Gloria Emerson

From a young age, Walter Emerson longed to serve others. Several things shaped him into the man he became and allowed him to do just that.

“He was in ROTC in college. After that, he enlisted in the Army during Vietnam,” said Gloria Emerson, Walter’s widow. “He felt that he needed to do that for his country.”

Gloria and Walter were married for 24 years until he died suddenly on Christmas Eve in 2021. As she considered her late husband’s wishes for his estate, Gloria knew that Walter wanted to support other veterans, so she decided to make a gift to DAV in his honor.

“Walter was brought up to treat others with respect,” said Gloria. “Whenever he would meet a Vietnam veteran, Walter would tell them, ‘Welcome home.’ As a Vietnam veteran, he knew they got spit on and were not appreciated.”