2021 October Veteran of the Month J.R. Stafford

Stafford is a Coast Guard Retiree who has been an incredible supporter of Veterans in northern Nevada since becoming active in the community in 2017. In that year he joined the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 989 where he hit the ground running and was elected to be the chapter president in April 2019. Since joining the group, he’s been an active volunteer. He has served as a “docent” educating the public about the significance of the Traveling Wall for Vietnam Veterans when it was in Minden; worked with his Representative of the Associates of VVA to partner with NDVS to execute a successful Vietnam Remembrance Event at the Reno Events Center; and partnered with the Reno Aces to host a Military Appreciation Game that also dedicated a POW/MIA chair for one of Reno’s veterans who had been a resident at the infamous “Hanoi Hilton”. In 2020, despite the pandemic, he has led the groups response and support for the Northern Nevada Veterans Home, helping to organize donations of crafts, activity equipment, and organized vehicle cruises to help break the isolation experienced by residents and staff. Under his leadership, VVA 989 has maintained and expanded its activities with the hosting of a Vietnam Veterans Remembrance Event in 2021, a classic car cruise for the residents of the Northern Nevada State Veterans Home, and providing color guard support for parades and Veterans In Care Ceremonies when possible.