Bruce McKenty sits with his hands folded in front of him in his office on the second floor of the new Rehabilitation and Learning Center at the American Lake Veterans Golf Course.

"One day Francine, my wife, came home from the McChord commissary with an application for the Military Order of the Purple Heart," McKenty related. "She slapped it down in front of me and told me to sign it and get out of the house," he added with a smile.

Formed in 1932 and chartered by Congress in 1958, the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH) advocates for the protection and mutual interests of all combat wounded veterans and active duty men and women who have received the decoration.

The Order is unique among veteran service organizations in that all of its members are combat wounded.

A retired Army officer who received two Purple Hearts during the Vietnam War as an AH-1G Cobra attack helicopter pilot, McKenty met the qualifications. Since joining the MOPH's Chapter 407 in 2002, he has worked tirelessly in advocating for veterans.

"I am passionate for veterans and those who serve on active duty," the native of Philadelphia said.

Initially, McKenty worked as a volunteer service officer, assisting veterans in receiving their benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

"Some of these veterans were destitute, and I not only wanted to plug them into the system to get them what they were entitled to, but I wanted them to leave with a sense of hope," McKenty recalled.

In 2004, he began volunteering at the golf course at the American Lake VA Hospital.  Since then, McKenty has organized golf tournaments for disabled veterans, served on the board of directors, and taken charge of construction of the aforementioned Rehabilitation and Learning Center.

Deeply and visibly involved with the MOPH, this past August, McKenty was elected to serve as the National Senior Vice Commander.

His agenda is ambitious.

"We're going to continue to improve the service we give to veterans and their families," McKenty emphasized.