VFW wraps up Salt Lake convention

The Veterans of Foreign Wars wrapped up its 106th national convention in Salt Lake City with a welcome to new leadership of the 1.8 million-member organization.

More than 15,000 VFW delegates attended the weeklong convention, which included visits from President Bush, former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and Veterans Affairs Secretary James Nicholson. On Thursday, they unanimously selected next year's commander-in-chief and other leaders.

The organization's new commander-in-chief will be James R. Mueller of Missouri.

"I'm profoundly grateful for the trust and confidence you have placed in me," Mueller told the convention delegates after being elected and ceremoniously escorted through the Salt Palace convention hall under a hail of balloons, streamers and confetti.

Mueller was in the Army from 1966 to 1968. He earned the Vietnam Campaign Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.

As a senior truck driver in 1968, Mueller was involved in delivering needed supplies to ground and air units during the Tet Offensive.

Mueller has been a member of the VFW since 1970. He has been the VFW's national senior vice commander-in-chief since being elected in Cincinnati in August 2004.

The delegates selected Gary Kurpius, of Alaska, as senior vice commander-in-chief. Kurpius, in the Army from 1967 to 1969, has been serving as junior vice commander-in-chief. The new junior vice commander-in-chief will be George Lysicki of New Jersey.

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