Gretchen Smith
Air Force Veteran
Smith is the founder of the Code of Vets for the United States Air Force (USAF) veterans. Gretchen Smith is a United States Air Force veteran who grew up in a challenging environment. Her father was a Vietnam veteran who returned home struggling with complications from Agent Orange and PTSD. She joined the military to get structure and purpose in her life and it worked. After losing her father too soon, Gretchen founded “Code Of Vets” as a tribute to his memory. Today, Code Of Vets utilizes Social Media outlets to identify veterans with needs and then connects them with what they need. As a non-profit, Code Of Vets delivers 98% of the donations they receive directly to those families or veterans in need. Sadly, she says some Social Media sites are blocking her efforts and she now needs help more than ever.
