the KWVA has not been an easy one. When I say he was burdened with a legacy of corruption from the previous administration, I mean that sincerely. The width and depth of the corruption is still under investigation and is likely to remain so for quite some time. The KWVA was on the verge of going completely under when Dechert took over the reins. The organization still remains in danger of going under, but not because Dechert’s ways are corrupt. It is because Dechert’s ways are rude and insensitive, and members are fed up with yet another martinet at the helm.
No doubt the pressures of trying to pull the KWVA out of the quagmire are very great for Dechert. And, nobody—no matter who they are—can please all of the people all of the time. That is understood. There is, however, a need for every leader to come down from his or her lofty perch on occasion and stop acting like the laird. If not, there is always that chance that he or she will be kicked off that perch by the wee folk whose votes matter on election day, even if their opinions don’t carry much weight during the rest of the year.
A retired colonel recently told me that he refuses to put his military rank after his name anymore. He was a colonel in the military and enjoys the retirement benefits of a colonel, but he says he is a civilian now—and there are no civilian colonels. Unfortunately, Lou Dechert seems to have forgotten that the same applies to him. He is a civilian now. He is the president of a veteran’s organization, not the head of a military unit. Civilian Dechert is in the KWVA president’s seat because many of those who he now shuns put him there. And, I state again that they put him there at great personal, financial, and emotional expense. They are men and women who willingly put themselves on the receiving end of Harley Coon’s vengeance and wrath to help Lou Dechert take over the KWVA presidency. To use one of Dechert’s own catch phrases, they endured Coon’s nastiness “for the good of the order,” and because they believed in Lou Dechert. Now many of those past supporters are Dechert’s opponents, believing that he does not have what it takes to reverse the downward spiral of the national KWVA’s reputation and financial resources.
As someone who cares very deeply about Korean War veterans, I have watched the charades of KWVA national officials for several years. I can’t understand why, but for some reason, national positions in the KWVA seem to go straight to the heads of some office holders. Their new titles seem to automatically shrink their brains and inflate their egos. Suddenly they are full of self-importance, and the opinions of the “little people” who elected them to office just don’t appear to matter much any more. Lou Dechert’s behavior along those lines is no exception in my opinion. While he has definitely done many, many positive things for the KWVA since taking office, in other respects his conduct is exactly like that of Harley Coon. Dechert doesn’t violate KWVA bylaws, but I’ve watched in dismay as his conduct toward his fellow members of KWVA has gone from rude to ruder. Those who disagree with him are expendable. They are dismissed.
Which brings me back to election year 2006. With their faith in the Dechert administration decidedly shaken, many of the same members of the KWVA whose broom of reform swept Harley Coon out the door are trying once again to “clean house” and elect someone into office who will not call them bastards or refer to them as senile old men. I am among those who are disappointed with the words and actions of Lou Dechert since he took office. I am a lady who strongly believes that walking over one's friends should never be the means to an end, no matter how noble that end might seem. As an associate member of the KWVA (who will be leaving the organization when my membership expires), I have no vote, so my opinion of Lou Dechert doesn't really matter. I must say this, however. His president’s message in the KWVA’s newsletter and on its website make Dechert sound like a paragon. He is most assuredly not. It is up to the voting members of the KWVA to investigate that which Dechert did not tell them in those messages. (He left a few things out, none of which are positive reflections on his administration.)
It is not the place of the Korean War Educator to tell members of the KWVA who to vote for in the upcoming election. The KWE is, however, going to post the list of candidates running for election when they become available. If any of those candidates have called their fellow KWVA members “bastards” or anything else that is unjustified, KWE readers are going to know about it. I personally feel that there is no excuse for this kind of bad behavior and name-calling. It is unprofessional and mean-spirited, and the KWVA needs neither. Never have I seen such bad behavior on the part of an organization’s national leaders as I have seen in the Korean War Veterans Association.
The nonsense needs to stop. The organization is in a fight for its life. It needs fair-minded leaders who will treat all of its members with dignity and respect and get on with the job at hand. “Rank” should be non-existent in the KWVA, as should be ego. So, vote wisely for the seven contested national leadership positions being vied for in the Year 2006 election. This could be the last KWVA election ever held, as well as your last chance to vote on leaders who might just be able to save the Korean War Veterans Association, in spite of the fact that it is currently set on self-destruct.
Lynnita Brown
Posted on the Korean War Educator website
www.koreanwar-educator.org
March 5, 2006
