The pre-Dechert Administration history of the Korean War Veterans Association is located on the Korean War Educator website at (www.koreanwar-educator.org) under Topics - Korean War veterans Association, Inc.  The history found there goes back to the founding days of the organization when members worked so tirelessly to raise millions of dollars for the Korean War Memorial now located on the mall in Washington, D.C.


Nicholas "Nick" Pappas is a former president of the KWVA.  Information about the scandal within his administration that rocked the KWVA at the time can be found on the Korean War Educator, thanks to Pappas himself, who was extremely cooperative in providing documents from his administration.  During his years as president of the KWVA, John Maison of Illinois became the treasurer.  When funds began to disappear an investigation began and a grand jury indicted Maison on theft charges.  Maison was killed in an automobile accident before he went to trial.  The Pappas Administration recovered some of the insured money, but Nick Pappas' presidency ended and the remainder of the funds have yet to be paid by the insurance company.

Harley J. Coon of Beavercreek, Ohio followed Pappas as KWVA president.  He held that position of power in the Korean War Veterans Association for many years, having circumvented the kWVA bylaws in order to be eligible to run for office as a third-term president.  His first two terms in office were legal, but his third term was not.  All of his terms in office were rife with board misconduct in one form or another.  Much has been written about how he conducted business as the president of the KWVA.  Most of that written material can be found on the Korean War Educator (KWE) website at www.koreanwar-educator.org.  If our visitors go to the Topics page of the KWE, they will find the words "Korean War Veterans Association".  Click on the references to Harley Coon to learn about false military claims, conflict of interest, Coon's high-handed removal of members who opposed him (it will sound similar to the Dechert administration's member removals), deception of members, and much, much more.