Dennis Smalling

Service Officer & President
Vietnam Veterans of America Sammy L. Davis Chapter 295

Dennis Smalling entered service in 1971 as a Military Intelligence specialist in the U.S Army.  Following graduation from the U. S. Army Intelligence School, he was assigned to the Republic of Vietnam where he served in 1972 and 1973.  His exposure to Agent Orange there severely affected his health.  After going through the process of filing his disability claim with the Veterans Administration in 2017, he determined to help other veterans do the same by becoming a certified Veterans Service Officer with Vietnam Veterans of America.  Since then, he has helped hundreds of veterans receive the benefits they have earned.  In 2023, realizing VVA wasn’t doing enough to help the spouses and survivors of disabled veterans receive their benefits, he began organizing quarterly benefits briefings focusing on spousal and survivor benefits.  These briefings have become increasingly popular throughout the state of Indiana and have helped dozens of veterans, their spouses, and their family members receive the benefits they deserve.  In addition to serving as a VSO, Smalling is President of Vietnam Veterans of America Sammy L. Davis Chapter 295 and serves on the board of directors for VVA-Indiana.