Secretary Of Veterans Affairs To Address Jewish War Veterans

TAMPA, FL -- Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie will join U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, to speak during the opening ceremony of the Jewish War Veterans’ 123rd annual convention at the Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore, 2225 N. Lois Ave., Tampa, Friday, Aug. 10 at 11:30 a.m.

Wilkie opened his Florida visit Aug. 7 by renaming the Tallahassee VA Health Care Center as the Ernest I. “Boots” Thomas Health Care Center. Thomas was a Marine Corps platoon sergeant killed in action during the Battle of Iwo Jima.

While in Tampa, Wilkie will also tour the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital and other VA facilities.

Wilkie was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as the 10th secretary of Veterans Affairs. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on July 23 and sworn in on July 30. Wilkie previously served as the acting secretary of VA.

The son of an Army artillery commander, Wilkie spent his youth at Fort Bragg. Today, he is an officer in the United States Air Force Reserve assigned to the Office of the Chief of Staff.

Before joining the Air Force, he served in the United States Navy Reserve with the Joint Forces Intelligence Command, Naval Special Warfare Group Two, and the Office of Naval Intelligence.

Image via VA

(For more local news from Florida, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Patch. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here.)