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Todd Dunn: On a Mission to Serve
TODD DUNN:
ON A MISSION TO SERVE
BY HEATHER FRENCH HENRY, MDES | COURTESY PHOTOS
Todd Dunn is the epitome of a true public servant. Honored by the Ford Motor Company with the Ford Oval of Honor Award on May 1, 2022 at Churchill Downs, Dunn’s story of service to country and community is inspiring.
A fifth generation service member, Dunn served his country in the US Army as a Combat Military Policeman/Investigator during the Iraq-Desert Storm/Desert Shield.
“My father was in the Army. My uncle was in the Marines. My other uncle was also in the Marines. My grandfather served 30 years in the Navy. So I just wanted to honor their service and carry on tradition. I wanted to be an MP…a military policeman, that’s how I ended up in the Army,” Dunn recalls.
After he joined the Army, he was deployed overseas. “We got a call the day after
Christmas to mobilize to go to Desert Storm,” states Dunn. “It was the first time that I saw my father cry or shed a tear,” Dunn said. “He grabbed my hand and said, ‘I’ll see you when you get home.’ ”
During his deployment, Dunn was also faced with the loss of life at the young age of 19.
“I was working on two individuals when a British doctor came up. He said, ‘sorry, this chap’s dead.’ And I said, ‘No, he’s not.’ And I kept trying to work on him, and he kind of pushed me aside. He said, ‘He’s gone, son. He’s gone.’ And that was really hard at 19,” recalls Dunn.
During his transition to civilian life, Dunn wanted to continue to make a difference. “I got a job with the Veterans Administration at the V.A. Medical Center as a police officer. I saw a lot of different servicemen and women at different points in their lives, a lot more downs than ups. That’s when my desire to help veterans was really turned on.”
After his service at the VA Medical Center, Dunn began his career at the Ford Motor Company as a Vehicle Assembly Technician in the Commercial Light Truck Department in1995. He quickly found his calling within the United Auto Workers (UAW). Serving as District Committeeman, Vice President and now President, Dunn continues his passion of helping others, especially his fellow veterans.
“One of our standing committees within our structure of the UAW, is the Veterans Committee. It’s one of the core standing committees of all UAW’s across the United States. I got on the Veterans Committee as soon as I got hired,” says Dunn proudly.
One of his proudest efforts as part of the Veterans Committee is the Ramp Team. Born out of the need to assist a man named Wayne Vickers with a much needed wheel chair ramp for his home. “We collected some money at the
end of meeting and wanted to go over and build him a ramp. Today, we’ve built over 500 ramps in the community!”
in the building of the Vietnam Memorial, in Elizabethtown, KY. “It really meant a lot to us. It was a huge project that took us a while to do, but it was very proud moment when it was done and it still is,” recalls Dunn.
Dunn’s list of projects is long. From leadership in the UAW to his role with Active Heroes, a 147 acre retreat for veterans and first responders, he has no plans to slow down.
**Along with Dunn, others that were honored with the Ford Oval of Honor were Sergeant Major Monte Lash and SPC Brandon Mullins (posthumously.) Attending for Brandon were his parents, Kathy and Tom Mullins who have become leaders within the Gold Star Family community.
