Dennis Haas was born in Buffalo, NY and raised in rural western New York. He attended Iroquois High School and enlisted in the United States Navy in 1968. After boot camp and advanced training he was assigned to the River Patrol Force, CTF-116 in the Mekong Delta of Viet Nam. During his tour in VN he was awarded a Bronze Star Medal with “V”, Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, several Campaign Medals and Unit awards. Upon returning from Viet Nam he Attended Parachute Riggers School and spent the next 22 years in Naval Aviation. Haas retired from the Navy in 1992; from the Naval Technical Training Center in Millington, TN as a Master Chief Petty Officer with 24 years of service.

After retiring he trained as an HVAC Technician and worked for the National Park Service at Steam Town National Historic Site in Scranton, PA. Hass also worked as a Service Manager for a large Heating and Air-conditioning Company in Falls Creek, PA. Then worked for the PA Department of Labor and Industry as a CareerLink Specialist in Punxsutawney, PA.

It’s obvious that Hass has held several positions in the American Legion before being elected as Department Commander for 2014-2015.

Haas has been married to his wife Barbra for 24 years. They have six children and eight grandchildren.