Manuel "Don" Biadog
At the historic Officer’s Club at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, retired Navy Chaplain Manuel “Don” A. Biadog, Jr., a long-serving member of the Southern Baptist community, was honored with the U.S. President’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The ceremony, held on April 18, 2024 saw Major General Michael J. Borgschulte and Lieutenant Colonel Robert J. Weingart present the award, recognizing Biadog for his extraordinary commitment to volunteerism, documented at 13,000 hours from 1990 to 2024.
Biadog's volunteer work is varied and includes significant contributions to spiritual and emotional support within the military community. His efforts have been recognized by several institutions, including the U.S. National Navy League, which awarded him the Project Handclasp Humanitarian Service Award. Additionally, his work has been acknowledged by figures such as His Excellency Luis Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle, Archbishop of Manila, reflecting the wide-reaching impact of his service
Biadog has led numerous community relations projects across Asia, particularly in California, across America, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines, organizing supplies for schools, orphanages, and homes for the elderly and infirmed. His efforts extended to dangerous missions during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Superstorm Sandy, and at Ground Zero on “911,” where he personally delivered aid to affected communities.
Reflecting on his lifetime of service, Biadog shared that voluntarism has been a guiding principle since his youth, inspired by the Boy Scout’s motto to “do a good turn daily.” This ethos continued into his adult life, significantly shaping his actions and commitments. Biadog’s service has been recognized by several organizations over the years, including the U.S. National Navy League and the National VFW, underscoring the wide-ranging impact of his efforts.
Additionally, Biadog is also known for his volunteer photography of weather-related and community interest photos which is routinely shared with millions of viewers in Southern California on Fox News 5 San Diego, ABC 10 News San Diego, NBC 7 News San Diego, KUSI News San Diego, and CBS 8 News San Diego.
Biadog leads dozens of volunteers picking up bread and pastries and deliver to veterans, church's food program, fire departments, police departments, churches, and VFW post 7907 in Poway.
Once a year, Biadog leads six to ten volunteers, delivering hundreds of pounds of humanitarian items, and feeding impoverished children, youth, and adults in Luzon and Visayas Islands, Philippines. His efforts in reaching out to the Filipino Americans and WW-II veterans from 2019 - 2024 has been appreciated by veterans and their families and by high ranking local and national officials.
Biadog is actively involved in presenting the Congressional Gold Medal to the deserving American who fought during WW-II in the Philippines.
As he continues his journey, Biadog remains dedicated to serving wherever possible, embracing each opportunity to assist and uplift others. His life and work exemplify a profound commitment to service, reflecting the values of leadership and sacrifice he holds dear.
Scott R Miller D.D.S.
Initiatives – Scott R. Miller, D.D.S. is one of the founders and directors of Mission Dental of Virginia, Inc. d/b/a Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center (AHCDC). Our clinic opened in March 2020 and provides dental services to the medically underserved and patients with limited opportunities for dental care in Southwest Virginia. Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center is one of the largest clinics accepting Virginia Medicaid in Southwest Virginia. In addition, the site is an Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency site that recruits and trains recent dental school graduates in the program sponsored by Johnston Memorial Hospital at a newly renovated clinic in a dental health professional shortage area.
Dr. Miller was instrumental in the beginning the Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center through 30 years of personal relationships with colleagues and community partners that he had met while practicing a profession that he loves. He orchestrated a deal to purchase a 3400 sq ft. pediatric dental office that only had 5 small dental chairs in half of a 7700sqft building in 2020. Opening the clinic on March 13, 2020, just to be closed immediately from the COVID pandemic, did not slow his determination to care for those less fortunate. With the help of the Virginia Dental Association Foundation, AHCDC held the first mini-Mission of Mercy (MOM) clinic the same year using the then CDC guidelines and precautions. This provided care for those that had been waiting to be treated at the annual event that was canceled. Since then, AHCDC has continued these mini-MOM projects hosting three events per year providing free extractions and dentures to those less fortunate and unable to afford care.
Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center (AHCDC) was established in 2020 to provide dental care for impoverished patients year-round, Monday-Friday, 8AM-5PM, in a dental clinic. It was important to the founder and dentist, Scott R. Miller, DDS, that patients who attended pop-up clinics deserved the same seat in a dental home. The need for services is growing exponentially. To meet demand, the clinic expanded from its current configuration of five dental examination rooms to fourteen rooms, added increased sterilization space, expanded the lab and imaging laboratory to include a second cone-beamed computer topography (CBCT). The goal at this clinic is that the uninsured and underinsured have equitable access to quality oral health care Monday-Friday, 8AM-5PM, with a total of 21 operatories soon to meet demand.
Dr. Miller states, "For the past twenty-four years, I have been honored to care for patients in our community, witnessing a growing need each year. So many are struggling, seeking relief and hope. By restoring their smiles, we offer them more than just dental care; we give them that hope. A restored smile boosts their confidence, opens doors to re-entering the workforce, and alleviates pain, helping them reclaim a sense of normalcy in their lives. Our goal is to provide patients with quality and comprehensive dental care regardless of their ability to pay. Around 80% of our patients at Appalachian Highland's rely on Virginia Medicaid for dental insurance and they have limited access to care". The AHCDC site provides a one-year training residency for recent dental school graduates through the Johnston Memorial Hospital Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) program and has quickly become the largest dental Virginia Medicaid provider west of Roanoke. It has become a safety net clinic for other safety net clinics that do not have necessary service expertise. A safety net organization is defined as an organization that serves the underserved population. AHCDC has an onsite person to connect underserved patients to wraparound services, such as insurance enrollment and other essential needs.
Doctor Wang
Dr. Ming Wang, Harvard & MIT (MD, magna cum laude), PhD (laser physics), is a world-class cataract and LASIK eye surgeon, philanthropist, and community activist. He is the founding director of Wang Vision Institute and a Clinical Professor for Meharry Medical College, both in Nashville, TN.
Dr. Wang has performed over 55,000 procedures, including on over 4,000 doctors. He has published over 100 papers, including one in the world-renowned journal Nature, as well as 10 ophthalmic textbooks:
Corneal Topography in the Wavefront Era
Irregular Astigmatism – Diagnosis and Treatment
Corneal Dystrophy and Degeneration – a Molecular Genetic Approach
Keratoconus and Keratoectasia – Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatment
LASIK Vision Correction
Corneal Topography in the Wavefront Era – 2nd edition
Atlas and Clinical Guide for Corneal Topography
Refractive Lens Exchange – a Surgical Treatment for Presbyopia
Surgical Treatment for Presbyopia – the 5th Wave
Grow Your Eye Care Practice: High-Yield Pearls from the Marketing Experts
The Wang Foundation for Sight Restoration, a 501c(3) non-profit charity founded by
Dr. Wang, has helped patients from over 40 states in the U.S. and 55 countries worldwide, with all sight restoration surgeries performed free-of-charge.
As a co-founder of another 501c(3) non-profit organization, the Common Ground Network, Dr. Wang is dedicated to helping people find common ground and solutions to problems in order to achieve more success and happiness.
Dr. Wang has received numerous awards including the Honor Award of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Association of Chinese American Physicians, an honorary doctorate degree from Trevecca Nazarene University, NPR’s Philanthropist of the Year Award, and Kiwanis Nashvillian of the Year Award for his lifetime dedication to helping blind orphan children from around the world.
Dr. Wang’s patients include music stars such as Dolly Parton, Charlie Daniels, Kenny Chesney, Naomi Judd, Nicole Kidman, Amy Grant, and a “Dancing with the Stars” winner, Julianne Hough.
Dr. Wang is the founding president of the Tennessee Chinese Chamber of Commerce, co-founder of the Tennessee Immigrant and Minority Business Group, and CEO of Aier-USA, the U.S. extension of Aier Eye Hospitals–the world’s largest eye hospital group with over 500 locations in 3 continents–which provides eye care to 3 billion people worldwide.