Our Story
About Chapter 227
For more than four decades, the Dean K. Phillips Memorial Chapter has carried forward a commitment born from the experience of Vietnam veterans: to serve veterans and their families, honor those who served, and strengthen the community we share.
How It Began
In 1985, a small group of Vietnam veterans gathered at the Fort Myer NCO Club in Arlington, Virginia, to establish a local chapter of Vietnam Veterans of America.
They shared more than military service. They shared a determination that the experiences of Vietnam veterans would lead to something lasting — a commitment to fellowship, advocacy, remembrance and service to fellow veterans.
The new organization became the Dean K. Phillips Memorial Chapter, honoring a fellow Vietnam veteran whose life embodied that commitment to continued service.
The Man Behind Our Name
Captain Dean K. Phillips
Dean K. Phillips served with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam, where he volunteered for dangerous assignments with a long-range reconnaissance platoon. His Vietnam service was recognized with two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart, an Air Medal and an Army Commendation Medal.
But his commitment to veterans did not end when he returned home.
Phillips earned graduate and law degrees and became a determined advocate for veterans. His work took him from veterans issues in Colorado to Washington, where he served in the Veterans Administration, worked with veterans organizations and testified before Congress. He was also involved in the effort to establish the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
Phillips later returned to uniform with the Army Reserve’s 11th Special Forces Group at Fort Meade, Maryland, where his leadership earned the respect of the soldiers with whom he served.
Dean Phillips died in 1985 at the age of 42. Chapter 227 carries his name not simply to remember him, but because his life represents a principle that remains at the heart of the Chapter:
Service does not end when military service ends.
A Legacy That Continues
Chapter 227 was created by Vietnam veterans, but the commitment they established reaches far beyond one generation.
Through veteran assistance, advocacy, fellowship, remembrance, community service and partnerships with other veteran-serving organizations, Chapter 227 continues to put the experience of veterans to work for veterans and families who need help.
The methods may evolve. The commitment does not.
A Community of Veterans
Chapter 227 is also a community. Our membership brings together men and women who served during the Vietnam era in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, united by shared experience and a continuing commitment to veterans.
Members come together regularly for Chapter meetings, fellowship, veteran-service activities and opportunities to remain connected with fellow veterans and the broader Northern Virginia veteran community.
That community also includes the Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America (AVVA). AVVA is a national, independent nonprofit veterans-support organization whose members include veterans of all eras, family members, friends and others who share a commitment to veterans and their families.
AVVA members affiliated with Chapter 227 work alongside Chapter members, supporting veterans and their families, Chapter activities, community service and fellowship. Together, VVA and AVVA broaden the community of people able to carry forward the principle that has guided Vietnam veterans for decades:
“Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.”
What We Stand For
“To serve military veterans, their families, our community and our country.”
That purpose has guided Chapter 227 from its beginning. It continues to shape how we honor the past, serve veterans today and help ensure that the tradition of veterans helping veterans continues.