Victor DeSloover was appointed national chaplain of The American Legion on Sept. 3, 2026 at the organization’s 107th national convention in Louisville, Ky.
A resident of rural Fredericksburg, Iowa, DeSloover graduated from Fredericksburg High School in 1966 and enlisted in the Navy in 1967. He received technical training as an aircraft engine mechanic in Millington, Tenn., before being transferred to Cubi Point Air Base in the Philippines. Other duty assignments included Naval Air Station Norfolk, Va., and the carrier USS Wasp CVS-18. He was honorably discharged in 1970. DeSloover owned and operated Vic’s Autobody and Repair in Fredericksburg, Iowa, from 1980-2015.
DeSloover is a past commander of Post 279 in Lawler, Iowa, and has served as its chaplain since 1996. He was instrumental in chartering Sons of The American Legion Squadron 279 and has served as a vice commander for the Department of Iowa, department oratorical chairman, and as a member of the Iowa Foundation Board. At the national level, DeSloover served on the Americanism Commission from 2000-2021, and on the Oratorical and Youth Activities Committees. He received the first 100% Americanism Award in 2016.
In 2001, DeSloover felt called by the Holy Spirit to begin religious studies before becoming a permanent deacon in the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa. Ordained on Oct. 20, 2007, he was assigned to Holy Family Parish in New Hampton, Iowa. In addition to preaching, he regularly conducts scripture and wake services, baptisms, marriage preparation, and takes communion to the sick and elderly.
DeSloover has been married to his wife, Nancy, since 1971. They have four children, and 11 grandchildren. Because of a close relationship with a Filipino native who was in the Bataan Death March, DeSloover reads many books about that subject. He enjoys making his own fishing lures, taking his grandchildren fishing on the Mississippi River, and spending time at their cabin in Lansing, Iowa.
