About Us
The Vietnam Unit Memorial Monument Fund is incorporated in the State of California and has been granted 501(c)(3) tax exempt status by the State and the Federal Government. Memorial activities are conducted under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Naval Base Coronado and governed by a Board of Directors.
Our Board of Directors consists of representatives from the Swift Boat Sailors Association, the Gamewardens of Vietnam and the Mobile Riverine Force Association and other interested veterans of the Vietnam War.
Officers
 | Chuck Chaldekas. VN era SEAL- Direct Action Plt/Kit Carson Scouts/VN SEALs, XO Wimbrown-7 (’88-SBU-12), 12 years enlisted, 14 years officer. Fleet accession from NAS Gross Isle MI(Detroit)/USS Yorktown (CVS-10). BS, SIU, Carbondale, IL ’78, attended OCS, Newport RI ’78-’79 as CPO. Retired as NSW Force Training Officer Aug.’93. Built 70+ live fire shooting ranges, taking Super Trap Bullet Containment Systems from $50K-$5 million in sales ’94-2000. Currently, NSW Range Operations Manager in Coronado, CA. BOD Old Frogs and SEALs, Combatant Craft Crewmen Assoc., UDT/SEAL SD Ch. Aim-Help NSW understand VUMMF is part of their responsibility. |
 | Steve Watson, First Vice President. Steve is a retired Master Chief Engineman who has been with the Memorial since its inception. He is a former National President of Gamewardens of Vietnam. Steve served in River Patrol Force, TF116, during the years 1966 through 1968 as a PBR after gunner and as Boat Captain. He later served on USS Brule (AKL-28) in 1971 working out of Saigon hauling supplies to all the Navy bases in the delta. |
 | Jim Davy, Secretary. Jim is a retired Master Chief Petty Officer with two tours in Vietnam, the last as a PBR Boat Captain with over 200 combat patrols and four Bronze Stars. Jim enlisted in 1965 and retired in 1989 after 24 years of service. After retiring Jim obtained his BS degree in Engineering and was a NJROTC Instructor. Jim is also a life member of the Gamewardens and a member of the MOPH. |
 | Don Farrell, Treasurer. Don was a Lieutenant and Swift Boat Officer in Charge in Vietnam from April 1970 to April 1971. He served in the Seafloat area of operations on PCF 63 and PCF 93. After the turnover to the Vietnamese Navy, he served as an advisor with the Naval Advisory Group. |
Directors
 | Paul Murphy, Emeritus: Paul is a retired Navy Captain and has been involved with the Memorial since 2002. Paul was a Swift Boat Officer in Charge on PCF 17 from January 1966 through December 1966. |
 | Ken McGhee, Emeritus: Ken is a retired Navy Captain and has headed up the Memorial since its inception. He was a Swift Boat Division Commander in the I Corps area of Vietnam in 1968-1969. He can be contacted at 619-464-4047 in San Diego. |
 | Dave Bradley: Dave is a retired Lieutenant Commander and has been a Director of VUMMF since 2010. After graduating high school he entered the Navy in Sep 1960 and volunteered in 1967 for active duty in Vietnam and served on various Swift boats in COSDIVs 13 & 15 as a QM1. Dave was recalled to active duty in 1999 as the Maintenance & Logistics Officer for Naval Coastal Warfare Group Two and retired off of active duty in 2002 after 42 years of service. Dave is also a Director of the SBSA. |
 | Ben Cueva: Ben was a Second-Class Engineman in Vietnam serving in PCF Divisions 11, 12 and 13 during 1968 and 1969. Ben has been with the VUMMF since its inception. He was one of the volunteers who dug the foundation and built forms for the concreter in the wall. Ben still works at ground maintenance and is a valued member of the Board of Directors. |
 | Bob Brown: Bob is a retired Commander with more than 20 years in the Surface Warfare community. He volunteered for duty in Vietnam in 1967 and served as Officer in Charge of a Swift Boat in 1967/68. Upon retirement from active Naval service, he worked for 25 years as a Navy contractor at TACTRAGRUPAC in San Diego, Bob now spends time in retirement performing volunteer work at the Vietnam Unit Memorial Monument and at the San Diego Maritime Museum helping to operate and maintain PCF-816, the only fully operational Swift Boat on the West Coast. |
 | Tom Matyn: Joined the Navy Reserves in February 1968, stationed onboard USS Sphinx ARL-24, assigned to the ship fitter/ hull division repairing supporting the Mobile Riverine Force (MRF), was the divers tender for the next year. In 2008, I discovered the MRFA and the VUMMF and immediately joined both organizations and shortly after was elected to be a board member for both organizations and the restoration coordinator for CCB 18. |
 | Mike Gaughen: Larry was in federal civil service apprenticeship program to train aircraft mechanics at North Island Naval Rework Facility (NARF) which included four years of hands-on aircraft and feeder shop experience. During this time spent two years working on the flight test-line as plane captain on both the F-8 crusader and the F-4 phantom frontline aircraft in Vietnam. Now doing volunteer work to maintain the lights power and the Memorial as a weekly volunteer since 2010. |
 | Brad Story: Brad is resent addition to the VUMMF Board of Directors and will be helping lead the VUMMF into the next decade. He is a recently retired Navy Captain with an extensive background in Navy small craft as well as several major commands in the US and Kuwait and Iraq. |
Other Key members of the Memorial “Working Party
 | Bob Bolge: Was a Swift Boat Officer in Charge In I Corps 1966-67. Subsequently he served as a Weapons Officer on a destroyer providing Naval Gunfire Support in Vietnam from 1968 through 1970. In 1975 while serving as Damage Control Officer & nuclear propulsion Engineering Officer of the Watch on ENTERPRISE he supported the evacuation of Saigon. He served from 1982 to 1984 as Commanding Officer of USS BREWTON (FF 1086), a fast frigate named for a Navy SEAL Lt John Brewton who was awarded the Silver Star for courageous action under fire, later dying of wounds. In May of 1982, in the Straits of Molacca, BREWTON rescued 84 Vietnamese Refugees escaping from Vietnam. |
 | Evie McGhee: Evie has been working in the background for the memorial for over 23 years. She is the keeper of our donor database and ensures the donor plaques are assembled for engraving as well as taking care of the official donor’s tax exemption letters. |
 | Kathie McGhee Stebick: Kathie is the “Real Newsletter”, she takes all the content we created and assembles the newsletter and has doing so since in memorial was dedicated. Kathie is the lynchpin that keep the newsletter going out. She is a highly valued member of the VUMMF working party. |
 | Brandon Matey: Brandon is a local firefighter who has lived in Coronado and Imperial Beach for a long time. He has a deep appreciation for all the sacrifices the military has done for the America and loves helping to maintain the memorial. He is a Captain in the City of Coronado Fire Department. |
 | Pat Murphy: Pat is a retired USCG Ltjg and is the resident engineering and landscape maintenance person for the VUMMF. Pat is a regular participant in the weekly grass mowing and tree trimming working party each Tuesday. |
 | Tim Dowd: Tim is a retired Boatswains Mate First Class, who served in Desert Storm and is a regular participant in the weekly grass mowing and tree trimming working party each Tuesday., |
In Memoriam
 | Tom Mason: Tom was a Lieutenant when he served in Vietnam during the years 1967-1970. He has the unique history of having served with CTF 115 as a Swift Boat Officer in Charge, with CTF 116 as an Officer in Charge of a Mobile Support Team and with CTF 117 as an Operations officer. |
 | Carl Fletcher: Carl was a retired Senior Chief Boatswain Mate. He served with River Division 593 as a patrol officer from 1969-1970. He has been involved with the Memorial since its inception. |
 | Everett Jones: Everett was a retired Senior Chief Boatswain’s Mate who served in Vietnam as a boat captain on CCB’s, during the years 1969-1970. Everett was a big part of our organization from the first day. He worked tirelessly on the Memorial, digging trenches for the boat pads and the Wall, tying endless re-bar, overhauling the Swift boat, reworking the grounds, and whatever else needed to be done. Everett was involved, along with Chuck Campbell with restoration and maintenance of the CCB 18 since its arrival in San Diego. He honchoed the Saturday work details and along with Chuck laid out the Saturday picnics. He attended every SWCC graduation and saved all the graduation programs to keep a record of the up and coming boat drivers. Everett was a Plank Owner and a valued asset to the Memorial and his presence will be sadly missed. Everett passed away in 2014. |
 | Neil Geis: Neil was the Squadron Maintenance officer for Coastal Squadron One (Swift Boats) from May 1969 to May 1970). He was a “mustang”, having come up through the ranks (as an Enginemam) and retiring from the Navy as a Lieutenant Commander. His son, Robert N. Geis, CAPT, USN found PCF-104, currently on display at the Memorial, in a salvage yard in Washington state — a find which began the Memorial project. Neil has been involved with the refurbishment of PCF 104 since its arrival. He has also been involved with the Memorial since its inception. Neil’s humor and always willing assistance will be a considerable loss to the monument. Neil passed away in 2015 |
 In memory of David Hearne and his commitment to the CCB restoration and memorial effort  At work on the Memorial Chuck Campbell. Chuck was a retired Boatswains Mate First Class who had been in charge of CCB restoration and maintenance since its arrival in the San Diego area. He served in Vietnam during the years 1967 to 1968 as boat captain of both a Tango boat and a Monitor. Chuck passed away in 2011. Carl Hanker. “Hank” was a retired MA1 who served on PCF’s in Vietnam. He was a plank-owner on the Memorial Project and was a spirited contributor in all areas of the development of the Memorial. Carl passed away in November 2006. John Branca. John was a retired EN1 who served on PCF’s in Vietnam. He also was a plank-owner on the Memorial project and was a spirited contributor. John passed away in November 2005. Norm McCullock. Norm was a retired Master Chief Boatswains Mate who served on PBR’s with Task Force 116, Gamewardens. He was a director with the Memorial since its inception. Norm passed away in 2008. In Recognition: CWO3 Ralph Fries was the conceptual originator of the Memorial project. He left the project in 2002. Past Members of the Working Party and Memorial: Carl Fletcher Lou Hahn* Danny Reynolds Jim Steffes Don Blankenship Roy Heilpern *Former VUMMF Board Member  Some of the plank owners of the Memorial Back Row (Standing) Kneeling Chuck Campbell Everett Jones Neil Geis John Branca Tom Mason Dan Reynolds John Howell Carl Hanker Ralph Fries |