BOARD MEMBERS
Dr. John LeBow
Board President
Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, Dr. LeBow is a retired family physician having spent 44 years in practice, the last 26 years of which were in the Eugene/Springfield area. During his time in Oregon, he has served on the Osteopathic Physician and Surgeons of Oregon Board of Directors at various levels and was also the Chief of Staff at McKenzie-Willamette Hospital from 2007-2010. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Cascade Medical Team, which annually provides medical services to Guatemala, participating on two mission trips to date. While not a military veteran himself, his contact with Veterans in his practice over the years has created a passion to change the treatment paradigm for those in need resulting in the founding of Veterans Legacy in 2016.
Phillip Groshong
Vice President
Phillip Groshong is a retired United Airlines Captain and former Air Force fighter/instructor pilot. He was the General Aviation and Tenant Relations Manager at Eugene Airport from March 2005 to June 2012. Phil is past Commander of Civil Air Patrol’s Oregon Wing and Pacific Region. He is a past president and current member of the Rotary Club of Eugene Airport and past president and member of Cascade Medical Team’s Board of Directors. A retired USAF Lt. Col., he flew 200 combat missions in Vietnam in the F4C/D and earned three Distinguished Flying Crosses and 14 Air Medals. He retired from active duty after completing 22 years of Air Force service in the Oregon Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve. Phil is a Eugene native. He and his wife of 56 years, Margie, have three grown children and reside in Springfield, Oregon.
MIKE BUCKWALD
Treasurer/SECRETARY
Mike Buckwald was born in Show Low, Arizona on May 10, 1950. He lived in Arizona, California, Nevada, Alaska and finally moved to Florence, Oregon in 1965. Mike was drafted into the Army in April of 1970. He did his basic and Infantry training at Fort Lewis, Washington after which he received his orders to go to Viet Nam where he served his tour as a grunt in the 4th Infantry Division and the Americal Division. After being discharged from the Army he returned to his family in Oregon.
After returning home, Mike moved to Mapleton, Oregon and worked in the timber industry for about three years when he decided to use the GI Bill and go to school.
In 1979 Mike graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in accounting and Quantitative Methods. He worked as a staff accountant for a small CPA firm in Florence, Oregon for about 18 years at which time he decided accounting was going to be his lifetime career and received his certification as a CPA in 1979 and became a partner in the firm he was working for.
On January 1, 2024, Mike sold his practice and is now retired in Mapleton, Oregon with his wife of 55 years Kathryn.
Mike and Kathryn have five adult children and ten grand and great grandchildren who all live close enough to see as much as they want.
Mike served on the Mapleton School Board for 25 years, is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Mapleton Community Foundation and a Port Commissioner of the Port of Siuslaw.
Some of Mikes hobbies are being a grandfather, elk hunting, salmon and steelhead fishing, gardening, and riding his Harley Davidson.
JASON DOUGHERTY
BOARD MEMBER
Jason Dougherty has resided in Eugene, Oregon off and on since moving here in 1997. Jason graduated from Sheldon High School and shortly after graduation left for service in the United States Marine Corps. Jason honorably served with 2/5 Marines in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). He deployed to the streets of Iraq twice as a 0351/0311 infantryman with his first deployment in 2003 as the war in Iraq began. He would later return for a second deployment in 2004-05 to the Helmand province with a tour of duty in Ramadi. During his time in the Marines Jason was meritoriously promoted multiple times and was awarded medals, badges and ribbons that included the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expedition/Service Medal, Navy Presidential Unit Citation, among others.
In 2019, Jason began volunteering with Veterans Legacy as part of a give back program he was doing with Veterans Treatment Court and quickly found a passion for the organization and its mission to serve veterans. Jason began working for the organization in 2021 and spent 3 years providing peer support to the veteran residents at Camp Alma. In 2024, Jason stepped away from the organization to expand his work with veterans in Lane County. Currently employed with the Relief Nursery as a Peer Support Specialist and Certified Recovery Mentor, he works closely with justice-involved veterans participating in Lane County Veterans Treatment Court while also providing direct support to veterans in the community struggling with addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders.
Jason lives in Eugene with his beautiful wife and best friend Jaime and together they have six children and one grandchild, along with extended family who also resided in the Eugene/Springfield area.
JEFF GOWING
Board Member
Jeff Gowing was born and raised in Cottage Grove, Oregon and is a fourth generation Oregonian. A graduate of Cottage Grove High School, Jeff served 6 years in the United States Army. He served one year with the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis Washington, 3 years with the 25th Infantry Division at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii and 2 years with the 2nd Armor Division at Fort Hood, Texas. After an honorable discharge in 1988, he returned to Oregon to raise his family.
In 1989 Jeff began working at Weyerhaeuser Lumber in Cottage Grove where he worked for 34 years. His community service also began in 1989 when he joined the Jaycees. Jeff served as a City Counselor for the City of Cottage from 2009 – 2016, as Mayor from 2017 – 2022 and currently serves on the Cottage Grove Planning Commission. Other community service involvement includes Past President of the Oregon Mayor’s Association, Past Chair Lane Area Commission on Transportation, Past member of Lane Council of Governments and current member of the Cottage Grove Planning Commission. Jeff is a current Board member of the Veterans’ Legacy, Coast Fork Water Shed Council and Cottage Grove Community Foundation. He has also served on the Boards of the American Legion, American Legion Riders, Oregon Veterans Motorcycle Association, and Vision Keepers in Cottage Grove.
Jeff lives in Cottage Grove and has three adult children and six grandchildren. He has completed two full round trip motorcycle rides starting in Sacramento CA and ending in Washington DC with the National Veterans Awareness Riders. Jeff a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and is an active member of the American Legion and the Elks. His hobbies include motorcycle riding, hunting, fishing, golfing, bicycling and travel.
Joe Bradford
Board Member
Joseph D. Bradford was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington. He is a retired Army Infantry Major, serving 22 years. He had the honor of Escort Duty from Dover Air Force Base to Corvallis, Oregon guarding the remains of a fallen soldier during the war in Iraq (June 2004), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). He led a Platoon of soldiers policing the neighborhoods during the civil unrest in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and Rita in Louisiana under the state of Martial Law (2005). He was deployed to Afghanistan for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF, 2006-7) leading self-secured transportation missions in Kabul and surrounding areas. He was deployed to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF, 2009-10) for base defense operations in Baghdad. He was deployed to Kosovo (KFOR-27) as part of the NATO Alliance with the mission to maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for all communities living in Kosovo based at Camp Bonsteel (2020).
Some medals, badges, and ribbons awarded to Joseph are listed (24+ are not listed): Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal (2nd Award), Combat Infantry Badge, Oregon Superior Soldier Ribbon and Oregon Faithful Service Ribbon with “M’ Device. Joseph is a double major from the University of Washington in Psychology and African American History (full degrees) and has a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Oregon. He is employed as a full-time veteran counselor for the Federal Government and is the owner of his own counseling business. Joseph is a current Board member of the Veteran’s Legacy. He is a life member of the NAACP and VFW (Veteran of Foreign Wars) and is an active Board member and Social Action Director of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.