West Virginia KWVA Concerns

According to the Editorial Page of the West Virginia Department of the Korean War Veterans Association, Korean War veterans in West Virginia are concerned about the problems within the KWVA at the national level. Chet Fleming, life member of the KWVA and Chapter 146 (Mountaineer Chapter, Charleston, West Virginia) gives editorial comments about the problems at the web site of the WVKWVA.

At the 2002 meeting of the West Virginia KWVA chapters, Fleming made a motion to have the West Virginia KWVA chapters withdraw from the KWVA. "The purpose of the motion was to allow discussion of what I view as serious problems within. After the discussion I joined most of you in voting down my motion. I regret to report that the concerns that I voiced last year that the concerns that I voiced last year have increased and there now seems to be an open rebellion against the present officers and national board members. It is my belief most of the problems have grown out of how KWVA is organized and operates."

"I reported to you how disappointed I was when I visited what was supposed to be the KWVA national office. Several of you were present when we invited President Coon to our 2001 WV KWVA Conference. We received no satisfactory answers or response to our questions or suggestions. It was my conclusion that each individual could retain individual membership in KWVA and that West Virginia Korean War Veterans could better grow without being a part of KWVA. But to drop out would further weaken a ineffective national group. I know of no benefit to the state departments and individual chapters derived from national affiliation. The Graybeards magazine is worth the individual national membership and dues."

"Unfortunately KWVA has not been able to obtain congressional recognition as a veterans association. It is doubtful that this will happen with current rebellion under way. There are a lot of very serious and vicious charges being made against the leadership of KWVA. I do not associate myself with much of this rancor. However I do not see how the present leadership can solve the very real problems of KWVA. History would suggest that this posting could place the authors membership in jeopardy. Present leadership has in the past ejected past presidents and national directors for dissent."

[KWE Editor’s Note: According to WVKWVA, the remainder of this editorial is under construction on the WVKWVA website.]