Sergeant Gomez served in the U.S. Army for 19 years, established the Bilingual Veterans Outreach Centers of Massachusetts, and leads the Vietnam Veterans of America as its Executive Director.
Gumersindo Gomez was elected as a Director at Large for two Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) national conventions. He currently serves as the National Chair of the VVA Minority Affairs Committee.
Gomez joined the U.S. Army in 1966 and served in Vietnam with the 196th Light Infantry Brigade. He continued to serve in the Army for 19 more years.
After moving to Springfield, MA in 1986, Gomez established a Veterans Outreach Center through the Puerto Rican Veterans Association. The Bilingual Veterans Outreach Centers of Massachusetts, including a second center in Boston, continue to serve veterans and their families.
In 1996, Gomez established the Jorge Oterro-Barreto Homeless Veterans Transitional Home, and in 2015, he opened a second permanent home for veterans in Springfield. Both homes help veterans to become productive citizens by assisting them with achieving sobriety, finding jobs, and negotiating VA, Social Security, and pension claims.
In 2014, Gomez became the president of VVA's Massachusetts State Council. He is a founding member and former president of Chapter 866, and a life member of VVA. Gomez is married to fellow veteran Eva Gomez Sierra and has nine children, 26 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.