Gumersindo Gomez

Director At Large


Gumersindo Gomez was first elected a Director at Large at VVA’s 18th National Convention in New Orleans, LA, and was re-elected to continue serving in this position at VVA’s 21st National Convention in Orlando, FL. He serves as the National Chair of the VVA Minority Affairs Committee. Gomez joined the U.S. Army in June 1966, and deployed to Vietnam to serve in Company D, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry of the 196th Light Infantry Brigade. After a one-year tour, he stayed in the Army for another 19 years. In 1986, he moved to Springfield, MA, where he established a Veterans Outreach Center through the Puerto Rican Veterans Association. The center continues to serve veterans and their families as the Bilingual Veterans Outreach Centers of Massachusetts, with a second center located in Boston. In 1996, Gomez established the Jorge Oterro-Barreto Homeless Veterans Transitional Home, and in 2015, opened another permanent home for veterans in Springfield. Both encourage veterans to become productive citizens by helping them achieve sobriety, find jobs, and negotiate VA, Social Security, and pension claims. In 2014, Gomez became president of VVA’s Massachusetts State Council. Gomez is a founding member and former president of Chapter 866, and a life member of VVA. Gomez is married to fellow veteran Eva Gomez Sierra. Together they have raised nine children, they have 26 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. 

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