Who We Are
The Mesa Veterans Parade Association grew out of the need to provide a Veterans Day Parade after the City of Mesa decided to stop funding it.
A group of dedicated Veterans from several Veterans organizations raised the funds and put on the Veterans Day parade in two months time with over 80 entries. We have now formed a corporation called the Mesa Veterans Parade Association (MVPA) to put on the parade every year and do other things to assist our Veterans.
The MVPA is currently 100% volunteer. We are putting on a couple of events to raise funds for the parade to ensure it will be funded every year and to improve the reach and visibility of Veterans in our community. Our first event is a Golf tournament which will be an annual event.
This website is being built as a resource to Veterans and a communication tool for the MVPA. As we are able to add more resources, Veterans will be able to access a directory of organizations that are here to help them no matter what their need.
We welcome all volunteers, contributions, comments or suggestions that will help us in our mission. Please feel free to e-mail or call our staff at any time.
Mesa Veterans Parade Association
PO BOX 21116
Mesa, AZ 85277
Volunteer and General Inquiries
Frank (Gunny) Alger - 480 570-4032
Sponsor and Website Questions
Alex Kollitz - 480 540-6216
Public Relations
Meet Our Staff!
Chairman of the Board, President and Founding Member, Gunny Alger.
Frank (Gunny) Alger spent 20 years active duty in the U. S. Marine Corps retiring as a Gunnery Sergeant. Gunny uses this nick name because his dad is a former Marine and is also named Frank and lives in Mesa too this creates less confusion among those that know both father and son.
Gunny held several different billets during his career: Bn Co's Radio operator, Alpha Command Radio NCO and Battery NCO (3/3), Radio Chief and Drug Exemption NCO (C Btry 2nd LAMM BN ), Recruiting Duty (RS Denver, RSS Littleton), Communications Security Material (CMS) Custodian (1/9, 2/1, 2/11, Comm Co 1st Mar Div ), Instructor Staff Noncommissioned Officer Academy Sgt's and Career Courses (MCAS El Toro), Radio Chief (1/9, 2/1), Comm Chief (2/11, MUX Plt, PLRS Plt and Radio Plt Comm Co 1st Mar Div), Assistant Operations Chief (Comm Co 1st Mar Div).
Gunny appeared before the Royal Court of the Domain of Imperivm Neptvni Regis, State of the Raging Main, Equatoria where Davy Jones is the Royal Scribe and earned his Shellback in August 1983.
He participated in Operation Bright Star in Somalia August 1983 and also completed two crossings of the Suez Canal in Sept 1983. He participated in Operation Cobra Gold in 1983 and 1984, Operation Valiant Usher in 1984 in Kenya Africa and was part of the Multi-National Peace Keeping Forces in Beirut, Lebanon with the 31st MAU in 1983.
He was involved in helping stabilize Somalia in 1993-94 and participated in operations in the Old and New Ports and Operations Show Care in the Merca and Quryooley areas of Somalia and More Care at the Old Port.
He also participated in Exercises Infinite Moonlight in Jordan in August 1995 and Eager Mace in Kuwait September and October 1995. He also got the opportunity to visit the ancient city of PETRA, Jordan while in that part of the world.
Gunny became involved in the Association after hearing that the City of Mesa was not going to sponsor the Veterans Day parade in 2006 at a Saguaro Detachment Marine Corps League meeting. Jerry Walker and Gunny then made a motion at the meeting to have the Detachment sponsor the parade. The motion carried with much debate on wether they could raise the funds and coordinate everything in time or not. They called around to the veterans organizations and the news papers to see who would support the effort. They received overwhelming support with a few pessimists nagging that it couldn't be done.
Jerry was the fundraiser and Gunny was the coordinator. With these rolls in place, they rallied the support of every veterans organization in Mesa except one. When the word got out that there was a group of individuals that was working towards honoring our veterans with a parade many civilian volunteers also stepped forward. With the weekly meeting starting in Sept and a lot of long hours and hard work from everyone the efforts lead to a very successful event.
Gunny is a community minded individual and besides being involved with his church in the Missions Partner Program and bus ministry he is very involved in helping develop our youth through the Young Marine program and helping veterans by volunteering through a variety of veterans organizations. Below is how he has served in the past and is currently serving our community:
- Commandant for Saguaro Detachment Marine Corps League (MCL) December 2003 to March 2006
- Sr. Vice Commandant for Saguaro Detachment Marine Corps League March 2006 to Present Chaplain & Quartermaster for Saguaro Detachment Marine Corps League in 2003
- Historian for the Department of Arizona Marine Corps League (MCL) June 2005 to Present.
- Assistant Chaplain for the Department of Arizona Marine Corps League (MCL) June 2004 to Present.
- Chairman Mesa Veterans Parade Association (MVPA
)
- Sgt-At-Arms for the Department of Arizona Marine Corps League June 2006 to Present
- Editor-in-chief of ARIZONA LEAGUER ANNUAL (The State of Arizona MCL's annual publication)
- Commanding Officer of the East Valley Young Marines (a congressionally chartered 501 c 3 Youth organization) March 2005 to Present
- Volunteer at the VA home in Phoenix several times a year bringing over 800 pairs of socks to the residents every year for the past 5 years.
- Board member Maricopa Association for Combat Veterans (MACV)
- Editor-in-chief of the Rainmaker (Resource Awareness Information Network (R.A.I.N.) newsletter)
- Jan 2003-Jan 2004 Mesa R.A.I.N. (Resource Awareness Information Network) Chairman
- Jan 2003-Jan 2004 Chaplain/Charter Member Marine Corps Recruiting Association (MCRA)
- Devil Dog, Road Runner Pound 112, MODD Editor ROADRUNNER HOWL Member VFW Post 1760 Life-Member DAV Chapter 8 Member American Legion Post 26
Vice Chairman of the Board, Vice President and Founding Member, Jerry Walker
(Profile Forthcoming)
Paymaster, Founding Member, Michael Thelen
(Profile forthcoming)
Adjutant, Founding Member, Mary Lou Thelen
(Profile Forthcoming)
Fundraising Chair, Board member, Webmaster and "Lucky I joined when I did so I
could be a Founding Member!" Alex "Crazy Dog" Kollitz
I joined the Marine Corps in '81 as a Combat Engineer. Spent a lot of time in Camp Pendleton before going to Okinawa, then to South Korea for operation Bear Hunt. Not being big on structure, I left the Corps after my four years was up, but the Corps never left me.
I always wanted to be involved with the Veterans Day Parade and this opportunity fell in my lap after I saw an article in the Mesa Chamber of Commerce newsletter about the cancellation of the parade and a group that was working to get it going again. I made it to the next meeting and immediately volunteered (drafted, enlisted...whatever) to help in any way I could.
I am delighted and honored to be able to raise awareness of our veterans in our community, to let them know that we appreciate everything they are doing for us and to help them however they need it. It is my goal to keep politics out of the process, to welcome all volunteers from whereever they may come and to do as much as we can for our men and women in uniform.
I am also proud to annouce that my Father was in the Army, older brother in the Navy, younger brother in the Air Force and a niece currently serving in the Marine Corps stationed in Iraq. Can't forget my brother-in-law served in the Coast Guard and my wife was an Army brat.
Semper Fi
Alex Kollitz
Public Relations, Founding Member, Brent Philips
(Profile forthcoming)
Historian, Board Member, Founding Member, Julie Youells
(Profile forthcoming)
Board Members and Founding Members
Sylvia Richards
Bob Burns
Randy Foshee
Scott Somers
Esther Alger
Mary Jo Ficklin
Mary Jo Ficklin is the wife of a retired Air Force Master Sergeant. They have been married 47 years and are the parents of two daughters and grandparents of four.
Mary Jo joined East Maricopa Unit 83, American Legion Auxiliary in 1973, served 3 terms as President. When the unit folded she transferred to Unit 26. In Unit 26 she has served as Sgt-at-Arms, Chaplain and Treasurer.
She is currently Secretary of Mesa Unit 26 and serves as Chairman of the Children and Youth (7 years), Education and Scholarship (7 years), Girls State (34 years) and is Co-chair of the Americanism committees.
She chaired the Thanksgiving and Christmas Basket drives and is Chair of the "Buddy in Iraq" committee. Our Buddy program is in its second year. In 2005-06 we chose a Marine in Afghanistan and sent care packages to him to disperse among 17 marines. Our current buddy is a sergeant with the AZ National Guard and he disperses gifts among 5 others.