SPRING GROVE, York County — A Spring Grove resident has been elected State Commander of the Pennsylvania Department of Veterans of Foreign Wars, the organization announced Thursday.
Dwight R. Fuhrman, a member of East Berlin VFW Post 8896, joined other state VFW officers in taking the oath of office during the VFW’s state convention in Pittsburgh earlier this month.
During his one-year term, Fuhrman will provide leadership and direction for the Pennsylvania VFW, which is the largest VFW organization in the country with 80,600 members and 430 local posts, the organization said.
Fuhrman served in Vietnam from June 1970 to June 1971. He fought with the 199th Light Infantry Brigade, 5th Battalion, 12th Infantry Company A as an infantryman. He was also the squad leader of a 81mm mortar crew on an armored personnel carrier with the 1st Brigade, 5th Infantry Division (Mechanized), 1/61 Infantry. He attained the rank of E-5 Sergeant before being honorably discharged from active duty in October of 1971.
During his military service, Fuhrman earned the Vietnam Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal with 60 Device, two Overseas Bars, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal and expert ratings in the use of the M-16 rifle and hand grenade.
Fuhrman has held VFW leadership positions at the local, district, state and national levels. From 2001-15, he directed the VFW’s Voice of Democracy essay contest for high school students as state chairman, and was also the national VOD chairman for 2015-16. He has also held other VFW leadership positions at the post and district levels, and continues to serve as quartermaster of Post 8896.
He is a graduate of Spring Grove Area High School in 1968 and is married to Marsha for 47 years. They have two children and four grandchildren. Fuhrman retired from Glatfelter Company after 33 ½ years of service as a maintenance welder.
