Member Patrick Dunham retired after 33 years of Naval Service!
ENCM (SW) Patrick J. Dunham
Master Chief Petty Officer Dunham was born in Chicago,
IL. In 1984, he graduated from Notre
Dame High School in Niles, IL and attended Marquette University during which
time he enlisted in the United States Navy Reserves. In 1987 he took time off from college to
attend Basic Training after which, he attended EN "A" School, both at
Great Lakes. After a brief return to college,
Master Chief switched from the Reserves to Active Duty in September of 1989.
Upon completion of NAVET training he reported to the USS
LASALLE (AGF 3) in the Persian Gulf. During this time he was advanced to Third Class Petty Officer and Second
Class Petty Officer. After serving in
Desert Shield and Storm he transferred to USS HALYBURTON (FFG-40) in November
1991 where he served as the Leading Petty Officer of the Auxiliary Division. Ashore, Master Chief Dunham was stationed with
the Navy Absentee Collection Unit at Great Lakes from January 1993 to November
1995 where he served as a military escort and investigator. Upon completion of this tour, he re-affiliated
with the Navy Reserve, reporting to ASSAULT CRAFT UNIT ONE at Great Lakes. In 2000 he was advanced to First Class Petty
Officer and in 2002 he was selected for Chief Petty Officer. In September of 2002, he was assigned as the
Chief Engineer of ASSAULT CRAFT UNIT ONE.
In February 2004, he was assigned to INSHORE BOAT UNIT 24,
serving as the Chief Engineer. In July
2004, he and his unit were deployed in support of OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM,
providing force protection for all naval assets at Kuwaiti Naval Base and Ash
Shuaybah. In February 2006 he was
assigned to NAVSEA SURGEMAIN CHICAGO as the Senior Enlisted Leader as well as
the Alpha Drill Weekend Senior Enlisted Leader for Navy Operations Support
Center Chicago. Also in 2006 he was
advanced to Senior Chief Petty Officer, attending the Senior Enlisted Academy
in June and July 2007.
From April 2008 until March 2009 he served as the Deputy Senior
Enlisted Leader of the Reserve NAVSEA component after which he assumed the
duties as Senior Enlisted Leader of the National SURGEMAIN Program, responsible
for 58 units and over 1200 Sailors nation-wide, supporting the four naval
shipyards. In 2011 he was selected for
advancement to Master Chief Petty Officer.
In February 2012, Master Chief Dunham was recalled to active
duty in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM and assigned to UNITED STATES
FLEET FORCES COMMAND in Norfolk, VA. He served
as the manpower manager for approximately 9000 active duty individual augmentation
and reserve mobilization billets in Afghanistan, Cuba, Djibouti and the Persian
Gulf. In July 2013, he returned home and
was assigned as the Senior Enlisted Leader for the US Fleet Forces Maritime
Operations Center Chicago. In 2015 was
selected as the Senior Enlisted Leader for US Fleet Forces Naval Cooperation
and Guidance for Shipping Federation consisting of six units nationwide. In 2017 transferred to VTU-1314G where he
served as its CPOIC until his retirement.
Master Chief Dunham has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business
Administration from the University of Southern Illinois with a minor in
Accounting and Political Science. His
personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine
Corps Commendation Medal (four awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement
Medal (three awards), Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Award and various
units and campaign awards. He currently
resides in Lindenhurst with his wife and children where he serves on the
Village Board and serves as the Chairman of the Village Finance Committee.
Next PACT Act deadline: Health care enrollment for Veterans who deployed to combat zones
Some really great seminars get your post & District a jump start
Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul led a bipartisan coalition of 44 attorneys general in issuing a letter to congressional leaders expressing support for the passage of legislative proposals included in Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding (G.U.A.R.D.) Veterans Affairs (VA) Benefits Act.
Veteran Bills, Illinois State General Assembly, 2023 Complied by MOAA and VFW sources As of 21 June 2023
Past Commander-in-Chief Hal Roesch and Past National Auxiliary President Sandi Kriebel will represent the national organizations during the Illinois Veterans of Foreign Wars and Auxiliary state conventions June 9-12 in Springfield.
During the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) virtual Parade of Winners April 7, the organization proudly presented more than $211,000 in scholarships and awards as it named the national winners of its 2022 Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen youth scholarship competitions in a Facebook live event sponsored by Twisted X.
At the March 21, 2022 Gurnee Village Board Meeting Commander Les Durov of the Mount Prospect Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1337, presented a First Responder Americanism Certificate of Appreciation to Gurnee Police Sgt. Jason Kalinowski.
Maj. Ivan Ortiz of Oswego, Illinois, a member of Montgomery Memorial Post 7452, retired from the Illinois Army National Guard after nearly 36 years of military service during a ceremony held Saturday, March 5, at the Illinois Military Academy on Camp Lincoln in Springfield.
A high school teacher at Lake Park High School in Roselle, and member of Carol Stream Post 10396, has been selected as the Illinois National Guard’s next Chief of the Joint Staff.
The year is 1980. The U.S. boycotts the 1980 Summer Olympics, President Jimmy Carter signs Proclamation 4771, requiring 18- to 25-year-old men to register for a peacetime military draft and Ronald Reagan is elected 40th President of the United States.
Members of the 404th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, headquartered in Normal, Illinois, celebrated a milestone in their military careers as they received their combat patch, for military members serving in hostile conditions, March 17, 2022.
Growing up in the small town of Kincaid, Illinois, Anthony Mollusky Jr., of Elkhorn, Wisconsin, a member of LaFore Lock Post 755, Springfield, didn’t have a lot of options.
Sgt. Maj. David Owsley of Forsyth, Illinois, a member of Elk Grove Village Post 9284, retired from the Illinois Army National Guard after nearly 33 years of military service during a ceremony, April 1, at the Illinois Military Academy on Camp Lincoln in Springfield.
Senate Joint Resolution 28 designating U.S. Highway 20 as Medal of Honor Highway unanimously passed as Illinois joins the effort to rename the 3,365 miles of Highway 20 spanning the nation from the Pacific to Atlantic Oceans.
The Illinois State Legislature has adopted Joint Resolution 42, designating the section of Route 146 between Anna and Vienna, Illinois as the “Sergeant Brian Romines Memorial Highway”.
Erica Zirkelbach of Mount Vernon entered an art piece into a scholarship competition at the VFW Post 2055 Auxiliary in Centralia. After she made it to regionals in the Young American Creative Patriotic Contest, the VFW presented Zirkelbach with a surprise check for $1,000 toward her education.
103rd State Convention Memorial Service book
Support the expansion of Ft. Sheridan National Cemetery be heard!
large crowd of Illinois veterans attend Town Hall Meeting with Legislators Hosted by VFW & American Legion Districts
VFW Dept. of Illinois Leads the way!
A bill long in the making passes Illinois House & Senate
Get a postcard in the mail from PCI? Have questions? Here's a list of the most frequently asked questions about the VFW Illinois project with PCI.
An exciting position to help veterans
The Board of Trustees has selected Michael Wilson as the Executive Director of the VFW National Home for Children. Michael succeeds Fred Puffenberger, who retired in October 2021. Michael will begin this new role on January 3rd, 2022.