About

Since our official founding in 1996, the VII Corps Desert Storm Veterans Association has gathered annually to foster camaraderie between Desert Storm vets and our families, to preserve our shared memories, and to honor those 111 brave Jayhawk Soldiers who did not return home from the desert with us.

Friday Events

We will depart the hotel after breakfast via provided motor coach and make our way to the Army Museum at Fort Belvoir where we’ll have the opportunity to tour this spectacular museum honoring our Army. After lunch we’ll head back north to Arlington National Cemetery where we’ll conduct wreath laying ceremonies at the graves of two fallen VII Corps Soldiers (CPT Joseph G. Kime and PFC Robert L. Daugherty) and we’ll place a wreath at the Persian Gulf War Memorial Tree at the cemetery. We’ll perhaps also get to visit other historic sites at the cemetery.

General Membership Meeting

On Saturday morning, the VII Corps DSVA board will lead a general membership meeting. All members of the Association are encouraged to attend and participate.

Gulf War Veterans Forum

After the General Membership Meeting, we will host the third annual VII Corps DSVA Gulf War Veterans Forum. This event has proven very beneficial to our membership and allows us to join forces with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in order to provide information and real-time responses to Veterans questions and concerns. During the forum VA officials from Veterans Health Administration (VHA) & Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA) will address our membership on current issues important to Gulf War Veterans and conduct Q&A with those in attendance.

Memorial Service

Each reunion weekend includes a Memorial Service during which we honor our 111 fallen soldiers by reading their names aloud.

Reunion Dinner

The Memorial Service is followed by a Reunion Dinner. Over the years we have been fortunate to have many distinguished Soldiers and leaders who served with us or were key to the success of Operation Desert Storm. This year’s speaker will be GEN (Ret) Eric Shinseki; the 34th Chief of Staff of the Army and the 7th Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Past speakers at our Reunion dinners have included: