The AGIF/CA inaugurated a new chapter in Bakersfield, CA, on Friday, May 14, 2010.

My congratulations and best wishes for a successful term go to the first elected  Bakersfield Commander, Mr. Duane Goff.  He is a former longtime member of the Sacramento forum Chapter.  Mr. Goff has been a persistent activist for Veterans as a Forum member, and also as a Commander of another Veterans’ organization. Commander Goff brings a wealth of Veterans benefits information as a retired, California VA staff person for many years.  He has a firm grip of the needs of returning Veterans, as well as the families of battered soldiers and spouses with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). He assured all new chapter attendees prior to his election as Commander that he would strive to bring more awareness of these issues to the forefront and also programs for the community of Veterans/families.

The over 30 Veterans and family members that attended the first meeting were eagerly awaiting the formation of the Forum Chapter, and favored what the Forum is doing all over California for Veterans and families.  They also applauded when Mrs. Helen Galván gave a short synopsis of the Verizon-funded four-hour PTSD awareness program that will be brought to Bakersfield sometime in August, 2010. The Veterans Service Officers (VSO) training program announced by Commander Galvan was also welcomed and as one of the just recently returned Veteran said, “We really need help in navigating through the Veterans bureaucracy to get our benefits.”  The VSO training by the VFW will also take place in August, 2010. The assembled Veterans and family voted in the new chapters’ officers as follows:

Duane Goff, Commander    José Cruz, First Vice-Commander    Teodoro Melendrez, Second Vice-Commander

José Martinez, Secretary     Janet Tello, Treasurer     Pete Salazar, Chaplain

Very good food was catered by the Fiesta Foods Market, owned by Mr. Manuel Lerma, brother of Augie Lerma, our Forumeer Newsletter; and I thank Mr. Lerma for the catered food. My thanks and appreciation go to the Veterans and families who attended, for their expression of friendship, of solidarity in the work for Veterans/families, and for the good of the Forum work that will be greatly enhanced by the membership of the Bakersfield Chapter.

We have a big challenge in helping our Veterans/families with the issues of today’s wars.  However, regardless of our varied backgrounds and thinking of Forumeers, together we will forge ahead with real results in living out the Forum’s mission. The AGIF/CA looks forward to a very solid Forum future together with the Bakersfield Chapter; and I thank them for the opportunity to be of service to Veterans and families.  

Willie Galvan, State Commander

American GI Forum of California