VFW Post 418 in McKees Rock, Pennsylvania, has long been a home for Gulf War veteran Edward Carter III. His father, who served in the Vietnam War, led the Post as commander in the 1970s.
When Carter took over as commander in 2022, one of his first priorities was to renovate the Post, which according to Carter, looked “exactly the same from when his father was commander.”
Post 418 members celebrate their newly renovated bar in December 2024 in McKees Rock, Pennsylvania. Post Commander Edward Carter III credits the success of their Post to a strong, communal effort, calling the Post, it’s members and social members “family.” “The roof was leaking; the bar was falling apart,” Carter said. “We did a few events to raise money, but we only raised $12,000. The roof repairs would cost $149,000.”
Carter needed another answer. After exploring a few other options to raise money, he ultimately decided to learn more about the process behind grant writing. After reading a few books on the subject, Carter wrote two grant proposals. Both were approved for a total of $540,000.
Carter and other Post members got to work immediately. In 2024, the Post became “modernized,” with a refurbished roof, new bar and a new sense of excitement. Today, the Post has a 102% membership rate and sees more than 500 social members.
“My whole thing is, if you make it fun, they will come,” Carter said. “Everything that we’ve done, we’ve tried to do together.”
Since renovating the Post, members have been actively helping in the community. Through a collaboration with Welcome to the Table, a non-profit organization also in McKees Rocks, Post 418 provides free meals at the Post each week to those with food insecurities.
“We’ll help feed anyone,” Carter said. “High school athletes, families who might be struggling, anyone with food insecurity.”
Walking the halls of the newly renovated Post is Huckelberry – Carter’s service dog, who he received in 2018 from This Able Veteran, a non-profit organization in Carbondale, Illinois, who helps connect service dogs with veterans.
“He’s a superstar at the Post,” Carter said. “He’s everyone’s service dog, and I credit him with saving my life.”
To give back to This Able Veteran, the Post donated $5,000, as well as raised an additional $12,000 to send veterans to the non-profit to learn about how to train service dogs.
Carter is proud of the hard work the Post 418 family has put in over the past few years.
“We’ve created something special in line with the history of what VFW stands for,” Carter said.
This article is featured in the 2026 March issue of Checkpoint. If you're a VFW member and don't currently receive the VFW Checkpoint, please contact VFW magazine at magazine@vfw.org.