AUSTIN -- Jerry Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office and chairman of the Veterans Land Board, is traveling more than 7,400 miles to bring a message to his fellow Texans. 

Patterson will tour Baghdad, Fallujah, Kirkuk and Taji next week with John Furgess, Commander in Chief of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Patterson will personally cover all expenses from the trip, but plans to spend most of his time seeking out fellow Texans to inform them of the benefits available to them through the Texas Veterans Land Board.  

"This is what I call outreach," Patterson said. "I hope this visit will continue to remind Texans that today's troops are tomorrow's veterans. The VLB will be here for these brave men and women when they return." 

Under Patterson's direction, the Texas Veterans Land Board has undergone its greatest expansion of veterans' benefits since the 1950s. Changes to the VLB's loan programs resulted in a record $1 billion in home loans to Texas veterans in 2004, and two new Texas State Veterans Homes were opened in McAllen and El Paso. This fall, the state's first Texas State Veterans Cemetery will open in Killeen and ground will be broken for the second in Mission.  

Patterson will visit with troops in Iraq to discuss VLB programs, including:

·         Low-cost home loans for veterans

·         Low-cost land loans for veterans

·         Low-cost home improvement loans for veterans

·         Major financial relief for active-duty Texas Reservists and National Guard members who already have Veterans Land Board loans 

"Our programs at the Texas Veterans Land Board are run by veterans for veterans," Patterson said. "And veterans take care of veterans." 

Patterson graduated Texas A&M in 1969 and joined the United States Marine Corps. In 1972, he volunteered for duty in Vietnam and was later designated as a Naval Flight Officer. He served in Marine fighter squadrons until his retirement from the Marine Corps Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1993.  

His son, Marine Corps Capt. Travis Patterson, recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq where he piloted a Cobra attack helicopter.