WHMH is a Central Coast nonprofit organization run by veterans and founded by the Tolan family. However, it takes more than just the Tolan family to achieve our mission. Each board member is committed to supporting our military heroes while balancing their own families, personal lives, and full-time jobs. Every board member is either a veteran or a family member of a veteran, and they also serve on other nonprofit organizations.
- Robert Tolan Sr.President (Navy Veteran)
Robert Tolan Sr. served in the U.S. Navy on the USS Duluth. In 2010, he had a vision to support our military heroes. With the help of his wife Cheryl and son Robert, Welcome Home Military Heroes was established within a few months. Over the years, he has welcomed home thousands of military heroes and played a key role in expanding the nonprofit from one mission to twelve.
- Robert Tolan Jr.Vice President (Afghanistan Veteran)
Robert Tolan helped his family start Welcome Home Military Heroes at the age of 17. A year later, he joined the U.S. Army as a Cavalry Scout, serving from 2012 to 2015 with one tour in Afghanistan. After returning home, he married his high school sweetheart and joined the Army Reserves, where he served until 2018.
Robert is currently a VA Home Loan Specialist with Pacific Coast Mortgage Group, the Military Affairs Chairman for the Santa Maria Chamber, and the Vice Chairman for Honor Flight Central Coast.
When he’s not working to support our military heroes, Robert enjoys spending time with his family camping, hiking, barbecuing, or watching football and NASCAR.
- Cheryl TolanSecretary (Co-Founder)
- Dennis HennessyBoard Member (Army Vietnam Veteran)
Dennis was born in San Francisco, in 1944, where he went to school and lived until age 21. In 1966, during his Junior year at SF State College, he and his high school girlfriend Pearl were married. In 1967, as an engineering and business student, he enlisted in the US Army with the intent of attending Engineer Officer Candidate School. After basic training at Fort Ord California, then Combat Engineer training at Fort Leonard Wood Missouri, it was apparent that there were no openings at Engineer OCS. He declined the OCS option and received orders for his tour in Vietnam.
In Vietnam, as a Combat Engineer, 65th Combat Engineer Battalion, 25 th Infantry Division, he spent most of his time clearing mines and IEDs when assigned to mechanized infantry units, and supporting the infantry wherever and however needed. After Vietnam, he went to the 3 rd Engineer Battalion, 24th Infantry Division, Fort Riley Kansas. In early 1969, units of this division were sent to Germany on Reforger 1, the three-month military exercise designed to counter the soviet threat and contributing to the end of the Cold War. He completed active duty at Fort Riley in 1970 as Staff Sergeant (E-6), Battalion Construction Foreman.
Using the GI Bill, he completed his education while working for a public utility company. Dennis and Pearl moved from Northern California and retired on the Central Coast with their children.