Veterans Day 2026

The PA History Society would like to honor and thank all PA veterans, and those still actively serving, for their service.

This Veterans Day the PA History Society has collected a small collection of biographies and oral history interviews that focus on the theme “veterans helping veterans”.

Please enjoy the inspiring stories below.

Oral History Interviews:

Kenneth Harbert and others breaking ground at Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C., 1982

Murl Dotson shares how working at the VA in Mississippi allowed him to be one of the few PAs to practice prior to 2000 and his efforts to pass PA practice legislation within the state. (To watch, click here.)

Kenneth Harbert shares how his work with PTSD patients led to his founding the AAPA Veterans Caucus. (To watch, click here.)

The founders of the Society of Veteran Disability Examiners PAs explain what a veteran disability examiner is and how they formed their AAPA special interest group. (To watch, click here.)

Biographies:

Timothy Bonjour: Served as treasurer of the Veterans Affairs Caucus and had a focus on creating endowments for veterans pursuing PA education.

Murl Dotson: An Air Force veterans who served as a PA at the Biloxi Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center, retiring after nearly 50 years of dedicated clinical service between the United States Air Force and Department of Veterans Affairs. Dotson was also instrumental in Mississippi passing PA practice legislation in 2000.

David “Bubba” Gwinn: A Vietnam War veteran, he was a staunch supporter and advocate for the AAPA Veterans Caucus and the Society of Air Force PAs.

Kenneth Harbert: He was the founder and executive director of the American Academy of Physician Assistants Veterans Caucus serving over twenty years. He co-founded and co-directed the Vietnam Veterans of America “Back in the World” Program. He is one of the first PAs to work in psychiatry; his area of clinical research focused on Traumatic Stress, PTSD

(Left to Right) David Gwinn, Bobby Muller from the Vietnam Veterans Foundation, and Kenneth Harbert, 1996

and Crisis Intervention.

Louis Rocco: A graduate from the first class of the US Army’s Academy of Health Sciences at Fort Sam Houston. While working nights as a PA in the emergency room in New Mexico, he encountered many Vietnam veterans. He organized the first Vietnam Veterans organization in New Mexico. He was later asked by the Governor of New Mexico to head the Veterans Affairs office for the state.

Denni Woodmansee: Served on the VA Physician Assistant Advisory Committee, advising Veterans Affairs leadership on PA issues. He was very active in VA PA Association’s legislative and lobbying efforts, which resulted in the establishment of the Physician Assistant Advisor to the Under Secretary for Health position within the Department of Veterans Affairs headquarters. The position was upgraded in 2010 to Director of Physician Assistant Services, a Senior Executive Service level position.

Thomas Zampieri: After losing his sight to a genetic, degenerative eye disease, he became employed as the National Director of Government Relations for the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA). From then on, he dedicated himself to being an advocate and activist for veterans and their medical needs, especially those suffering eye traumas. He successfully fought for the establishment of the Military Vision Centers of Excellence and the expansion of the VA systems Continuum of Care for blind and low vision veterans’ programs.

Collections:

The Kenneth Harbert Military PA and Veterans Caucus Photo Collection