Position: President

President: A founding member of San Diego Veterans for Peace, James Summers served in the US Navy Hospital Corps from 1973 to 1977 during the final years of the Vietnam War. He has recently retired from teaching in Solana Beach School District, and from his formal advocacy for students and teachers through his union activities at the local and state level. Jim lives in Solana Beach with his wife, Winnie, and takes great pleasure in his children and grandchildren. He says that the children he raised, the children he taught, and his grandchildren are the real reason he is dedicated to working with Veterans for Peace to end war.

Position: Board member

Graduated from Illinois State University  (B.S). in 1965 and the University of San Diego, School of Law, (J.D.). Commissioned as an Ensign United States Naval Reserve.  Served as the Main Engines Officer and Signals Officer, (1965-1968) on the USS Valley Forge LPH 8.  From 1968-69, served on the staff of the Commander Training Command, Pacific Fleet as the Nuclear Weapons Training Officer, Intelligence Officer and Foreign Training Officer. Departed active duty with the rank of Lieutenant.  Served five years in the active reserves. Served for 31 years as a Deputy Attorney General, in the Department of Justice, State of California.  The last 15 years, served as the supervisor of the Health Quality Enforcement Section, in the Civil Division. Married to Rhonda Ladendorf,  associate member of Veterans for Peace. Three children and 4 grand children.

Position: Board member

Jack is an Army combat veteran from the Korean War. He served in Korea in 1953 with the 7th Regiment, 3rd. Infantry Division. He retired from the Hewlett Packard Company in 1991. After retirement, Jack owned and operated a management consultant business. He’s presently Vice President of the Veterans for Peace (VFP) San Diego Chapter.

Position: Board Member and Outreach Coordinator

A native of Tucson, Arizona, Lt Col Gapp graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics in 1978.  He was commissioned as an Air Force officer in May, 1978 and entered Undergraduate Navigator Training at Mather AFB, CA. He received the Commander’s Trophy as the Top Graduate, and was assigned as a “back-seater” Weapons Systems Officer in the RF-4 Phantom.  He completed a three year tour in Germany, whereupon he was selected for Undergraduate Pilot Training.  After receiving his pilot wings, he returned to pilot the RF-4 Phantom.  Lt Col Gapp attended the US Air Force’s Accident Investigation School, and is an experienced aircraft Class A mishap accident investigator, as well as Safety Board President. Lt Col Gapp’s other assignments were to Austin TX, Washington DC, Rio de Janeiro & Brasilia, Brazil, Tucson AZ, and the Azores island of Terceira in Portugal, from where he retired on September 1, 2009. A combat veteran, Lt Col Gapp deployed to Southwest Asia in 2006 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.  There he served as Chief of the Master Air Attack Planning at the Combined Air Operations Center, in charge of creating the daily Air Task Order to support ground troops with tactical fighter and bomber aircraft in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He spent half his 31-year career flying fighters, and then transitioned to become an International Affairs Specialists.  He attended the Defense Language Institute for Portuguese language, and was an exchange officer for one year with the Brazilian Air Force.  He served as the Assistant Air Attaché at the US Embassy in Brazil, and was an Instructor Pilot in the C-12 King Air.  Working for Headquarters US Air Forces South, he was Chief of the Air Force’s Theatre Security Cooperation programs for all of Central and South America.  Lt Col Gapp’s last assignment was as Chief of Political Affairs for the 65^th Air Base Wing where he and his staff served as the liaison between the US Air Force and the Portuguese Air Force located at Lajes Field, The Azores.

Patrick Gokey, Wisconsin native, is a United States Navy veteran residing in San Diego, California. He possesses a degree in computer network security and is working toward a second degree in web development. Patrick is an author, editor, and web developer for Soldiers for the Cause.