A Veteran serving Veterans

Once tipping the scales at 400 pounds, he’s shed over 100 and counting, proving his commitment to personal growth mirrors his dedication to others. If it’s a Wednesday, you can find him at Andronico’s, picking up food for his team, a small but telling gesture from a man who’s spent a lifetime putting others first. 

At the San Francisco VA Health Care System’s (SFVAHCS) Veterans Welcome Center, he’s training staff, helping streamline services, and ensuring every Veteran feels seen. Beyond the clinic walls, he’s one of the faces of outreach, whether tabling at the Golden State Warriors’ Thrive City Veteran Wellness Fair or enrolling Veterans in VA Health Care. For him, it’s never just about the task. It’s also about the people. 

“Service means making myself available,” he says. “I gotta give my best, or I can’t do the job.” And for him, that’s not just a motto, it’s the rhythm of his daily life. 

Terry Major embodies the spirit of service—from the bustling corridors and colorful residences of 1960s and ‘70s Fillmore District to the battlefields of the U.S. Marine Corps, and now, to the front lines of Veteran care at San Francisco VA Health Care System. A true local legend, his journey reflects, above all, a dedication to service.

From the Marines to the mission 

Enlisting in 1979, Major served with the 12th Marine Division, beginning his career at El Toro air base in Orange County, CA, and completing two deployments to Okinawa, Japan. His military career had its share of dramatic moments—from nearly becoming an embassy guard (before a family loss redirected his path) to surviving falls from a telephone pole at 29 Palms, and even tumbling down a mountainside in Korea. Yet, he still found time for camaraderie, playing for installation football and basketball all-star teams, even competing against UC Irvine in a memorable 1981 football matchup against the Anteaters. 

A San Francisco stalwart

After the Corps, Major became a fixture in the city, working security at Union Square’s Hyatt. He was hired on-the-spot when management learned he was a Marine, landing the job with a simple handshake followed by, “Semper Fi. See you on Tuesday.” Over 30 years in security and other secondary jobs, he’s built a vast network of friends, working Giants games, where he once facilitated an introduction of his younger brother and cousin to Cubs legend Andre Dawson, dabbling in local radio (98.9 KKCY) for a short time, as well as working for the City and County of San Francisco at the Department of Public Works.

His journey would eventually bring him to the Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) program, beginning his employment journey at SFVAHCS.

A leader in Member Services

Since joining VA in 2015, Major has worked in Environmental Management Service (EMS), Pathology and Laboratory, and Radiology Service before finding his niche in Member Services, where he’s thrived for eight years, the last three as a Lead Program Support Assistant. His mission? Ensuring Veterans know their benefits—whether it’s explaining VADIP (Veterans Dental Insurance Program), which provides access to affordable private dental care, or enrolling them in MyHealtheVet, the VA’s online portal for scheduling appointments, refilling prescriptions, and accessing health records. 

According to Major, most Veterans aren’t aware of those resources and are extremely thankful when he informs them. One recent notable instance included a Veteran thanking Major for “saving his life.”

“The Veteran didn’t know he could get a service-connection. The money improved his circumstances in a real way.”

For Major, the reward is simple: “I don’t do it for accolades. I just enjoy helping.” 

When he’s not at VA, Major pays it forward as a mentor with local non-profit Mentoring Men Movement (M3), an organization that guides young men toward purpose and growth. 

For Major, every day is another chance to be of service, just as he always has.