VFW at Workhttps://vfw.org/VFW at Work RSSen{BC79C722-6E2C-4B0E-AB74-0F643EA175FC}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/3/family-dayFamily Day<p>Through the VFW's National Military Assistance Program (MAP), members of VFW Post 8273 in Frisco, Texas, helped feed more than 2,500 active-duty troops and their families on March 3.</p> <p>The Post co-sponsored a "Family Day" event in honor of the 301st Fighter Wing at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth, Texas, supplying 11 pallets filled with a variety of drinks, snacks and desserts.</p> <p>"We were thrilled with the turnout," Post 8273 Commander Shenna Lawless said. "The opportunity to support the 301st Fighter Wing's Family Day was provided by 1st Sgt. Kenny McMillen, a life member of our Post, and we seized it enthusiastically. Thanks to MAP, we were able to contribute significantly."</p> <p>Through the use of national VFW programs like MAP, which has helped sponsor events supporting more than 2.3 million service members and their families since 2005, VFW Posts like 8273 have cultivated relationships with their local military communities.</p> <p>From "Family Day" events to deployment and welcome home ceremonies, festivals and holidays, the MAP program is a valuable asset for all VFW Departments and Posts to use in order to build on their presence among active-duty troops.</p> <p>"Participating in events like the Family Day for the 301st Fighter Wing is crucial for us," Lawless said. "It offers a unique chance to connect with service members and share the mission and benefits of the VFW, reinforcing our commitment to supporting them."</p>{0F1CE494-F1FD-4B40-ADF3-32A2CC76E028}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/3/we-are-honored-to-render-the-proper-respect-to-all-american-flags'We Are Honored to Render the Proper Respect to All American Flags'<p>Being heralded for years as the primary place for the retirement of U.S. flags in the county, members of VFW Post 2391 in St. Augustine, Florida, wanted to upgrade its site and ceremony.</p> <p>Under the direction of Post 2391 Quartermaster Bob Bewsee, who oversees the Post's Honor Guard and more than 1,000 flag-retirement events a month, design plans for a new beautification project began in June 2023 to revamp the old flag retirement site at the Post.</p> <p>"A pentagon was chosen for the shape, with each of the five corners representing one of the five service branches," Bewsee said. "We received a significant contribution from the local Lowe's, and the project was completed by Sept. 4."</p> <p>The majority of the work was undertaken by Post 2391 Life member Rick McAllister and fellow Honor Guardsman Dan Weir, who spent most of August working on the site.</p> <p>The pair laid gravel and decorative garden paver bricks, erected a flagpole, added fire extinguisher mounts and two concrete benches for public observation.</p> <p>"Weir also designed and constructed four smokeless burn barrels and donated a mounted eagle for the center," McAllister said. "Then other Post and Honor Guard members jumped onboard to help with the finishing touches."</p> <p>The new retirement site was unveiled on Labor Day last year during a ceremony led by Post 2391 Commander Daniel McDonough, who dedicated the project to the U.S. flag itself for all it means to veterans and Americans alike.</p> <p>"We are honored to render the proper respect to all American flags in our community once they have reached their retirement condition," McDonough said in his opening remarks. "The flag has served us with honor since the inception of our country and, as we do with fallen veterans, we are proud to offer respect and dignity at the end of their duty."</p> <p>Post Chaplain Paul Szarnicki proceeded McDonough by offering a prayer covering the historical significance and reverence of the flag. The Honor Guard then conducted the retirement ceremony for those gathered.</p> <p>"It was a nice ceremony with about 40 members and guests," McAllister said. "And it was immediately followed by the start of our annual Labor Day celebration and cookout. Well over 100 people attended this event, and we made a point to direct our guests to see our new flag retirement site."</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the 2024 March issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:irodriguez@vfw.org">Ismael Rodriguez Jr.</a>, senior writer for VFW magazine.</em></p>{238A8E18-46EC-4280-B759-EBBC8CD78DED}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/3/a-more-sustainable-way-to-combat-hungerA 'More Sustainable' Way to Combat Hunger<p>In anticipation of the 2024 VFW National Convention in July in Louisville, Kentucky, the VFW and Humana are continuing the Uniting to Combat Hunger program that has provided more than 4.5 million meals for food-insecure families since 2018.</p> <p>During the 124th VFW National Convention in Phoenix last year, dozens of VFW and Auxiliary members, as well as Humana employees, participated in a Uniting to Combat Hunger seed-packing event that provided about 30 tons of vegetables for families suffering from food insecurity.</p> <p>VFW Foundation Grants Manager Jason Couch said that VFW is once again working alongside the Society of Saint Andrews. The nonprofit organization is offering VFW Posts free seeds to create victory gardens.</p> <p>"Creating a victory garden is a great way to grow food in food deserts and other areas where fresh produce is scarce," Couch said. "It's also more sustainable - growing your own plants is better for the environment."</p> <p>Victory gardens have a rich history dating back to the first and second world wars. The U.S. encouraged citizens to plant various fruits and vegetables in private gardens to supplement rations.</p> <p>The Uniting to Combat Hunger program aims to alleviate food insecurity among veterans and their families, as well as in the broader community. The program recognizes that many veterans face challenges, including financial difficulties and limited access to resources, which can contribute to food insecurity.</p> <p>"The Uniting to Combat Hunger initiative exemplifies the spirit of collaboration and sustainability within communities across the country," he said. "By fostering the growth of victory gardens, we are strengthening the bonds among VFW Post and Auxiliary members."</p> <p>The Department of Agriculture in 2021 said more than 34 million people, including 9 million children, experience food insecurity in the U.S. during the year - that is about 1-in-10 households in the country.</p> <p>Feeding America says that about 125,000 active-duty military troops experience food insecurity - about 7 percent of troops in the active military. However, according to the Department of Agriculture, only about 2 percent of active-duty troops qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Feeding America also says 1-in-4 Afghanistan and Iraq War veterans are affected by food insecurity.<br /> For more information, visit <a href="https://endhunger.org/seed-project" target="_blank">https://endhunger.org/seed-project</a>.</p> <div> </div>2024-03-13T13:00:15-05:00{EB223496-C7AF-4EC7-96B3-5F7F808DFDA3}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/3/third-annual-vfw-day-of-service-is-coming-soonThird Annual VFW Day of Service is Coming Soon<p>VFW Posts around the country are amping up for the third annual VFW Day of Service on May 4. That date kicks off a month of veteran-led community service projects.</p> <p>The Day of Service is an outgrowth of the VFW's #StillServing initiative that launched in 2020 and has since brought recognition to how much U.S. military veterans continue to serve in their communities after they take off their uniform.</p> <p>By concentrating on veteran-led community service projects on this day, and throughout the month of May, the VFW intends to bring focus to the role veterans play in the well-being of their communities and surrounding areas.</p> <p>"We hope to harness the momentum of our last two events to make the third annual Day of Service the best yet in terms of participation and impact," VFW Director of Communications Randi Law said. "Through this event, not only have our members contributed in countless, meaningful ways to their communities, but they've had a lot of fun doing it. Our hope is the event continues to grow for years to come."</p> <p>VFW's second annual Day of Service in 2023 grew its total number of grassroots events by more than 20 percent from the first year. VFW Posts in all 50 states, as well as those in Europe, Guam, Asia and Puerto Rico, participated last year.</p> <p>Much as Veterans Day commemorations take place throughout the month of November, the VFW Day of Service kicks off on the first Saturday in May.</p> <p>The VFW asks that VFW members, all veterans and others visit <a href="https://todaysvfw.org/vfw-day-of-service/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0070c0;"><strong>VFWDayofService.org</strong></span></a> to register their events on the interactive Day of Service map and receive a special participation decal and/or find a local event to join and see what veterans around the country are doing to make a difference.</p> <p>VFW Day of Service events are community service focused, so it is up to you and your Post to identify what your community needs. Whatever Day of Service project you and your members decide upon will qualify. However, "Buddy"® Poppy, recruiting and events which raise monetary donations do not qualify as a Day of Service event.</p> <p>Below are some examples of community service events:</p> <ul> <li>Drives - food, personal hygiene products, diapers</li> <li>Home repair</li> <li>Street / park / cemetery / vacant lot clean-up</li> <li>Health fairs</li> <li>Houseless to home support</li> <li>Playground rehab / installation</li> <li>Accessibility initiatives</li> </ul> <p>The photos you see here are some fine examples of work done during the 2023 VFW Day of Service. For more information about VFW Day of Service, contact <a href="mailto:info@todaysvfw.org">info@todaysvfw.org</a>.</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the 2024 March issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:JDyhouse@vfw.org">Janie Dyhouse</a>, senior editor for VFW magazine.</em></p>{3920568D-32BB-4261-872F-EC56EB51A531}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/3/vets-helping-vetsVets Helping Vets<p>Members of VFW Post 6755 in Liberty, Pennsylvania, hosted a Suicide Awareness Brunch on Feb. 18 to help raise donations and awareness for a local nonprofit dedicated to helping veterans.</p> <p>In a joint partnership with This is My Quest: Veterans in the Wild, a local nonprofit created in 2022 to provide veterans of all ages with outdoor exposure therapy, the event served brunch to 85 people and helped raise more than $1,700 among other donated items.</p> <p>"All the money raised was for This is My Quest: Veterans in the Wild to help with their efforts to get veterans out in nature and talking," Post 6755 Commander Scott Mclaughlin said. "Whether it is at a VFW Post or out in nature, we believe just a simple conversation or gesture might make all of the difference for a fellow veteran."</p> <p>The idea for a suicide awareness brunch was presented to Post 6755 by one of their own, trustee Travis McConnell, who serves as the nonprofit's veterans outreach director. It was through McConnell that Post members jumped at the opportunity to raise awareness about an issue as important as the suicide numbers among their own.</p> <p>"Mr. McConnell is a Post trustee, so naturally, when he asked, the Post gladly provided him with the space and support he needed to host such a meaningful event for our local veteran community," Post Quartermaster James Reed said.</p> <p>During the brunch, the Post also received donations in the form of 30 blankets, 40 knitted hats, 100 pairs of socks, a few packs of T-shirts and 15 pairs of gloves. The donations will go toward veterans in need of clothing items and blankets to stay warm.</p> <p>Through their joint partnership, Post 6755 and This is My Quest: Veterans in the Wild plan to continue to raise awareness on behalf of veterans committing suicide at an alarming rate.</p> <p>For Reed, the "heart-stopping" number of veterans' suicides each year is something he believes all veterans feel deeply personal about. Events like the Post's recent Suicide Awareness Brunch provide a means toward opening discourse among those close to the edge.</p> <p>"With each obituary skirting around the cause of death, instant messages, phone calls or texts from battle buddies, it never gets any easier," Reed said. "Those lost in the shadows know that it takes another who has been down that dark path to lead them back out. Without these events and networking amongst each other, we will lose others to the darkness." </p> <div> </div>2024-03-12T13:31:20-05:00{395E1801-3807-4CCD-98CD-8C1C523E1850}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/3/a-gold-contributor-to-the-communityA 'Gold Contributor' to the Community<p>A VFW Post in the Land of 10,000 Lakes was recognized in February as a top contributor by donating to a new community athletic field.</p> <p>VFW Post 4086, located in Wabasha, Minnesota, donated $10,000 to a new athletic compound in its city. The donation gave Post 8046 the status as a "Gold Contributor" to the soon-to-be-built Wabasha Athletic Field.</p> <p>"Our donation was made possible through our Minnesota Charitable Gambling program," said Jim Mathias, Post 4086 commander. "The Post takes a great deal of pride in the Charitable Gambling program and our ability to donate to several non-profit and education programs in the Wabasha-Kellogg area."</p> <p>Leaders of Wabasha broke ground at the athletic complex in July. The project costs $2.1 million, according to a press release from the City of Wabasha. The 7.5-acre complex will include baseball and softball fields; a hockey and skating rink; and basketball, tennis and pickleball courts. The complex will be outdoors but be built to withstand the harsh weather conditions of Minnesota.</p> <p>"The new athletic complex location will address flooding of the old field location and improve safety by moving pedestrians and spectators away from the traffic coming off the Interstate Highway 60 bridge," said Mathias, a retired Navy and Persian Gulf War veteran.</p> <p>Mathias said that Post 4086 in late May will participate in the dedication ceremony for the new complex.</p> <p>"Wabasha is a community of approximately 2,500 residents," Mathias said. "Together with Kellogg, seven miles to the south, with a population of 425, our Post has a history of 'giving back' to the Wabasha-Kellogg community. By donating to the new Wabasha Athletic Complex, we can continue our legacy of 'giving back.' This was an exciting donation for us as the complex will serve many future generations."</p> <div> </div>2024-03-11T12:40:01-05:00{F1E2633E-2074-4279-A309-8534D2628F42}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/3/prison-inmates-donate-to-vfwPrison Inmates Donate to VFW<p>When VFW Post 7168 in Sanger, California, struggled financially five years ago, Jim Anderson found help in the unlikeliest of places.</p> <p>Anderson, who had transferred to Post 7168 to help it stay open, brought this up to a group of incarcerated veterans he sponsored and met with weekly at the Avenal State Prison in Avenal, California.</p> <p>"Since I started doing a little bit of counseling with them seven or eight years ago, I quickly learned they are a very strong group of veterans," said Anderson, a past Post 3225 commander and current Department of California District 9 quartermaster. "Despite what they have done in the past, they have been very committed to helping our veterans and the community where they can."</p> <p>On behalf of the Veterans Group of Avenal, the prisoners began raising funds for Post 7168 by collecting donations around the prison, as well as by having Post 7168 auction their artwork at golf tournaments open to the community.</p> <p>"They do their own fundraising activities within the prison, and quite often, they get the rest of the blocks to donate," Anderson said. "It requires the help of the officials within the prison, but they are good talkers and usually get that kind of support to allow them to fund-raise."</p> <p>They have since helped raise thousands of dollars for Post 7168 and its initiatives, which include Post grants for local veterans in need, as well as donations to the Fresno VA Medical Center in Fresno, California, homeless shelters in Fresno and Sanger, and overseas missionaries.</p> <p>Their most recent fundraiser was held on Sept. 22, when the prisoners helped raise $3,138.56 during a food sale at the prison's canteen, which they later presented to the Post in the form of a novelty check. They are allowed to do about two of these a year, according to Anderson.</p> <p>The Veterans Group of Avenal also makes cards throughout the year and presents them to Anderson for distribution to local veterans' hospitals, Blue Star mothers and others around the two communities.</p> <p>"The scope of who they touch is rather large for such a small group of veterans," Anderson said. "They are making a real difference, and they have done this type of work several times a year."</p> <p>Anderson says that Post 7168 shows its gratitude by donating art supplies and other equipment to the prison. He added that working with more than 200 incarcerated veterans at the prison has been personally fulfilling.</p> <p>"One of the most gratifying things I have done is work with this group of veterans over the years," Anderson said. "We have built a great relationship, and I have seen them time and again repent for what they did on the outside by committing themselves to serving others."</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the 2024 March issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:irodriguez@vfw.org">Ismael Rodriguez Jr.</a>, senior writer for VFW magazine.</em></p>{F43AA0EF-F193-4E29-AFE1-896775D88B0C}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/3/recognizing-womens-military-serviceRecognizing Women's Military Service<p>Members of VFW Post 1650 in Topeka, Kansas, honored four female members of the Kansas Air National Guard during its fifth annual Women in Military Service Recognition ceremony on Oct. 7.</p> <p>The ceremony recognized Kansas Air National Guardsmen Sarah Vargas, Olivia Parmentier, Tori Wilson and Rachael Parris, affording them a platform to talk about their military career, deployment experiences and the highs and lows of being a woman in the military.</p> <p>"We hold this event to recognize our women military members and their service to our nation," VFW Post 1650 member and event coordinator Angie Gray said. "Each service member has a unique story, and telling it sometimes helps with healing or opening doors for other veterans in the audience to share their stories of military life."</p> <p>Gray, who herself deployed to Iraq in 2007 with the 287th Sustainment Brigade out of Wichita, Kansas, coordinates the project each year by seeking women veterans open to speaking about their military experience.</p> <p>She does this by sending requests through the Post's social media channels, word-of-mouth and the Kansas National Guard Public Affairs office.</p> <p>Created by the Post to diversify and bring multiple generations of veterans together to tell their stories and bask in camaraderie, Gray added that events such as the Women in Military Service Recognition ceremonies provide a unique opportunity for the older Post members.</p> <p>"Ceremonies like these give an opportunity for our older veterans to give back to the younger generation by awarding or thanking them for their service," Gray said. "Many of our older veterans also participate in setting up for the event and participating in several roles needed to carry out the Women in Military Service Recognition Ceremony."</p> <p>The annual event also provides Post 1650 with opportunities to open its doors to the public and welcome those who stand to potentially lead VFW into the future. Along with other Post events held throughout the year, Gray believes the Women in Military Service Recognition Ceremony is as good as any event to help recruit new veterans.</p> <p>"It helps us showcase all the activities and events we have to offer veterans, as well as letting the local community know the VFW is open to the public," Gray said. "The goal is to bring in new veterans, young and old, male and female. It is our way of letting the next generation of veterans know that we are not your grandpa's VFW and that we have modernized our ways."</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the 2024 March issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:irodriguez@vfw.org">Ismael Rodriguez Jr</a>., senior writer for VFW magazine.</em></p>2024-03-08T07:30:20-06:00{F245F03F-686D-4ECC-8FE5-0676916E818D}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/3/extremely-grateful-for-women-vets-expo'Extremely Grateful' for Women Vets Expo<p>For several years, Candy Kuck has co-chaired the Veterans Stand Down in Fairbanks, Alaska. A Life member of VFW Post 10029 Auxiliary in North Pole, about 20 minutes from Fairbanks, Kuck had the idea to host an event specifically for female vets.</p> <p>March 9 will mark the second annual women veterans' expo sponsored by VFW Post 10029 and its Auxiliary.</p> <p>"This came to be after working at the Stand Down," Kuck said. "A female vet there told me that something really needed to be done just for women vets."</p> <p>For the first expo in March 2023, Kuck invited area Guard and active-duty women who are close to being discharged from the military. Post 10029 sits about halfway between Fort Wainwright and Eielson AFB. Additionally, the Alaska Army National Guard Readiness Center is just west of Fort Wainwright.</p> <p>"There also were older female veterans who wanted to just come out and hang out and talk with the younger ones," Kuck said. "There were Korea and Vietnam War veterans. We had 36 ladies show up, and the majority stayed all day."</p> <p>In addition to an acupuncturist and masseuse, the Fairbanks Rescue Mission participated in the expo. Kuck said the mission has a program specifically for homeless veterans. The Cohen Clinic attended as well, and offered free mental health services for women.</p> <p>"We made sure that the employees sent from each place were women so that our veterans would feel the most comfortable," Kuck said. "The only men there were the service officers."</p> <p>Kuck said that representatives of the Aging and Disability Resource Center came to pass out information. The center has staff specifically assigned to assist veterans.</p> <p>As she prepares for the second expo, Kuck said she is reflecting on the impact that last year's event made.</p> <p>"The ladies who showed up were extremely grateful," said Kuck, who has lived in Alaska since 2011 when her husband retired after 22 years in the Army infantry. "One woman in particular, she hugged me and cried as she told me she finally got the help she needed."</p> <p>Kuck said that while the expo provides an opportunity for female vets to bond for a few hours, it also allows the different providers to network with each other.</p> <p>The second annual women veterans' expo will feature door prizes, lunch and will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Kuck said that based on last year's numbers, she expects this year to have an even greater turnout.</p> <p>"I was worried no one would show up," Kuck said. "So when 36 ladies showed up, I was absolutely pumped. I was thrilled."</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the 2024 March issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a> and was written by <a href="mailto:JDyhouse@vfw.org">Janie Dyhouse</a>, senior editor for VFW magazine.</em></p>2024-03-04T08:57:44-06:00{B0837D78-4864-43E6-8009-92A834077047}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/2/rituals-are-important'Rituals are Important'<p>Mike Rogers joined the Army in 1968 right as he was about to be drafted for Vietnam.</p> <p>He first served from 1968-72 where he attended Infantry Officer Candidate School and airborne school. He then deployed to Vietnam as a rifle platoon leader in the 173rd Airborne Brigade. He served a second time from 1983-93 as a special forces soldier with assignments to Fort Bragg, Okinawa, Fort Lewis and Korea.</p> <p>He currently lives in Lake Placid, Florida, where he serves as the co-captain of VFW Post 4300's Honor Guard.</p> <p>"I have been a part of the Honor Guard for over five years now," he said. "We provide final military honors for deceased veterans in our country."</p> <p>Rogers, a VFW Life member, emphasizes that #StillServing in the Honor Guard is one of his most sacred duties.</p> <p>"Rituals are important. As an Honor Guard member is poised to present the folded triangle flag, the rifle line fires three volleys that signify duty, honor and country. Then the bugler sounds Taps," he said. "The deep emotions of the families during this moment are what compel all our Honor Guard members to do their best in honoring veterans. Their sacrifice will always be remembered."</p> <p>In addition to funeral services for veterans, the Honor Guard also interacts with the community on military holidays and other events like school activities, parades or celebrations at their local park.</p> <p>"We're also responsible for performing the correct way to dispose of a United States flag," Rogers said. "Several times a year hundreds of flags are brought to the VFW Post so we can retire them." </p> <p>Rogers says he is fortunate to live in a community that greatly supports their Honor Guard. "On more than one occasion we'll be at a diner and an unnamed benefactor will have prepaid the entire tab for the squad. We support one another around here." </p> <p>Emphasizing his compatriots' work, Rogers asked that all accolades come to their Honor Guard as a whole - rather than himself as an individual. "I am merely one of the members who supervises the duty that we perform. I couldn't do anything alone. We're a team," he said.</p> <div> </div>2024-02-26T13:04:49-06:00{CD8E4346-29DD-41C4-B2F7-75DA0C72A879}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/2/we-pride-ourselves-in-the-work-we-do'We Pride Ourselves in the Work We Do'<p>When Evan Tyler Cruz became active with VFW in 2022, the first thing he inspired in his fellow Post 904 members in Loomis, California, was to find new ways to serve veterans.</p> <p>A skilled arborist with experience in managing sick and fallen trees, Cruz joined Post 904 Senior Vice Commander and Service Officer Shawn Simmons in establishing two work parties that would deploy when needed by veterans around the county.</p> <p>Nestled between rural communities 30 miles to the northeast and Sacramento about 25 miles to the southwest, Post 904 members soon found themselves with many opportunities to serve veterans across Placer County, California.</p> <p>"It is very labor-intensive but just like when we were in the military, it has built strong bonds and camaraderie," said Simmons, an Air Force veteran with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. "We pride ourselves in the work we do and seeing the smiles and hearing the 'thank yous' that come from a job well done is of immeasurable satisfaction to us."</p> <p>The work parties vary based upon weather, intensity of the job, length of the job and availability. They are made up of five to eight VFW members organized by Simmons and often deploy with an assortment of equipment that includes wood splitters, dump trailers, quads, chains, ratchet straps, axes, ladders, weedeaters and chainsaws.</p> <p>"We use chainsaws to cut fallen trees and split the rounds into firewood for use by the veteran property owners," Simmons said. "In some cases, if the veteran doesn't need the firewood, we load it up and haul the firewood to other veterans who can use it during the winter."</p> <p>Throughout 2023, Post 904's work parties have assisted more than 25 veterans and removed more than 20 tons of lumber from their properties.</p> <p>They also have provided power chairs, downed trees, made dump runs, conducted lawn and house maintenance, repaired equipment and cleaned up trash at veterans' properties.</p> <p>"They are always amazed when we show up with our team," Simmons said. "California is notorious for people hustling people, so they are often surprised when we show up free of charge, in good spirits, and get it done."</p> <p>Simmons added that the Post hopes to continue providing service opportunities every week to 10 days, though the work "ebbs and flows" depending on the need.</p> <p>"We also try and keep in touch with those we help for further assistance," Simmons said. "Our goal is not just to provide a service but to build quality friendships that will hopefully last a lifetime."</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the 2023 February issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:irodriguez@vfw.org">Ismael Rodriguez Jr.</a>, senior writer for VFW magazine.</em></p>2024-02-21T07:01:40-06:00{CDF11C65-3635-4D6B-8A9A-C7D49868149B}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/2/let-us-take-the-lead'Let Us Take The Lead'<p>Despite inclement weather and frigid temperatures, more than 100 veterans attended the first-ever VFW Department of Missouri's District 5 "Veterans Helping Veterans."</p> <p>Held on the manicured lawn of the National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Mo., on Oct. 28, the event was hosted by District 5 to help connect local veterans with the VFW and other veterans service organizations in attendance.</p> <p>District 5 Commander Liz Jordan spearheaded the project after many encounters with veterans who expressed their lack of knowledge in the resources available at the VFW and elsewhere.</p> <p>"I got tired of hearing veterans come up to me and say they did not know where there was help or that we could do anything like this [event]," Jordan said. "There are so many fabulous organizations out there. We are the first and the oldest, so let us take the lead and work with these other organizations to help our fellow veterans."</p> <p>Jordan spent months coordinating with several veterans groups and organizations to set up booths to provide local veterans with information on what they do. Among those in attendance were the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA), Heroes on the Water, Wounded Warrior Family Support, Veterans Community Project and the VA.</p> <p>"There were unfortunately about 20 groups that backed out due to the freezing cold," Jordan said of the event, which ran from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. "But overall, the event did what we expected it to do."</p> <p>The VFW also provided its own resources in the form of booths with service officers willing to help any and all veterans who attended the event.</p> <p>"Commander Jordan did an amazing job coordinating with several veterans organizations and the Posts within her District to give local veterans PACT Act information, as well as helping them file VA claims," said Ed Stefanak, a national eligibility coordinator with VFW's national Membership Department.</p> <p>Stefanak, who represented the national VFW headquarters in Kansas City, joined Jordan in making the rounds throughout the event, helping spread the gospel of the VFW.</p> <p>"Events like these allow us to tell non-members what we do on Capitol Hill to expand benefits for veterans," Stefanak said. "It helps us share that all veterans, regardless of being eligible or not for the VFW, can have our veterans service officers help them file VA claims without paying a dime. It is our way of letting them know they have a friend here in the VFW."</p> <p>Jordan added that despite the weather having an effect on the turnout, the event provided a blueprint for future events. She is adamant about her District joining forces with more and more veterans groups and service organizations to provide help to veterans based on their individual needs.</p> <p>"We as the VFW do a lot of stuff for veterans, but sometimes what they need is something more personal, which working with other veterans organizations allows us to direct them to. Something that maybe we cannot do," Jordan said. "So, we can work with and partner with other organizations to host events and turn veterans in the right direction."</p> <p>The District 5 commander already has plans for 2024, which include growing upon "Veterans Helping Veterans." She is working on hosting two job fairs and the second "Veterans Helping Veterans" event, though the dates are tentative as of the publishing of this article.</p> <p>"We are hoping to partner with more groups to build a community of joining in to help our fellow veterans," Jordan said. "We are still serving, so let us show them what that really means."</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the February 2024 issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:irodriguez@vfw.org">Ismael Rodriguez Jr.</a>, senior writer for VFW magazine.</em></p>2024-02-20T07:34:38-06:00{719D53AB-2729-4FDA-8B16-906265F9F944}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/2/preserving-the-memory-of-long-islands-kias'Preserving the Memory' of Long Island's KIAs<p>Four VFW Posts on Long Island, New York, were selected this year to receive grants from the Suffolk County Grant Program. The grants are funded through the Suffolk County Veterans Marathon & Half Marathon, which just celebrated its eighth year.</p> <p>Lindenhurst Post 7279, Rocky Point Post 6249, Sayville Post 433 and Huntington Station Post 1469 each received a grant for the work the members do in the community.</p> <p>In Rocky Point, for example, Post members consistently give back to the community in a variety of ways. For instance, they support the Long Island State Veterans Home and provide a hand up to families who need it and make frequent visits to the area schools.</p> <p>Most recently, the Post celebrated the grand opening of its Suffolk County WWII and Military History Museum. Located in the former Rocky Point train depot across the street from the VFW Post, the museum aims to tell the stories of Long Island war veterans.</p> <p>VFW Post 6249 Commander Joe Cognitore said the museum helps fulfill the Post's mission of educating youth by introducing them to the wartime experiences of their local veterans.</p> <p>According to then-Suffolk County Veterans Services Director Tom Ronayne, more than $1 million has been raised over eight years and has directly benefited veterans' groups on Long Island.</p> <p>"We have raised $1.1 million since this all started," said Ronayne, a Navy veteran and Life member of VFW Post 1469. "Every nickel has gone back to the veterans' community, and we have done this with zero cost to the government."</p> <p>Ronayne said that organizations such as VFW Posts submit grant applications that are then reviewed by a committee. He noted that grants cannot be used to fund capital improvements. Instead, the committee selects those groups looking to better their communities by, for example, working on youth programs or hosting ward parties in hospitals and nursing homes or organizing coat drives.</p> <p>With more than 1.5 million residents, Suffolk County has more veterans than all of New York state's 62 counties. For that reason, Ronayne said the county works very hard to deliver the "highest level of service possible" to veterans and active-duty troops, as well as National Guard and Reserve troops.</p> <p>Ronayne added that former Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone made veterans a priority during his tenure. Bellone, an Army veteran, finished his 12-year term as county executive on Dec. 31.</p> <p>"Suffolk County is home to the largest population of veterans in New York state, and as such, we feel a strong obligation to provide them with the best services and support possible when they return home," Bellone said. "That is exactly what the Suffolk County Marathon is all about - raising money for local veterans' services. I am extremely proud that we were able to surpass our goal of raising $1 million to support our nation's heroes."</p> <p>Ronayne said that in addition to VFW Posts, the Veterans Yoga Project and Warrior Ranch are among the groups supported by the marathon's competitive grant program.</p> <p>"The race entirely pays for itself in addition to providing significant financial support to the community," Ronayne said.</p> <p> <strong>'A POWERFUL LEGACY'</strong><br /> The marathon grew out of the Veterans Race Series, which consists of nine other races that are "military or veteran centric" in Suffolk County.</p> <p>"Each race serves as an opportunity to provide information and awareness of both the services and resources available to veterans in Suffolk County," Ronayne said. "We have experienced significant growth in the participant numbers as the race series has expanded."</p> <p>On the marathon weekend, which is typically in October, a Family Fun Run and Freedom Fest also takes place. Veterans' employment counselors, the local VA, food merchants and live musicians turn out to make the Freedom Fest a success, according to Ronayne.</p> <p>"The marathon also features the Road of Remembrance," Ronayne said. "It is one mile of the race where we have photos of each of Suffolk County's KIAs. It is a solemn mile. There is no cheering or hydration stations."</p> <p>One of the races in the series is the Lt. Michael Murphy Run Around the Lake. Murphy was born and raised on Long Island, where he served as a lifeguard at Lake Ronkonkoma. After graduating from Penn State University, he joined the Navy SEALs.</p> <p>In June 2005, Murphy was killed in a firefight along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border during Operation Red Wings. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.</p> <p>Ronayne said over the years, the marathons and the race series have engaged the community in a new way, while also supporting veterans.</p> <p>"I love that this is such a powerful legacy issue," Ronayne said. "It preserves the memory of these men we have lost. Wouldn't it be awesome if some folks reading this would replicate this model?"</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the 2024 February issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:JDyhouse@vfw.org">Janie Dyhouse</a>, senior editor for VFW magazine.</em></p>2024-02-19T14:34:07-06:00{20AEF2C5-26CD-4248-B861-555809DAF6A4}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/2/instead-of-sheep-a-soldiers-way-of-explaining-ptsd-to-his-sonInstead of Sheep: A Soldier's Way of Explaining PTSD to his Son<p>With the weight of his son on his shoulders, Mathius Carter walked down to the hockey rink inside a crowded Allstate Arena for the Chicago Wolves' opening ceremony on Military Appreciation Night in March 2022.</p> <p>The Wolves' staff had told him it was a spectacle, selling his 5-year-old son on the idea of a great time.</p> <p>When the loud and sporadic sounds of fireworks began, like gun blasts that crackled and fizzled, Carter felt it coming on. He braced himself, the weight of his son on his shoulders.</p> <p>"It was the worst panic attack I had had in years," said Carter, an Army veteran who deployed with the 32nd Signal Bn., 3rd Inf. Div. to Iraq in 2003. "I sensed it could be triggering, but my son asked me to stay. I am a father first, so I gutted it out and paid the price."</p> <p>After the pyrotechnics display, Carter walked back with his son to a booth his employer had set up at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. As an outreach coordinator for Road Home Program at Rush, a Chicago-based mental health clinic for veterans, Carter often felt the need to hide his own inner battles to help others.</p> <p>"That night was different," said Carter, the commander of VFW Post 12014 in Crystal Lake, Illinois, as well as a senior vice commander for the Department of Illinois' District 5. "One of my co-workers manning the booth with me asked if I was all right, and I remember telling her I was definitely not OK. It was hard for me to admit because how am I supposed to help people if I myself need help?"</p> <p>The Iraq War veteran, who suffered two traumatic brain injuries after a mortar attack on his truck in 2003, had started his quest to help veterans in 2020 as a case manager at Veterans Path to Hope, a nonprofit in Crystal Lake.</p> <p>"It was there that I began to realize the long-term cost of war," said Carter, who left the service in 2005. "When three veterans in my caseload and a good friend from Iraq all committed suicide, I realized that I, too, was not OK mentally."</p> <p>Contemplating his own demise toward the end of 2021, Carter sought help in a hurry, and the only place that provided the timely relief was Road Home.</p> <p>"I reached out for help and found a lifeline with the Road Home Program," Carter said. "They got me out of a dark place, so when a job opportunity opened up there, I signed on as an outreach coordinator."</p> <p>Then two weeks later, Carter suffered the panic attack at the Chicago Wolves' hockey game.</p> <p><strong>'WE KNEW WHAT WE WANTED TO SAY'</strong><br /> Following the panic attack, Carter scheduled an appointment with his clinician the next day and told him about the episode he had suffered in detail. The clinician listened to him confess he never wanted his son to see him struggle with his emotions.</p> <p>"I told my therapist I always hid them," Carter said. "Then my therapist made a face and suggested I needed to figure out an age-appropriate way to teach my son what I was going through."</p> <p>Carter took the advice from his clinician and delved into online research on ways to do so. There were no age-appropriate books, according to Carter, that captured his exact mood when going through a PTSD attack.</p> <p>"When I am going through an episode, I am somewhere else," Carter said. "I am vacant and quiet and sad, and it is not at all how I am normally. So I had to try and find a way to explain this to my son."</p> <p>The epiphany crept in in the form of a children's book. To do this, Carter's first resource was his longtime friend, Nick Atchison, a gifted illustrator and Iraq War veteran who served with Carter in the same unit and has five children himself.</p> <p>"He loved the idea," Carter said. "We knew what we wanted to say and that is how we wrote and illustrated it. We consider it a tool for Army dads like us to talk about PTSD to little ones who don't always understand what is going on."</p> <p>Carter and Atchison self-published "Instead of Sheep: A Soldier's Way of Explaining PTSD to his Son" on Nov. 8, 2022, and the book has since garnered 4.9 stars on Amazon, as well as more than 20 positive reviews.</p> <p>"I have gotten feedback from people I know who have not had a way to have that conversation with their children on what they went through and how they feel," Carter said. "But we have also received feedback from people who were not in the military and who are not fathers. It has allowed them to see what we go through as well."</p> <p><strong>'I REALIZED I WANTED TO BE HERE'</strong><br /> For Carter, however, the challenges brought on by 2022 had not ended.</p> <p>On Dec. 28 that year, the Iraq War veteran was once again tested. This time, the feeling that gripped him was not panic but a heart attack.</p> <p>"I know this might sound strange, but I was in a way glad that I had a heart attack," Carter said. "Being a man, a veteran and parent, those are all groups of people that care about other people but not always take care of themselves. I realized then that I wanted to be here, wanted more time to continue to do my work in helping other people but also myself."</p> <p>Since the heart attack, Carter has doubled down on his health as much as he has on his two commitments to family and veterans.</p> <p>A recently appointed VFW National Aide-de-Camp, Carter continues to carry his newfound outlook on life with him throughout outreach missions with Road Home, as well as his duties as a VFW officer and published author.</p> <p>Over the past year, Carter has conducted public readings of "Instead of Sheep: A Soldier's Way of Explaining PTSD to his Son" at the Pritzker Military Museum & Library in Chicago, as well as the Kohl Children's Museum in Glenview, Illinois.</p> <p>The children's book author and his partner, Atchison, have also begun working on the next iteration of "Instead of Sheep," which they see as a potential series.</p> <p>"For our second book, we are aging up the characters to target older kids, between six to 12-year-olds," Carter said. "We will talk about moral injury and survivor's guilt and things that might be a little heavier than what we shared in the first book."</p> <p>The second iteration of "Instead of Sheep," according to Carter, is slated to be published later this year. For more information on the book, visit <a href="https://insteadofsheep.net" target="_blank">https://insteadofsheep.net</a>.</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the 2024 February issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:irodriguez@vfw.org">Ismael Rodriguez Jr.</a>, senior writer for VFW magazine.</em></p>2024-02-19T08:00:49-06:00{E9C44DBA-2C40-45F9-9194-CDCF6B364DFD}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/embedded-in-the-community'Embedded' in the Community<p>A VFW in the Rust Belt donated $20,000 to local fire and police departments earlier this year.</p> <p>VFW Post 3343 in Clyde, Ohio, gave the Clyde Fire and Police departments $10,000 each, which will be used for much-needed equipment for the first responders.</p> <p>VFW Post 3343 Commander Brian Moore said it is important for the Post to support the department because they are a part of the community.</p> <p>"It's just one way for us to give back," said Moore, an Air Force veteran. "We lost our Post to a fire 13 years ago, so we want to do everything we can to help."</p> <p>The Fremont News-Messenger, based in Fremont, Ohio, reported that Clyde Police Chief Monti Campbell said the donations "came at the right time" for a new "recorders management system for the department." Campbell said the new system will bring them "up to date" and allow the department to be on the same system as neighboring law enforcement agencies.</p> <p>The Fremont News-Messenger also reported that Clyde Fire Chief Paul Fiser said the donation will be used for purchasing equipment for a fire station in the town. The department also will put funds towards body cameras and protective vests.</p> <p>Moore said that since Jan. 1, 2023, the Post has donated $158,799 to the community. Included in the amount is the Posts donation of $10,000 to the Big Nut Scholarship fund for those who attend Ohio State University.</p> <p>"We are very embedded in our community," said Moore, who served in South Korea in 1988. "I believe we are what a VFW Post needs to be."</p> <div> </div>2024-01-23T16:03:32-06:00{D7217C7D-6D4F-46DC-A77F-0037EBA7E571}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/1/we-just-wanted-to-give-back'We Just Wanted to Give Back'<p>Vietnam veteran Tony Blount remembers when he and his late wife, Amy, went through hard times when they were younger. The couple - both of whom were 100 percent disabled veterans - had to utilize food banks to make ends meet.</p> <p>When the duo had the opportunity to give back, they formed West Plains Angels out of Cheney, Washington, to help other veterans, schools, food banks and other groups.</p> <p>"We just wanted to give back," said Blount, junior vice commander of VFW Post 11326 in Cheney. "We were finally in a position to give back, so we did."</p> <p>Earlier this year, Blount started a mobile pet pantry. He travels to the various food banks in surrounding communities on food distribution days to give out pet supplies to those with furry companions at home.</p> <p>With the help of his fellow VFW members donating their time to distribute pet food among other items, Blount has donated 2,500 pounds of pet food and nearly $2,000 in leashes and harnesses. He gives pets toys, too.</p> <p>"This pet pantry has been deeply well-received," Blount said. "So many of the people going out to these pantries cannot afford to buy pet food. But oftentimes, their pets are their only source of companionship. I find it curious that the more we gift and give, the more we receive."</p> <p>Blount said he is not much into computers or tweeting or texting. Instead, his focus is to "compound the good," which just happens to be the motto of West Plains Angels.</p> <p>"My wife of 50 years died two years ago," Blount said. "I do this in memory of my most beloved wife, Amy. The day I met her at Travis Air Force Base, she wrote in her diary, 'Today I met the boy I am going to marry.'"</p> <p>VFW Post 11326 Commander Rick Mattausch describes Blount as "dynamic." Mattausch and his wife have both volunteered their time at the mobile pet pantry.</p> <p>"Tony is kind of a saint, really," Mattausch said. "He's always working to help the people of the community."</p> <p>The Post gives Blount Buddy Poppies, which he distributes when giving away pet supplies. Mattausch said he's pretty sure Blount has distributed more Poppies than anyone else in their VFW District. He also accepts donations on behalf of the VFW.</p> <p>"The work he is doing is important," Mattausch said. "He is helping people who are having a hard time making ends meet and preventing them from having to give away their pets. It is not often you meet someone like Tony."</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the January 2024 issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:JDyhouse@vfw.org">Janie Dyhouse</a>, senior editor for VFW magazine.</em></p>2024-01-18T09:00:25-06:00{53434A0C-105D-49ED-9276-83BCE3B74FC0}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/1/the-real-closure-was-that-it-answered-questions'The Real Closure Was That it Answered Questions'<p>Tillie Bobby and her family spent 80 years piecing together the vague details around her uncle's death during World War II, clinging to a citation that simply stated he was killed at sea. But in 2022, while browsing the Find a Grave database online, Bobby and her husband, Roger, of Port Sanilac, Michigan, discovered a link between Tillie's uncle's death and the British troopship HMT Rohna.</p> <p>"We got married 53 years ago, and I had just thought her uncle, Ralph, died at sea by having his plane shot down or something," said Roger, a VFW Post 8872 commander in their hometown of Port Sanilac. "Finding out that he was on the HMT Rohna led us to finding The Rohna Survivors Memorial Association and learning about the cause of his death."</p> <p>Pvt. Ralph Sitter was born on July 7, 1909, in Strasburg, North Dakota, and later moved to Washington state for work before joining the Army Air Force. He was among the 793 Air Corps 853rd Engineer Aviation Battalion servicemen aboard the Rohna on Nov. 26, 1943, when a German aircraft sank the vessel off the coast of Algeria in the Mediterranean Sea.</p> <p>At the time, the U.S. War Department had withheld details from the public due to the then-new radio-guided bombs used in the attack, according to details the Bobbys found on the Rohna Survivors Memorial Association website. Believed to be the largest loss of Army servicemen at sea in a single attack, it killed 1,015 of the 2,000 Army Air Corps servicemen aboard that day.</p> <p>When Congress publicly recognized the sinking of the Rohna in October 2000, the families of the deceased had been kept in the dark for decades and even the survivors, who had been held to secrecy, struggled to prove the event had taken place.</p> <p>"Little is known about the Rohna in the public consciousness as a result, and it is something that does not get talked about or taught in schools," Roger said. "It was such a huge loss of American lives, and the fact is that the families did not know what happened for more than 50 years. Some family members went to the grave not knowing what happened to their loved ones."</p> <p>To do right by her uncle after discovering the details of his death, the Bobbys requested an official VA-issued marker in June 2022. But since Sitter had had a stone on a family plot in a Strasburg cemetery, the VA denied the request that August.</p> <p>"The regulations are that if the deceased died before 1990 and there is a marker of some sort, the VA would deny it," Roger said. "So we just went ahead and had our own marker made to look like the VA-issued marker, with the same dimensions, and added 'HMT Rohna casualty.'"</p> <p>The Bobbys then orchestrated a VFW-style funeral ceremony to honor Sitter and others who perished aboard the Rohna on Nov. 26, 1943. They traveled from Port Sanilac to Strasburg and held the ceremony on July 1 at the Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery in Strasburg, where Tillie's parents and grandparents also are buried.</p> <p>The ceremony was conducted by an honor guard from the North Dakota National Guard, and more than 70 guests attended the event, which included VFW Posts in North Dakota whose members sat among Tillie's family to honor Sitter and others who lost their lives on the Rohna.</p> <p>"My wife is the youngest of 16 children, and her mother was Ralph's sister," Roger said. "Aside from the nice ceremony we were able to give him, the real closure was that it answered a lot of questions about Uncle Ralph for my wife and her siblings. They got to uncover what the citation really meant when it said, 'killed at sea.'"</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the January 2024 issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:irodriguez@vfw.org">Ismael Rodriguez Jr.</a>, senior writer for VFW magazine.</em></p>2024-01-17T08:51:47-06:00{853193EF-7401-488D-A13F-696C5908775D}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/1/honoring-the-departedHonoring the Departed<p>Members of VFW Post 10380 in Green Township, Ohio, partnered with Wreaths Across America to lay 500 wreaths in a ceremony at their local Bridgetown Cemetery on Dec. 16.</p> <p>Led by location coordinator Bill Ostermeyer, Post 10380 welcomed more than 70 guests to their ceremony at Bridgetown Cemetery, where they laid 500 wreaths on the graves of local veterans from a slew of wars and conflicts dating as far back as the Civil War.</p> <p>"The VFW believes in honoring all those who have served before us, and that is something we at Post 10380 take pride in doing," Ostermeyer said. "I would add, as a member of the VFW Honor Guard, that we participate in funerals where you realize a lot of these graves have not been visited in 100 or more years, so it is nice to do things like this."</p> <p>Ostermeyer added his Post partnered with Wreaths Across America following a touching ceremony he and his wife attended at Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio, renowned for being the third largest cemetery in the country.</p> <p>"It was hosted by Daughters of America, and I remember thinking 'this is something we should be doing for our local cemetery,'" Ostermeyer said.</p> <p>Ostermeyer assumed the role of location coordinator and worked closely with Wreaths Across America, joining Post members in honoring 250 veteran graves at a section of Bridgetown Cemetery in December 2022.</p> <p>"We purchased 250 wreaths our first year because we were unsure how many veterans were buried there," Ostermeyer said. "But when we went out before the ceremony and identified the veterans' graves, we found out we were way short."</p> <p>Motivated to honor all veterans at Bridgetown Cemetery last year, Ostermeyer purchased 500 wreaths for the ceremony on Dec. 16.</p> <p>Last year, the Post also welcomed a volunteer fourth-grade class from nearby St. Aloysius Gonzaga School two days before the ceremony to help them identify the graves of veterans at Bridgetown Cemetery in accordance with VFW's longtime beliefs.</p> <p>"Remember, honor and teaching are things the VFW aspires to do," Ostermeyer said. "What better way to do that than this. Many of the kids even took notes on the headstones they found, and some helped us clean those headstones."</p> <p>On the day of the ceremony, Ostermeyer surprised the guests by hosting several Gold Star family members whom he tasked with the honor of placing one of the eight ceremonial wreaths that represent each branch of service.</p> <p>"Placing the ceremonial wreaths is important to me," Ostermeyer said. "We had the family of Marine Sgt. David Kreuter of Cincinnati, who was killed in Iraq, do us the honor of placing the wreath for the Marine Corps this year. I think having that element adds to the ceremony."</p> <p>For December 2024, Ostermeyer and Post 10380 have already placed an order for 650 wreaths, hoping to lay one by all the veterans graves at Bridgetown Cemetery.</p>2024-01-16T11:03:58-06:00{2DC79412-B125-4AED-B212-67233F0183CE}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/1/our-goal-is-to-continue-to-positively-show-up'Our Goal Is to Continue to Positively Show Up'<p>For the past nine years, VFW Post 311's emphasis on higher education has led to more than $30,000 in scholarships awarded to high school seniors with family ties to veterans in Richton Park, Illinois.</p> <p>What began in August 2014 with three $1,000 scholarships, the Benjamin O. Davis Post 311 Commander's Scholarship program has since awarded up to six $1,000 scholarships a year to more than 30 recipients.</p> <p>"It's our way of giving back to the descendants of veterans and helping our future leaders," VFW Post 311 Commander Aretha Spurlock said. "We want to show the community and our young adults that we are still here serving in a positive way. Maybe this inspires them to go on and join the military, or maybe it leads them to support veterans in some capacity."</p> <p>The applicants each year are screened by the Post's scholarship committee, which includes past and current educators and professionals, to ensure they meet the primary requirements to compete. They are then judged on academic transcripts, community involvement and letters of recommendation from high school and community leaders.</p> <p>Akin to VFW's national Voice of Democracy contest, Post 311's scholarship committee also assigns an annual essay theme for participants.</p> <p>"The students are graduating seniors, and they are asked as a part of their applications to write an essay with the theme being a topic of Americanism or democracy," VFW Post 311 Quartermaster Arnold Taylor said. "We then review and score their essays and evaluate their personal interviews with the committee."</p> <p>As is customary, the 2023 recipients were announced on July 10 during Post 311's "Commander's Ball," where the winners read their respective essays to a crowd of VFW members and guests.</p> <p>The 2023 winners included local seniors Arthur Levi McFadden III and Myia Williams. McFadden, a graduate of Crete-Monee High School in Crete, Illinois, started this fall at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, while Williams, a Thornwood High School graduate in South Holland, Illinois, is attending Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans.</p> <p>Post 311 members have already begun fundraising for the 2024 Benjamin O. Davis Post 311 Commander's Scholarship contest, which opens in April to participants.</p> <p>"The VFW states that the true character of America is measured by her communities and the people who work to improve them," Spurlock said. "We are a VSO that not only supports veterans, but we support the entire veteran family and dependents. Our goal is to continue to positively show up."</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the January 2024 issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:irodriguez@vfw.org">Ismael Rodriguez Jr.</a>, senior writer for VFW magazine.</em></p>2024-01-12T14:02:59-06:00{C9FDD20A-8AB3-4BD6-BD3D-0E7594175884}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2024/1/i-have-my-dream-job'I Have My Dream Job'<p>Growing up in the small community of Cape May, New Jersey, Gabrielle Masterson had a fascination with outer space. More focused on the arts and less on math and science, Masterson would paint pictures of space and the planets.</p> <p>"I found space amazing and terrifying at the same time," Masterson said.</p> <p>During her junior and senior years of high school, Masterson began taking advanced placement math and science classes.</p> <p>She had a goal of going to college to study physics after she graduated high school in 2018. Getting there, she knew, was not going to be easy with the cost of college tuition.</p> <p>Masterson said her guidance counselor spoke to her about multiple awards and scholarships for which she could apply. One of those was the Citizenship Award sponsored by Cape May's VFW Post 386.</p> <p>She wrote an essay describing how one day she hoped to work for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Masterson's essay was selected, and she earned a $500 award to help her get started at the University of Kentucky.</p> <p>After a year of studying physics, Masterson changed her major to computer engineering with a double minor in physics and computer science. She had graduate school on her radar after graduation in the spring of 2022.</p> <p>"Just for fun, I decided to apply to NASA," Masterson said. "I was hired and started in June."</p> <p>Masterson is a CRONUS flight controller at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. There, she coordinates communication between the space station and mission control. One of her areas of focus is monitoring video and audio messages.</p> <p>"Getting out of my comfort zone communication-wise has been the most challenging aspect, but also the most rewarding," Masterson said. "Growing up, I was a very shy person. Public speaking was the most difficult part of high school for me."</p> <p>Masterson said she loves the diversity and hustle and bustle of life in Houston, which is worlds away from her hometown seaside community of less than 3,000 people.</p> <p>She said she has not and will not forget the kindness of those who helped her fulfill her lifelong goals. To that end, Masterson sent a postcard to the Cape May VFW to thank the members for the award they gave her.</p> <p>"I knew that college was going to be hard on my own, even with my family helping me as much as they could," Masterson said. "I worked so hard applying for different scholarships. I was so grateful for each scholarship no matter the amount."</p> <p>According to VFW Post 386 Life member Andy Barber, the members were excited to see the postcard from Masterson arrive. Along with a photo provided by her parents, the postcard is framed and hangs inside the Post.</p> <p>"You would have thought we gave her $1 million," Barber said. "This postcard is so touching. It is great she reached out after the fact for such a small amount. This girl is such a special person."</p> <p>Barber said that the Post has given out up to $12,000 in scholarships to the three schools in the Cape May area. The Veterans Home Association runs the Post canteen, which, Barber added, assists in providing the funds for scholarships.</p> <p>The Post, which counts 215 members, relies on the schools' guidance counselors when it comes to naming recipients.</p> <p>"We have faith in the guidance counselors," Barber said. "They are familiar with the students' volunteer and community service work in addition to their grades."</p> <p>Barber added that the Post has sent VFW items to Masterson and let her know she is welcome to come to the Post any time she is back home in New Jersey.</p> <p>"They had a piece in my journey of me getting to where I am," Masterson said. "I have my dream job, and I will always be grateful to them."</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the January 2024 issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:JDyhouse@vfw.org">Janie Dyhouse</a>, senior editor for VFW magazine.</em></p>2024-01-12T14:02:58-06:00{B2D5D03D-49B4-4EDD-AE28-7D01E97E04D3}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/12/we-know-how-to-do-this'We Know How to Do This'<p>Since the VFW's inception nearly 125 years ago, its members' pursuance to help communities ravaged by natural disasters remains undeterred.</p> <p>Under the VFW mantle, veterans from across the country annually carry out missions to combat the harsh aftermath of floods, wildfires, typhoons or hurricanes ravaging communities.</p> <p>Most recently, in early August, when wildfires ravaged portions of Maui in the Hawaiian Islands, VFW members worked together to provide relief. Especially impacted by the fires was Lahaina, once the capital of Hawaii.</p> <p>VFW Post 3850 on Maui quickly mobilized as a distribution point for community members.</p> <p>Post 3850 Commander Alton Sanders said the VFW team of volunteers has done everything they know to do to help, including offering a caring shoulder.</p> <p>Sanders noted one veteran who got in touch with the Post for assistance. The vet had lost his wife in the fire and was still in shock. In planning her funeral, he realized he had nothing to wear to her funeral. Sanders made sure he had what he needed. Most importantly, Sanders said, was just "being there" for the veteran to talk about his wife.</p> <p>"Some of these stories are mind-blowing," Sanders said. "It is like a war zone here with no bullets."</p> <p>VFW volunteers have partnered with the local Sea Cadets and their parents in picking up 14-15 pallets of supplies, which are delivered to the Post and inventoried.</p> <p>Then, when people come to the Post home or call, volunteers will know if they have what is needed.</p> <p>"We are trying to keep this organized because this is going to be a long haul," Sanders said. "If someone is unable to find a ride to the Post to pick up supplies, one of us delivers to wherever they are staying."</p> <p>Being on the opposite side of the island from where the fires spread, Post 3850 was unscathed. However, one of the Post members living in Lahaina lost everything in the fire, according to Sanders.</p> <p>"Lahaina is the heart of the island," Sanders said. "It is devastating the way he went up in flames. I have visited 49 of the 50 states, and I have never seen a community come together like Maui has."</p> <p>Here is a look back at some disaster relief endeavors performed by VFW members over the past couple of years.</p> <p><strong>'NO BOUNDARIES' WHEN IT COMES TO SERVING</strong><br /> On Dec. 10, 2021, a tornado ripped through multiple towns in Kentucky, killing 57 people and injuring hundreds more. As VFW members do, they quickly organized efforts to help those affected.</p> <p>A relentless network of VFW Post members in Kentucky answered the call to action, quickly creating fundraising efforts, food and supply storage as well as driving in and out of the areas hit hardest to provide such relief.</p> <p>VFW Post 1170 in Louisville, Kentucky, organized to gather and transport supplies to Bowling Green, one of the communities in the path of destruction.</p> <p>"I drove a truck down as Post and Auxiliary members would load the other truck," then-VFW Post 1170 Commander Calvin Shaak Jr. said. "So I was able to jump into the now full truck and go again."</p> <p>Shaak worked closely with then-VFW Post 1298 Commander Glenn Skaggs in Bowling Green.</p> <p>"Glenn set up his Post as a distribution point, working around the clock to ensure people who needed anything could get it," Shaak said. "He worked tirelessly, receiving, unloading and coordinating to get added help and storage containers as support was coming in quicker than he could get it out at first. He also worked with local government offices to get supplies to people in need."</p> <p>This network of Posts answered the call to action once again when an unfortunate cycle of flash flooding happened between late July and early August 2022.</p> <p>"We are not only here for veterans, but to serve the community in their time of need," then-VFW Department of Kentucky Commander Nathan Sesco said at the time. "Commander Ryan Buchanan with VFW Post 6291 helped bring in supplies, and I know Post 5829 Quartermaster Tony Adams and Kentucky State Police trooper Jay Perkins from Post 1178 in Harlan were in the water on boats and rescued more than 20 people in Whitesburg."</p> <p>In the days following the December 2021 tornado in Kentucky, the Department of Michigan raised and donated $17,000, as well as two semitrucks and three trailer loads of emergency supplies worth about $500,000.</p> <p>A few months later, then-Department of Michigan Commander Kevin Conklin attended the Department of Kentucky's Mid-Winter Conference to present more donations from Michigan Posts, which totaled more than $18,000.</p> <p>This effort was spearheaded by VFW Post 1138 in Monroe, Michigan, with the backing of Conklin and other Department of Michigan officers who traveled to Kentucky with the supplies.</p> <p>"It's all one organization regardless of geography," Conklin said. "There are no boundaries for a veteran to serve another veteran."</p> <p><strong>'WE TAKE CARE OF OUR NEIGHBORS'</strong><br /> When Hurricane Ida struck the Louisiana coastline in August 2021, causing the most widespread damage to the state since the infamous Hurricane Katrina in 2005, several VFW Posts from across the state provided a local lifeline for many.</p> <p>In New Orleans, then-VFW Post 8973 Commander Chris Cox prepared for the worst, anticipating his Post would serve as an anchor of hope for fellow Louisianans once the hurricane passed.</p> <p>"Down here in Louisiana, we take care of our neighbors," said Cox, a retired Marine Corps master sergeant with more than 20 years in the service.</p> <p>"It's not about being the hero of the neighborhood. It's a matter of caring for each other."</p> <p>Through word of mouth and Cox's connections within the community, the Post secured ample donations from residents and restaurants. Among the donations were freezers, refrigerators, food and supplies.</p> <p>"We were taking whatever we got and turning it into meals," Cox said. "For anyone passing by, work crews, tired residents cleaning up their damaged homes, we were there. For many, this was the first hot meal they had in days."</p> <p>For multiple days, Post members served lunch and dinner, distributing more than 1,800 meals to those in need. The Post also secured more than $25,000 worth of food, fuel, dry goods, baby food and sanitary supplies, which they distributed throughout the areas outside of New Orleans hardest hit by Hurricane Ida.</p> <p>"Disasters like this are a very familiar environment to veterans," Cox added. "Lots of us have provided humanitarian relief in the Middle East, Haiti and other places, so we know how to do this."</p> <p>Like the efforts in New Orleans, Post 7286 in Covington, Louisiana, opened its doors to locals in need of food, water, electricity and shelter for those needing a place to rest.</p> <p>"Our doors were open 24 hours a day, seven days a week," said Post 7286 Commander Michael Henry. "We wanted to let our community know that they were not in this fight alone. We got your back."</p> <p>In West St. Charles, Louisiana, VFW Post 3750 was severely damaged but was still up and running as a community distribution location. With donated food, Post members also prepared meals for first responders, out-of-town linemen and residents. Louisiana's District 5 also donated supplies to the Post to aid in relief efforts.</p> <p><strong>VFW POST SERVES AS EMERGENCY SHELTER</strong><br /> It is through word of mouth and a reputation for serving their community that members of VFW Post 2290 in Manville, New Jersey, were called upon in the wake of severe flooding and fires.</p> <p>Although Hurricane Ida made landfall near the Gulf of Mexico, the remnants of the hurricane reached Manville, about 40 miles southwest of Newark, New Jersey, where floodwaters led to gas-fed fires and left many areas unreachable.</p> <p>In desperate need of help, the Manville Off ice of Emergency Management and the Red Cross called on Post 2290 to serve as a distribution<br /> center and later an emergency shelter for those in need of a place to rest.</p> <p>"Because of the location of the Post, which is above the area that normally floods and the large size of our building, it makes us an ideal distribution center," said then-Post 2290 Commander Andy Henkel. "More importantly, we follow the motto 'No One Does More.' "</p> <p>Between Sept. 1 and Sept. 5, the Post received an overwhelming amount of donations ranging from clothing, food, and water to infant supplies and cleaning materials. With distribution help from its members, Auxiliary and other local volunteers, the Post provided two meals daily and at one point harbored more than 340 people in need of a place to sleep.</p> <p>"In the almost 90 years of our existence, we have been fortunate to be in a position to assist those who have suffered major disasters," Henkel added.</p> <p>"In our most recent past, I can remember Hurricane Floyd, Irene and Sandy. We were open for various numbers of days and housed and fed comparable numbers of residents. So for us, this is normal, though unfortunate."</p> <p><strong>VETERANS 'CONTINUE TO SERVE'</strong><br /> When an EF-3-rated tornado devastated the Nashville, Tennessee, area and killed at least 25 people in the early morning hours of March 3, 2020, VFW Post 1970 in West Nashville immediately started disaster relief efforts.</p> <p>"We got the word out to receive donations on social media and by contacting Nashville media outlets," then-Post 1970 Commander John Lambert said. "We received many donations. Most of them came from people who said they heard about our efforts from the TV and radio stations."</p> <p>Lambert said his Post was able to quickly organize because of social media outlets.</p> <p>"I would say that the best way to communicate information to the public during a disaster is through social media," he said. "It's a media source that you can control, and people can spread the word for you. It's the easiest way to quickly get the word out to a large amount of people."</p> <p>Lambert said there were about 25 volunteers from the VFW Department of Tennessee; the Department's Districts 6 and 7; Post 6022 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama; and other organizations.</p> <p>Donnie Nelson, then-commander of Post 6022, said that when he learned about the Nashville tornado, he wanted to help with any VFW-led relief efforts.</p> <p>"Our mission at VFW is to help veterans, and that is what we strive to do," Nelson said. "As veterans, it helps us to continue to serve."</p> <p>These stories exemplify how time and again VFW members rally against danger to protect, care for and lend a hand to those in need. As recorded in an American Report by the Corporation for National and Community Service, veterans are 25 percent more likely to volunteer, 17 percent more likely to make a monetary donation and 30 percent more likely to participate in local organizations than civilians without military experience. At the VFW, that spirit is alive and well.</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the November/December 2023 issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:jdyhouse@vfw.org">Janie Dyhouse</a>, senior editor for VFW magazine.</em></p>{E1553AC8-CF87-4EA0-BF29-BF5190F45070}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/11/vfws-day-of-service-sees-increase-in-participating-postsVFW's Day of Service Sees Increase in Participating Posts<p>VFW members around the world delved into VFW's second annual Day of Service this year, an initiative to engage veterans, service members and local advocates in a widespread attempt to make a meaningful impact in their communities.</p> <p>This year's Day of Service built on the success of its inaugural event last year, growing its total number of grassroots events by more than 20 percent. VFW Posts in all 50 states, as well as those in Europe, Guam, the Philippines, Mexico and Puerto Rico, participated.</p> <p>The results of this year's Day of Service stemmed from a decision by VFW to expand and begin outreach months earlier. VFW National Headquarters alerted members with information in VFW magazine and through a robust social media campaign.</p> <p>With the Day of Service hashtag used more than 3.3 million times across social and traditional media, the gospel of what VFW does in and around their communities spread universally, as more than 700 Posts around the world participated.</p> <p>The following are a few examples of VFW Posts whose work was praised on local TV, in newspapers and on social media platforms for their extensive work in and around their communities on VFW's 2023 Day of Service.</p> <p><strong>'WE HAD A LOT OF SUPPORT'</strong><br /> Members of All-American VFW Post 9167 in Princeton, Texas, led several service projects that targeted their community throughout VFW's Day of Service on May 6.</p> <p>Post 9167 garnered more than 72 volunteers and 31 additional supporters in a widespread effort to serve and enhance their community.</p> <p>"We had a lot of support to make this happen," then-VFW Post 9167 Commander Preston Callaway said. "We received help from churches, city, chamber, schools and other groups in town. The mayor and city council and chamber of commerce all were glad to be a part of it."</p> <p>VFW members carried out several beautification projects that included repairing and polishing headstones at Princeton Cemetery and cleaning the town's Veterans Memorial Park.</p> <p>They also joined the Princeton Fire Department in brush clearing to protect neighborhoods from grass fires, as well as joining local nonprofit chapters to build homes with Habitat for Humanity and deliver meals through Meals on Wheels America.</p> <p>"We all split up into groups and worked together with each project by having a VFW Post 9167 member in each group to be the point of contact," Callaway said. "Everyone bought in and helped where they could."</p> <p>In conducting their Day of Service, Post 9167 members enlisted help from the local JROTC and Scout troops to pass down mentorship and ideals in what it means to serve one's country and community.</p> <p>The Post also partnered with the local First Baptist Church to use its facility for free health screenings and a blood drive that garnered 21 pints of blood. The Post also provided career resources through the Texas Workforce Commission and free haircuts through VFW's partnership with Sports Clips.</p> <p>"I was deeply grateful for all the community members who came out to help," Callaway said. "I already look forward to next year."</p> <p><strong>BEDS FOR NEEDY CHILDREN</strong><br /> VFW Post 1264 in Roanoke, Virginia, conducted its Day of Service, alongside its Auxiliary, by building 30 beds for children in need. Post members received help from the Roanoke Battalion Sea Cadets and other community members on May 6.</p> <p>The Post sponsored the event by providing $6,000 toward Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a global nonprofit with chapters across the U.S. that focuses on building beds for children in need of the proper physical, emotional and mental support a bed offers.</p> <p>"Everybody had a great time, and there was not a single face without a smile on it," said Lloyd Nolan Jackson, a Post trustee. "By supporting this bed build, we were able to get 30 children off the floor or sofa into a bed of their own. For many of them, it was their first bed."</p> <p>Joining the Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter in Roanoke, about 170 miles west of Richmond, Virginia, members of Post 1264 joined their 77 enlisted volunteers<br /> in building and furnishing the 30 bunk beds throughout the day.</p> <p>"Unfortunately, there will always be children in need of a safe and comfortable place to sleep," Jackson said. "That's why we must continue."</p> <p><strong>'PERSPECTIVE AND TEAMWORK'</strong><br /> For their VFW Day of Service this May, VFW Post 1533 members in San Antonio split their time into two volunteer sessions at the San Antonio Food Bank.</p> <p>A cohort of 18 Post members spent more than three hours apiece on May 16 and May 19 working out of the San Antonio Food Bank's warehouse, sorting and packing food for those suffering from food insecurity.</p> <p>"Our Day of Service was spent in a warehouse working with fellow volunteers from across our community who were equally committed to fighting hunger," VFW Post 1533 Judge Advocate General Suzzie Thomas said. "By luck and good fortune, we were joined by high school students, volunteers from USAA and a large group of Navy chiefs."</p> <p>VFW Post 1533 also donated $500 toward the Food Bank, helping provide more than 3,500 meals for the community, an additional token of their mission.</p> <p>"VFW's Day of Service is about perspective and teamwork," Thomas said. "We can all get caught up in our daily grind and life's challenges, so it is important to make the time and have a reason to come together as a team to make a positive impact."</p> <p>Adding to their efforts during this year's Day of Service, Post 1533 members went beyond the month of May and remained involved with the food bank throughout the summer. In July, they also hosted a food and pet drive at their Post, managing to donate an additional 1,072 food items to the San Antonio Food Bank.</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the November/December 2023 issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:irodriguez@vfw.org">Ismael Rodriguez Jr.</a>, senior writer for VFW magazine.</em></p>{C04AE364-FE04-47AD-9110-9B428DB1E7F7}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/11/great-way-to-connect-the-community'Great Way to Connect the Community'<p>For their Day of Service this year, VFW Post 10519 members spearheaded a community blood drive that helped provide for 81 patients across the Milwaukee area.</p> <p>The Post, 11 miles southwest of Milwaukee in Greendale, Wisconsin, had been deciding on its second-annual VFW Day of Service project when members were contacted by representatives from Versiti, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit blood center.</p> <p>"They approached us and told us of the shortage of blood in the Milwaukee area," VFW Post 10519 Senior Vice Commander Kristin Dodds said. "Versiti donations go to multiple hospitals including the VA medical center in Milwaukee, so it was a great way to connect the community to the VFW and veterans by filling an urgent need."</p> <p>Post 10519 members accepted the challenge and began an advertising campaign to recruit donors prior to VFW's Day of Service on May 6. The Post and its Auxiliary also worked with several community organizations and businesses to spread the word and accrue donations.</p> <p>In orchestrating the event, Post 10519 received a $500 donation from Humana, a longtime VFW partner, as well as blood donors from Greendale staples that included the Broad Street Coffee Company, American Legion Post 416, Lions Club and St. Alphonsus Church.</p> <p>When the event began on May 6, the Post hosted the blood drive at the building they share with Legion Post 416, handling all the logistics and allowing Versiti to collect the blood from 26 donors that included 11 Post and Auxiliary members.</p> <p>"We conducted donor check-ins and also collected food items for Milwaukee Homeless Veterans Initiative's emergency food program," Dodds said. "The event was successful enough that Versiti asked us to host another blood drive in the fall."</p> <p>Working with the same businesses and organizations in Greendale, VFW Post 10519 members hosted their second blood drive in September. They welcomed 20 donors and helped Versiti raise blood to help 57 Milwaukee patients.</p> <p>Dodds credited VFW's Day of Service for the flourishing partnership with Versiti, who has expressed a desire to continue to work alongside Post 10519 to help field blood donations for those in need around Milwaukee.</p> <p>"It is important for VFW Posts to participate in the Day of Service campaign because the events create opportunities to connect with other local organizations for the betterment of their communities," Dodds said. "Additionally, the Day of Service is a platform for VFW Posts to talk within their communities about the great work we do year-round and not just in May."</p>2023-12-07T09:10:51-06:00{7D8AAE85-7FCB-44C1-8239-D7A13EB9A4EE}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/11/its-amazing-to-see-how-grateful-they-are'It's Amazing to See How Grateful They Are'<p>A VFW Post in San Antonio is doing their part when it comes to fighting food insecurity in its community.</p> <p>Since July, VFW Post 8397 in San Antonio has distributed about 43,000 pounds of groceries to food-insecure families in the San Antonio area. In partnership with Humana, the Post holds a food distribution drive for needy families on the second Saturday of each month.</p> <p>Cris Vieyra, a past VFW Post 8397 commander, said the VFW Post has held these events for about three years with the help of the San Antonio Food Bank. Additionally, Vieyra said the Post has received help from local JROTC youth to help with the distribution.</p> <p>"We hand out a variety of food, including frozen dinners, canned foods, fresh fruits and meats such as chicken, fish and beef," Vieyra said. "We try our best to help as many families as we can. All of us enjoy what we do."</p> <p>At distribution events, Humana-organized volunteers, as well as Post and Auxiliary members, provide help to the "long lines" of families who need help, Vieyra said. Humana's efforts are led by Andrea Ortiz, a veterans community engagement executive with Humana and a member of VFW Post 7108 (also located in San Antonio).</p> <p>Since 2018, VFW has worked with Humana for the Uniting to Combat Hunger campaign. The program was established to fight hunger and food insecurity across the country.</p> <p>According to statistics from Feeding America, about 1-in-4 Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans are affected by food insecurity. In the general population, about 1-in-10 households experience food insecurity.</p> <p>Vieyra said the community's reaction to the food donations has been "incredible" to see.</p> <p>"The people who we help often volunteer to help us distribute food to others," Vieyra said. "It's amazing to see how grateful they are."</p> <p>VFW Post 8397 recently utilized a $1,500 VFW Foundation grant for its work with the food bank. Since 2021, the VFW Foundation has offered grants to VFW Posts and Auxiliaries supporting the Uniting to Combat Hunger campaign. For every dollar raised by local VFW Posts and Auxiliaries, the VFW Foundation will match the full amount up to $1,500. Uniting to Combat Hunger grant applications are available at <a href="https://www.vfw.org/community/community-initiatives/uniting-to-combat-hunger">vfw.org/UTCH</a>.</p> <div> </div>{574D3202-8502-46FD-85C3-B4152153FFBB}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/11/we-try-to-be-there-for-all-of-them'We Try to Be There for All of Them'<p>Long before becoming commander of the first VFW Post established on an active-duty U.S. military installation last year, Willie Keller had seen the possibilities with a credulous eye.</p> <p>Joined by other founding members of Post 12209 on Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood) near Killeen, Texas, Keller set out to serve as an example of how a VFW Post on an active military installation can help troops and their families more effectively.</p> <p>"I wish I had that for me when I was coming up," said Keller, a 16-year Army veteran who joined VFW in 1995. "It not only helps with recruitment, but it puts us in a position to shed light on stuff that is not getting lit up."</p> <p>Since finding its home at Fort Cavazos' Building 18000 on Jan. 7, 2022, Post 12209's membership has more than tripled its roster. The Post boosted its numbers from 48 in July<br /> 2022 to more than 153 members as of this August, according to Keller.</p> <p>"And we haven't dropped the hammer on membership yet," said Keller, who served in Afghanistan and Iraq before being medically retired in 2009. "The people we have come to us about joining is because of what they see from us."</p> <p>Over the last year, Post 12209 has provided more than $180,000 worth of assistance to service members and their families by tapping into VFW's well of programs and services. This includes the Military Assistance Program, which provides Posts with grants to help active-duty troops, as well as Unmet Needs grants for military families with financial difficulties.</p> <p>Unable to host fundraisers on base, Keller added that other sources come from his own members, private donors and the VFW Department of Texas Foundation.</p> <p>"There's no regulation on how to show empathy for these service members and their families, but we try to be there for all of them," said Keller, who also partakes in advocacy projects, which includes a new bill passed this year to increase the slots for child care at Fort Cavazos. Keller acted on this after hearing from an active-duty single mother.</p> <p>"We ask people to serve, but they can't because they need assistance to serve," Keller added. "We have been an outlet to help fix these problems by going and advocating for more legislative funding."</p> <p>Another beacon has been VFW's Adopt-a-Unit program, which to date has allowed Post 12209 to adopt more than 29 military units comprising thousands of troops at Fort Cavazos.</p> <p>From cookouts to care packages to simply treating families to a free meal, Keller added that being on base to see the impact of the VFW makes it worth the countless hours he puts in every day.</p> <p>"When you're in uniform, it's your job to care," Keller said. "But we don't get paid. This is something we do for them. They see this. The highlight for me is seeing them realize that someone really cares. It's a good feeling to even see generals on base stop to thank us for what we've done."</p> <p>Though Keller and his Post members have accomplished much in record time, he admits they are far from complacent. The Post is committed on several fronts, which includes advocating for a more efficient way to use the military's Transition Assistance Program (TAP), as well as working closely with JROTC and ROTC programs around Texas.</p> <p>"You can start your transition 12 months out, but mission dictates," Keller said. "Some have less time to transition. And for some who are institutionalized for 20-30 years, it is not that simple to transition when they used to be a voice of leadership before, and now they are just a number in the civilian world. One of our priority goals is to extract career service members out of their unit and put them on a transitional unit as soon as possible."</p> <p>When Keller is not running around conducting business, he admits basking in the gratitude of service members on base who routinely call him and his Post members to talk and thank them for guidance and career advice. Armed with extensive knowledge of VFW's history, Keller dispenses praise for his organization whenever given the chance.</p> <p>"It's valuable to know the history of VFW," Keller said. "I just let them know why they should join the organization that has been there for them, with them now, and will be with them in the future. A lot of them don't know some of the stuff service members have now in terms of benefits came from the VFW being in the trenches for them."</p> <p>With membership being a byproduct of Post 12209's assistance and proximity to those in uniform today, Keller also has a lofty goal regarding this particular area.</p> <p>"We want to be the largest VFW Post in the world in 36 months," Keller said. "Like I mentioned before, we haven't dropped the hammer on membership yet. What made us increase our membership has been the influence of our work alone." </p> <p><em>This article is featured in the November/December 2023 issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:irodriguez@vfw.org">Ismael Rodriguez Jr.</a>, senior writer for VFW magazine.</em></p>{ADF4CDA6-04B2-4C14-9D26-1C8F0EEE857B}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/10/having-veterans-around-makes-me-feel-good'Having Veterans Around Makes Me Feel Good'<p>Fabian Lee Martinez served in the Navy from 2001 to 2012 to pursue two of his goals.</p> <p>"I wanted to serve my country and be a firefighter," he said. "I was able to do both by joining."</p> <p>Today, Martinez is #StillServing in his hometown of Lubbock, Texas, as a member of VFW Post 2466. He also works at Texas Tech University as a school certifying official by helping veterans and dependent students use their military benefits to attend college.</p> <p>In previous roles with local nonprofits, Martinez helped other veterans receive assistance through the Texas Veterans Commission for things like paying their utilities and replacing major home appliances.</p> <p>Martinez is focused on uplifting and building relationships with his fellow veterans outside of work, too. He created, and now leads, the VETSports Lubbock chapter to provide community members a venue to play anything from softball to volleyball to cornhole. He recognizes the benefits of connecting people in this way.</p> <p>"Many of us have a close-knit relationship," he said. "Just having other veterans around makes me feel good." </p> <div> </div>{EA085441-1145-47A3-B2B4-4D899C1781ED}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/10/i-felt-a-calling-to-help'I Felt a Calling to Help'<p>"I claim Inverness, Florida, as my hometown because I went to high school there, but I was born in Germany and lived a very 'military-brat' life," veteran Chris Ajinga said.</p> <p>Ajinga's father served in the Army, and his stepfather served in the Navy, which meant he grew up in Hawaii, Georgia, California, Virginia and Florida. His family history, plus Ajinga's desire to see the world, inspired him to enlist.</p> <p>Ajinga spent three years in the Navy and 22 in the Marine Corps. Although his military career is over, Ajinga is #StillServing in different ways, including as a volunteer firefighter.</p> <p>"I respond to fires and incidents that would go unanswered if there were no volunteers," he said. "That's why I do it. I saw a billboard that asked the question, 'What if no one answered the call?' And I felt a calling to help my community."</p> <p>Ajinga, 63, also volunteers with The Fallen Outdoors (TFO), a nonprofit that gets veterans and active-duty men and women outside to enjoy nature. As a TFO pro staffer, Ajinga coordinates fishing, hunting and boating trips for service members and their families, at no cost to them.</p> <p>When asked why he gives so much of his time to others, Ajinga shared what his volunteerism means to him and those he encounters.</p> <p>"Volunteering enables me to stay connected to my community both near and far," he said. "I see the kindness of others, and I enjoy meeting new people. Sometimes, it's in a time of need. Other times, I meet them because they see me fighting a fire or controlling an accident scene, and they offer support by way of water or just a simple thank-you. I even get a hug now and then. Life is good." </p> <br />2024-03-04T09:31:07-06:00{36D57C87-3CA0-4AD1-A8DE-412CEEF57CB6}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/10/vfw-and-humana-provide-30-tons-of-foodVFW and Humana Provide 30 Tons of Food<p>If you attended the 124th VFW National Convention in Phoenix this year, you probably noticed a group of volunteers lined up at tables with bowls of seeds in front of them.</p> <p>They were a part of the Uniting to Combat Hunger seed-packing event that will provide about 30 tons of vegetables for families suffering from food insecurity. Those seeds will be sent across the country to provide healthy and fresh produce to those in need. Since 2018, the program has provided more than 4.5 million meals for food insecure families.</p> <p>VFW Foundation Grants Manager Jason Couch said the event at the national convention garnered dozens of volunteers from VFW Posts and Auxiliaries, as well as VFW Departments. Couch added that Uniting to Combat Hunger is an "incredibly important endeavor" not only to VFW but also to Humana, a company based in Louisville, Kentucky, that offers health care coverage.</p> <p>"VFW was established on the principle of helping veterans, and when we learned about how many veterans are affected by food insecurity, we knew we needed to do everything we could to prevent it," Couch said. "We would not be able to help as many veterans as we are without our partnership with Humana. We are proud of what we have accomplished with the Uniting to Combat Hunger program through the past several years."</p> <p>Since 2018, VFW has teamed with Humana for the Uniting to Combat Hunger campaign. It remains a staple in fighting hunger and food insecurity across the country.</p> <p><strong>1-IN-4 POST 9/11 VETS AFFECTED</strong><br /> The Department of Agriculture in 2021 said more than 34 million people, including 9 million children, experience food insecurity in the U.S. during the year - that is about 1-in-10 households in the country.</p> <p>Feeding America says that about 125,000 active-duty military troops experience food insecurity - about 7 percent of troops in the active military. However, according to the Department of Agriculture, only about 2 percent of active-duty troops qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Feeding America also says 1-in-4 Afghanistan and Iraq War veterans are affected by food insecurity.</p> <p><strong>'WE MUST FACE THE ISSUE TOGETHER'</strong><br /> Humana's Stephanie Muckey, who leads the company's health equity and social impact work focused on the veteran population, said that veterans, military members and their families should not have to be concerned about their next meal.</p> <p>"Food insecurity is impacting the everyday lives of many veterans in communities across the country," Muckey said. "We must face this issue together to ensure any veterans, active service men and women, and their families who are struggling have access to healthy meals."</p> <p>Since 2021, the VFW Foundation has offered grants to VFW Posts and Auxiliaries supporting the Uniting to Combat Hunger campaign. For every dollar raised by local VFW Posts and Auxiliaries, the VFW Foundation will match the full amount up to $5,000.</p> <p>Also, for every hour that a VFW Post or Auxiliary member volunteers to address food insecurity in their communities, the VFW Foundation will provide a dollar match in the form of an unrestricted grant. A minimum of 500 hours must be documented to qualify for the volunteerism grant.</p> <p>For more information, visit <a href="https://www.vfw.org/community/community-initiatives/uniting-to-combat-hunger">vfw.org/UTCH</a>.</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the 2023 October issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:dspiva@vfw.org">Dave Spiva</a>, associate editor for VFW magazine.</em></p>{8DAE8D0B-BA1C-4FFA-A90E-2613C0329C58}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/10/1000-for-student-musicians$1,000 for Student Musicians<p>A VFW Post in the Buckeye State donated $1,000 to their high school's music program.</p> <p>VFW Post 3360 in Defiance, Ohio, presented a check to the band's assistant director Erin Blackwood during a ceremony at the Post in September. VFW Post 3360 member Stacy Hilton, an Army veteran who served in Bosnia and Croatia, said that the Post already has a deep relationship with the town's high school and its students.</p> <p>"The Post provides color guard services at the football games," Hilton said. "The high school band also is a big part of this community. We feel that it is important to support children in band."</p> <p>Hilton added that not only do school bands help build teamwork among its students, but the activity is also proven to help students with their curriculum. Hilton said she has her own daughter in the high school band and has seen firsthand how important it is to have music in schools.</p> <p>"If my daughter didn't have a band to be a part of, she probably would not have anything else," Hilton said. "She has made such excellent friends. And I know she is not the only one who benefits from playing in the band." </p>{E5E01B53-D5BD-4F30-9F81-0BEAA8DDA815}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/10/perspective-and-team-work'Perspective and Team Work'<p>For their VFW Day of Service in May 2023, VFW Post 1533 members in San Antonio split their time into two volunteer sessions at the San Antonio Food Bank.</p> <p>A cohort of 18 Post members spent more than three hours apiece on May 16 and May 19, respectively, working out of the San Antonio Food Bank's warehouse sorting and packing food for those suffering from food insecurity.</p> <p>"Our Day of Service was spent in a warehouse working with fellow volunteers from across our community who were equally committed to fighting hunger," VFW Post 1533 Judge Advocate General Suzzie Thomas said. "By luck and good fortune, we were joined by high school students, volunteers from USAA and a large group of Navy chiefs."</p> <p>VFW Post 1533 also donated $500 to the Food Bank, helping provide more 3,500 meals for the community, an additional token of their mission.</p> <p>"VFW's Day of Service is about perspective and team work," Thomas said. "We can all get caught up in our daily grind and life's challenges, so it is important to make the time and have a reason to come together as a team to make a positive impact."</p> <p>Despite their efforts during the 2023 Day of Service, Post 1533 members went beyond the month of May and remained involved with the Food Bank throughout the summer. In July, they also hosted a food and pet drive at their Post, donating an additional 1,072 food items to the San Antonio Food Bank.</p>{B83BFC10-E22C-48CA-8D10-754A9B89AD46}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/9/happy-national-vfw-dayHappy National VFW Day!<p><strong>WASHINGTON -</strong> Sept. 29 is National Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Day, celebrating one of the largest and most established organization of war veterans in the United States. It is a day celebrated not only by its members at Posts throughout the country and around the world, but also by the generations of veterans, service members, their families and communities that have benefited from the continued service of our great organization.</p> <p>Established on this date in 1899, a group of 13 veterans from Spanish-America war and Philippine Insurrection joined together to form what would become the nation's largest and most dedicated group of combat veterans. Originally called the American Veterans of Foreign Service, the new organization differed from previous veteran fraternal societies as it not only opened membership to all ranks from all branches of service, but also to veterans of all foreign wars. In doing so, the young organization ensured its relevancy to every generation of veteran from that moment on into the future.</p> <p>Since its inception, the VFW has been unwavering in its devotion "to honor the dead by helping the living" and has been on the front lines of veteran advocacy in Washington, D.C., for more than a century. From leading the charge in demanding compensation for WWI veterans, to the establishments of the Veterans Administration, the national cemetery system, the GI Bill of Rights and last year's PACT Act, the VFW has proved itself as one of the most powerful and influential voices on Capitol Hill.</p> <p>The VFW's selfless service goes far beyond legislation advancing veterans' benefits. Through its network of service officers and claims representatives, the VFW helped veterans recoup $11.9 billion annually in VA disability compensation and pension benefits, ensuring veterans and their families get the care they earned and deserve. The VFW has also provided financial assistance to military families valued at more than $12.9 million since 2004; awarded more than $12.3 million in scholarships to more than 2,700 veterans and service members since 2014; and donated nearly $45 million annually to local community service projects thanks to the hard work, charity and commitment of the more than 1.4 million members of the VFW and its Auxiliary. Our years of military service may be behind us, but we are still serving our fellow veterans, our communities and our country.</p> <p>Show your support by honoring all members and veterans in your community. On this VFW Day, everyone is invited to celebrate the tradition of continuous service and steadfast devotion that defines the VFW on social media using the hashtags #VFWDay and #StillServing.</p> <p>Happy Birthday, VFW - "No One Does More For Veterans!"</p> <div> </div>2023-12-07T09:10:43-06:00{4296045C-86DA-42DF-B064-4983807E886B}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/9/it-was-really-an-outstanding-transformation'It Was Really an Outstanding Transformation'<p>Mark Little had been thinking about renovations for some time, but he hadn't considered a Home Depot grant until a fellow VFW member from a different Post brought it up.</p> <p>Little, commander at VFW Post 4736 in Greenfield, Ohio, took it upon himself to follow through with the suggestion last year by contacting his local Home Depot.</p> <p>"It was out of curiosity, but I reached out and asked the manager how I would go about applying," Little said. "They instructed me on how to apply for a grant through the Home Depot Foundation."</p> <p>The local Home Depot then sent a few staffers over to Post 4736, asking Little to describe the work needed in detail before measuring parts and coming up with an estimated cost for approval from the Home Depot Foundation.</p> <p>Expecting a long wait, Little was surprised with the Foundation's quick approval for a $7,000 grant to help renovate the inside of Post 4736's 5,000-square-foot clubhouse.</p> <p>"It was hardly a wait at all," Little said. "The grant didn't include manpower, but we had about 18 volunteers between the local Home Depot and our Post members."</p> <p>The 18-man volunteer crew began by removing the old, tar-stained drop-ceiling and panel-hanging framework, as well as the air conditioning and heating ductwork and diffusers. They then set up a new drop-ceiling, framing materials and panels, adding fluorescent lighting throughout the clubhouse.</p> <p>"And we only had to close the Post down for about a week," Little said. "It was a very good job, considering even the ventilation and diffusers in the ceiling had to be torn out and replaced. That took a lot of work."</p> <p>What began on March 6 of last year concluded four days later when Post 4736, under Little's leadership, reopened its doors to members on March 10.</p> <p>For Little, welcoming Post members into the clubhouse following the project brought a sense of relief as he looked up and didn't see the "nicotine-stained" ceiling that kept him up some nights.</p> <p>"It was a really outstanding transformation," Little said. "We have a brand new, clean and healthy clubhouse now. And that's a testament to the hard work our Post and Home Depot volunteers put in. I'm deeply grateful to them for making this a reality."</p> <p>With the inside of the Post rejuvenated, Little has since set his sights on the outside.</p> <p>This year, Post 4736 was approved for a 50/50 grant in partnership with Greenfield's Facade Improvement Program, which sets out to revitalize its historic downtown area.</p> <p>"This project will help us renew the front of our building with a new structure, windows, paint and signage," Little said. "When opportunities like these are presented, we must take advantage to maximize our building and facilities for our members for years to come."</p> <p>The project, according to Little, is slated for completion at the end of this year.</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the 2023 September issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:irodriguez@vfw.org">Ismael Rodriguez Jr.</a>, senior writer for VFW magazine.</em></p>{A61ED3E9-CEC3-402B-B1E7-BD410E11E400}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/9/back-to-schoolBack-to-School<p>Along the Gulf Coast of Florida, VFW Post 9236 in Hernando Beach celebrated the back-to-school spirit by donating more than 850 backpacks to its community this summer.</p> <p>The Post, about 52 miles west of Tampa, Florida, spread the wealth of backpacks across several avenues to help a wide variety of families in need by providing them with something as essential as a backpack for school.</p> <p>"Realizing that so many families are currently struggling to provide essentials, it means the world to me to be able to facilitate these donations to Hernando County families," VFW Post 9236 Commander Jason Spencer said. "Every little but helps, and we're thrilled to help." </p> <p>They donated 150 backpacks to a local high school teacher and VFW Post 9236 Auxiliary member, 200 to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office for their annual giveaway, as well as 500 toward a Florida-based supermarket chain's annual "Stuff the Bus" event.</p> <p>"They stuff school buses at each of their stores," VFW Post 9236 Auxiliary President Lisa Spencer said of Publix, an employee-owned supermarket chain headquartered in Lakeland, Fla. "They were extremely grateful to have backpacks for the supplies to be put in."</p> <p>Every Fall season for the past five years, the Post and its Auxiliary also have collected supplies to fill backpacks for homeless veterans. They host a drive to collect socks, gloves, beanie hats, personal hygiene products, shelf stable snacks, hand warmers, can openers and other comfort items. Each backpack receives a special blanket either sewn or crocheted by the Auxiliary.</p> <p>"We collect items through the Fall months and stuff and distribute the backpacks in early December," Spencer said. "We love helping our veterans and doing community service. That's what the VFW is all about." </p> <div> </div>2023-12-07T09:10:41-06:00{FC7E0694-81C2-44DC-8324-D36AE80C1FB2}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/9/its-honestly-a-pleasure'It's Honestly a Pleasure'<p>For more than a decade, VFW Post 7059 members in Farmville, Virginia, have devoted themselves to honoring all veterans spending their twilight years within the confines of local hospice care.</p> <p>Unwilling to let their predecessors sit in obscurity, Post 7059 members in 2013 began visiting The Woodland, a local hospice housing several veterans, where they have since hosted a ceremony spotlighting each member's service on Veterans Day.</p> <p>"A speech is given to thank the veterans for all they have done, and to let them know they are not forgotten," said Dean Lord, past commander of Post 7059 and an avid volunteer. "Each veteran is personally given a salute, a U.S. flag and a poppy. Our Post members then stay and listen to these veterans tell us their stories."</p> <p>Despite strict regulations brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Post 7059 members have not only continued to visit The Woodland every Veterans Day, but they have found other ways to honor their aging predecessors.</p> <p>In 2021, Lord, then Post commander, joined his fellow Post members in teaming with a hospice program ran and operated by the Centra Southside Medical Center in Farmville. Through the program We Honor Vets, VFW members such as Lord serve as volunteers in bringing comfort to aging veterans through compassionate listening and a respectful acknowledgment of their service.</p> <p>"When a veteran under hospice care is identified, a team is sent out to meet with the veteran and present them with a pin and a certificate of appreciation," Lord said of the We Honor Vets program. "We also listen to their stories. Some of the ones I've heard have been about World War II battles in France, battles in the Pacific and battles fought during the Korean War. It's honestly a pleasure listening to the recounting of conflicts from these heroes."</p> <p>Lord added that Post 7059 members have continued to gather in hopes of planning ways to be more active in the recognition and pinning process held by the We Honor Vets program.</p> <p>Along with the Post's eldest member, Joe Baldwin, 96, a WWII, Korea and Vietnam veteran, many members also have engaged the younger generation of veterans in the area about joining the cause.</p> <p>"Most of our Post consists of Vietnam-era veterans, and we are encouraging younger veterans to participate and continue our traditions," Lord said. "We must always look to the future, but never forget the past. These recipients at hospices are a great resource into past events and we, today, can learn a lot from them."</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the 2023 September issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:irodriguez@vfw.org">Ismael Rodriguez, Jr.</a>, senior writer for VFW magazine.</em></p>{84AC6A44-215B-49E0-9AD6-50D4B9F9037C}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/9/a-critical-service-to-families'A Critical Service to Families'<p>VFW Post honor guards conducting three-volley salutes at funerals for veterans and service members has been a time-honored tradition practiced since the organization's founding in 1899. While many know that VFW Post honor guards use firearms to salute their dearly departed fellow veterans, most may not know where those firearms and ammunition blanks come from.</p> <p>The Army-Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, which is in Warren, Michigan, issues ammunition blanks it receives from the Joint Munitions Command, located in Rock Island, Illinois. The command then sends the ammunition free of charge to VFW Posts across the country. Without those donations, many veterans would not receive military honors after their passing.</p> <p>Former VFW Administrative Operations Director Johnathan Duncan said that the relationship VFW has with the Army's Joint Munitions Command and the Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command is one VFW cherishes.</p> <p>"It is a valuable one to not only the VFW but to those families who are able to have VFW honor guards at the funerals of those who gave so much to this country," Duncan said.</p> <p>Matthew Wheaton, a spokesman for the Joint Munitions Command, said that in 2022 the command supplied 3 million rounds of ceremonial ammunition across the United States to several veterans organizations, including VFW.</p> <p>According to VFW's Congressional Charter, the organization has a duty to "perpetuate the memory and history of our dead." Duncan said that the main way VFW has done that is by conducting<br /> ceremonial honors at veterans' funerals.</p> <p>"I think it is a critical service to the families whether they are members of the organization or not," Duncan said. "We are able to provide these honors because of the ceremonial ammo and rifles that are provided to us. Three-volley salutes are used to perpetuate the memory and history of our dead, and to recognize the fallen comrades who gave all." (See sidebar on p. 37.)</p> <p>Providing ammunition for ceremonies is a traditional mission for Joint Munitions Command. Since the end of World War II, the Army has supplied ceremonial ammunition to veterans' organizations for the purpose of military honors, according to a press release.</p> <p>Telacy Biles, a logistics management specialist for the Joint Munitions Command, said that in recent years, requests for blank ammunition have increased.</p> <p>"It has gone up because you have a lot of people who have gotten older, so the veterans' organizations see an increase in funerals," Biles said.</p> <p>Only authorized organizations that have been issued weapons through the Army-Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command are eligible to order, receive and be issued blank ammunition. Those with privately owned rifles or rifles borrowed from another organization are not eligible to receive blanks.</p> <p>For more information about the ceremonial rifle program, visit <a href="https://www.tacom.army.mil/ilsc/donations/rifles" target="_blank">https://www.tacom.army.mil/ilsc/donations/rifles</a> or call 586.282.9861.</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the 2023 September issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:dspiva@vfw.org">Dave Spiva</a>, associate editor for VFW magazine.</em></p>{CF688ABC-4A07-473A-A74C-147DEB50ACEA}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/8/these-two-gentlemen-are-now-forever-in-our-history'These Two Gentlemen are Now Forever in Our History'<p>In December 2020, one of Alabama's best-kept secrets was brought to light when signs honoring Escambia County's two Medal of Honor recipients were unveiled.</p> <p>Held at the Atmore City Hall Auditorium in Atmore, Alabama, the unveiling and dedication revealed the signs, to be placed along U.S. Highway 31, as part of joint resolutions by the Alabama State Legislature to commemorate two of its own sons.</p> <p>These signs commemorated the deeds of Army Cpl. Sidney E. Manning and Army Sgt. William Wayne Seay, who earned the awards 50 years apart. Manning's heroism came in 1918 during World War I, while Seay earned his medal during the Vietnam War in 1968.</p> <p>For their heroics, a portion of the highway between Atmore and Flomaton, Alabama, is now named the Cpl. Sidney Manning Memorial Highway, while a segment of the federal thoroughfare between Brewton, Alabama, and Flomaton is named the Sgt. William Wayne Seay Memorial Highway.</p> <p>Among the many who attended the unveiling was Billy Gates, commander of VFW Post 7016 in Atmore. Gates said he was among those who were unaware the county had two individuals who earned the country's highest award for valor under fire.</p> <p>"I'm ashamed to say that I've been in Escambia County since about 1970, and until it was brought to my attention about two-and-a-half years ago, I didn't know we had two Medal of Honor recipients in the county," Gates said. "I found out that not anybody else in Escambia County knew, either. That is shameful, but that is what's happening to patriotism today."</p> <p>Gates added that Bobby Lanier, the Post's membership committee chair, brought the fact to his attention, then worked tirelessly to raise the funds and arrange the placement of the highway signage.</p> <p>The Post commander said most of the funding for the signs - about $7,000 - came from small donations, but he noted there were some who made larger contributions to the project. Gates cited Southern Pine Electric Cooperative, Escambia County Historical Society, Harvey Casen, Wanda Sorenson, Ronald Hendricks, Shawn Rounsavall and Sandy Hardee as major donors.</p> <p>Atmore Mayor Jim Staff delivered brief remarks during the program, as did Flomaton Mayor Dewey Bondurant and Breton Mayor Yank Lovelace, before Alan Bowser, commander of the VFW Department of Alabama, gave his keynote address.</p> <p>Bowser, an Army veteran, said there is a bond and a brotherhood that is formed by those who have been in combat. He added that Manning and Seay personified the word "hero," which he noted is much overused today.</p> <p>"Doing what you're doing in this community today is part of that bond, a part of the history of America," Bowser said. "These two gentlemen are now forever in our history. People use the word 'hero' nowadays, and it is distorted. These two men didn't wear a mask; they didn't wear capes. They weren't professional football players, basketball players or baseball players. They were soldiers. These two gentlemen did the ultimate in what we are supposed to do - keep each other safe and continue the mission."</p> <p>Bowser then provided a brief account of the actions that made the two local men worthy of the Medal of Honor. This was followed by Alabama State Rep. Alan Baker, who talked about the fundraising effort that made the roadway renaming project a reality.</p> <p>Following the speeches, family members of each MOH recipient posed for photos with a facsimile of their respective honoree's commemorative sign. This included Manning's family, who was represented by his granddaughter and his great-grandson. The Seay family, traveling from Indiana for the ceremony, was represented by the medal recipient's brother, William Steve Seay, as well as his sister, two nephews and nieces, respectively.</p> <p>The unveiling ceremony concluded with Alabama State Sen. Greg Albritton, who read the joint resolutions he introduced in the state senate that eventually received approval from both of the state's legislative bodies.</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the 2023 August issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by Don Fletcher. Fletcher is a contributing writer and VFW Post 7016 member in Atmore, Alabama. He also works as a reporter for his hometown newspaper, the Atmore News.</em></p>2023-12-07T09:10:40-06:00{793EB3AB-1EFC-40E5-8EB1-825F9982F2A6}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/8/this-is-about-uniting'This is About Uniting'<p>Last year, the idea struck Karl Erickson, who carried it to his VFW Post 246 in Minneapolis for financial help in lifting the idea off the ground.</p> <p>An ambitious project impacting thousands of kids in and around the Twin Cities, Post 246 quickly voted on funding Erickson's magnum opus: bringing free woodworking and birdwatching workshops to 10,000 inner-city fourth-graders.</p> <p>"I've always believed that all I can hope to do is dream big, and execute bigger," said Erickson, an Iraq War veteran who deployed twice with the Minnesota Army National Guard in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. "The VFW is a staple in the community here, so who better to help students around the area than our Post."</p> <p>Erickson came up with the idea following a career transition in September 2022. He had left his job as a physical education teacher at a charter school in St. Paul, Minnesota, and joined a local nonprofit for at-risk youth and young adults.</p> <p>After more than six years as a teacher in St. Paul, Erickson had grasped that most fourth-graders carry short attention spans if the material lacks interest or novelty, and most of them don't have a hobby that serves as a gateway to life skills. He crafted his project to address both concerns.</p> <p>Erickson also reached out to more than 200 teachers across the Twin Cities who scheduled his workshop, sending each one surveys for self-administered statistics, which gauged the impact of the experience.</p> <p>"I wanted to send a pre-workshop survey, and then a post-survey to see if anything had changed among the students," said Erickson, the Program Manager of Woodworking at Elpis Enterprises, a nonprofit that provides young adults between 16 and 23 years of age with job training. "Before the workshops, 70 percent of the kids said they didn't birdwatch. And that has changed tremendously following the workshops."</p> <p>Since November, and with help from his colleagues at Elpis and more than $11,500 from Post 246 to date, Erickson has been able to teach birdwatching and woodworking workshops to more than 2,000 students across 27 schools.</p> <p>The donations to Elpis help fund staff and a team of at-risk and homeless-impacted interns, who themselves fabricate the birdfeeder kits.</p> <p>The funds also go toward purchasing additional supplies that include such things as plexiglass, iron rods to hang the birdfeeder, as well as bird seeds that get packed into every students' completed birdfeeder.</p> <p>"We go to each school with all of the jigs, hammers, clamps, drills and nails and rotate 20-30 students every 30-40 minutes through the building workshop," Erickson said. "The goal in all this is to make the kids feel confident, make them feel empowered. They sometimes hold their birdfeeder up after a workshop like they're holding a $100 bill in their hand."</p> <p>Erickson also has used funding from Post 246 for another ambitious Elpis project, dubbed the Land of 10,000 Urban Ice Anglers, which fields free ice-fishing trips. Elpis, with help from VFW volunteers and others, has sent more than 570 students on ice-fishing excursions to date.</p> <p>"I coordinate with schools as well as law enforcement, having both the St. Paul Police Department and their Police Activities League police cadets help students go ice fishing," Erickson said. "They have also helped students in St. Paul schools build their birdfeeders as a way to cultivate better trust with law enforcement."</p> <p>As Erickson continues to reach for both goals of teaching 10,000 kids the art of birdwatching and woodworking, as well as ice fishing, respectively, he also wants to encourage members of other VFW Posts to do the same.</p> <p>"If there are other veterans into this, there are so many opportunities for us veterans to train and work with schools around our communities," Erickson said. "This is about uniting. Most of the teachers that have responded to me have said they'd like this to be an annual tradition in their classrooms. It's up to us younger veterans to carry the VFW mission forward."</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the 2023 August issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:irodriguez@vfw.org">Ismael Rodriguez Jr.</a>, senior writer for VFW magazine.</em></p>2023-12-07T09:10:40-06:00{ED4E0035-03F9-4BAF-917E-4BE3885043AC}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/8/vfw-members-operate-retreat-for-wounded-vetsVFW Members Operate Retreat for Wounded Vets<p>For the past 12 years, family after family has asked, "Why are they so kind?" The question refers to the community welcome and support experienced by combat-wounded veterans and their families during a week spent at a cabin in Custer, South Dakota.</p> <p>The cabin experience, offered by the 501(c)3 non-profit called <a href="www. operationblackhillscabin.org" target="_self">Operation Black Hills Cabin</a>, is a therapeutic respite for disabled veterans and their families. It is no secret that when a service member is wounded in combat, it affects the whole family. The structure of the family is permanently altered as it focuses on providing the care the veteran needs, and "family time" takes a back seat to the recovery process. Military families have observed that time is of the utmost importance, but it is lacking in their new normal daily lives.</p> <p>Operation Black Hills Cabin responds to this need and provides unparalleled quality family time. The peaceful, leisurely environment gives them an opportunity to disconnect from the stress of their post-combat daily routine and reconnect with each other.</p> <p>The idea for Operation Black Hills Cabin originated in February 2011. Jeff and Pat Baird were watching a segment of the "The Oprah Winfrey Show" about the difficulties faced by a combat-wounded Afghanistan veteran and his family. At the conclusion of the segment, Oprah challenged the audience and viewers by saying, "What can you do to help?"</p> <p>The Bairds are a retired military couple, each of whom served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force and North Dakota Air National Guard. They felt a special bond with the wounded veterans who were coming home after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.</p> <p>Wanting to do more than simply write a check, the Bairds decided to capitalize on the "paradise" where they live - the Black Hills.</p> <p>"What better place to provide a chance for these families to reconnect with each other and enjoy our area and all it has to offer," Pat said.</p> <p>And so, Operation Black Hills Cabin was born.</p> <p> <strong>SAYING 'THANK YOU'</strong><br /> The concept was immediately embraced by Custer City and the surrounding community because it was seen as a way to say thank you to the veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice.</p> <p>Perhaps the kindness and compassion shown by the community coincides with the fact that so many of the volunteers, donors and supporters of the operation are veterans themselves. These vets have seen combat in Vietnam, the Gulf War, the Balkans as well as Afghanistan and Iraq, so they know first-hand the sacrifices involved in military service.</p> <p>Operation Black Hills Cabin is run entirely by volunteers and donations. The Cabin itself was donated by the South Dakota Housing Authority. It was escorted 375 miles to Custer by the Patriot Guard Riders.</p> <p>The 1,200-square-foot cabin sits on a wooded one-acre lot that has been leased from the city of Custer for 30 years for $1 per year. It is handicap accessible and has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a fully stocked kitchen and laundry room.</p> <p>There is no television or internet at the cabin, but the families stay free, and they have a wide variety of possible activities in the Black Hills.</p> <p>The local business community enthusiastically supports the cabin, and each family is given coupons for free admission to many local attractions, such as Mount Rushmore, the Crazy Horse Memorial and Custer State Park. Free or reduced-priced meals at local restaurants also are provided.</p> <p>Many of the volunteers and supporters are not only veterans from all branches of military service, but also are members of VFW Post 3442 in Custer.</p> <p>This includes four of the five members of the cabin's board of directors. Jeff and Pat served on active duty in the Air Force during the Vietnam era and subsequently in the North Dakota Air National Guard.</p> <p>While assigned to the 23rd Bomb Squadron as a B-52 Tailgunner, Jeff deployed twice to Southeast Asia in 1973. His unit operated from U-Tapao Air Base in Thailand and Andersen Air Force Base on Guam. Jeff is a VFW Life member. Pat is a life VFW Auxiliary member.</p> <p>Martin Mahrt, another VFW Life member, is a decorated Vietnam War fighter pilot. Assigned to the 333rd Tactical Fighter Squadron based at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand from 1965-66, he flew the Republic F-105 Thunderchief on 102 combat missions in Vietnam.</p> <p>The fourth board member, Mary Burns, is a VFW Auxiliary member. She is married to cabin supporter Dale Christensen, a Vietnam War veteran who is a VFW Life member. Christensen served in the Air Force as a patrol dog (K-9) handler. Deployed to Vietnam from 1971 to 1972, he served with the 12th Security Police Squadron at Phu Cat Air Base and the 483rd Security Police Squadron at Cam Ranh Bay Air Base.</p> <p>The fifth board member, Ione Fejfar, was a prominent member of the Custer business community and is a native of South Dakota.</p> <p>VFW Post 3442 supports Operation Black Hills Cabin. It donates, in collaboration with Jenny's Floral, a bouquet of fresh flowers to each family on their day of arrival at the cabin. It also donates a free dinner to the family during their stay when the VFW is serving meals.</p> <p>More than 150 local businesses, churches, schools and various organizations support the cabin, along with hundreds of individuals, all of whom have contributed time and a wide variety of unique items and services.</p> <p>Donations to the cabin are only limited by people's imaginations. Area quilt guilds make and present a Quilt of Valor to eligible veterans.</p> <p>Another local resident donated Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine flags so that each family would not only see a U.S. flag at the cabin during their stay, but also the flag of the veteran's service.</p> <p>The 34th Aircraft Maintenance Unit at Ellsworth Air Force Base, along with the students of the South Dakota School of Mines, built a Healing Hike course on the cabin's property. The hike is a path that winds around the property and includes picnic tables, benches, a hammock and inspirational quotes sand-blasted into the rocks along the way.</p> <p>It is a quiet, natural setting for reflection and viewing local wildlife. A Custer Boy Scout, for his Eagle Scout project, built and donated a shed to store supplies and lawn maintenance equipment for the volunteers who maintain the property and clean the cabin every week.</p> <p>The local elementary and high schools also contribute. For example, one Custer High School senior raised funds to buy and donate a microwave oven. This past spring, the fifth-grade class at Custer Elementary School donated $747, which they raised at their annual Living History Fair.</p> <p>The cabin operates from Memorial Day to the end of September and can host up to 17 families a year. Since its beginning, 139 families from 36 states have stayed at the cabin.</p> <p>The biggest challenge Operation Black Hills Cabin has faced over the years is getting the word out about this unique opportunity for qualified veterans. To qualify, a veteran must be a minimum of 30 percent combat injured from any post-9/11 military operation. Warrior Transition Unit members also are eligible. Qualified veterans can apply at any time. The application and further information are available at: <a href="www. operationblackhillscabin.org" target="_blank">www.<br /> operationblackhillscabin.org</a>.</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the 2023 August issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by Retired Army Col. Deborah Hanagan who is a volunteer with Operation Black Hills Cabin.</em></p>2023-12-07T09:10:40-06:00{CD7E256B-4AA7-4F92-82A2-285ACB24EB1D}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/8/helping-is-healing'Helping is Healing'<p>A battle-worn Marine of 30 years, Sgt. Maj. Lance Nutt cannot tell the story without tearing up.</p> <p>He and members of his Sheep Dog Impact Assistance team, a group of war veterans and retired police, fire and emergency response officers, were helping clean up the devastation of a tornado that ripped through Wynne, Arkansas, in March.</p> <p>The EF3 twister with wind speeds of up to 165 mph sliced through the eastern Arkansas Delta town, killing four people and leaving a mile-wide path of destruction.</p> <p>Nutt and his "Sheep Dogs" traveled to Wynne, set up camp at a nearby state park and began walking through the town and offering aid.</p> <p>"We came across a man who had lost the roof on his home," Nutt said. "There were three large oak trees that had fallen in his yard, and he was using a small chainsaw. You could tell he had taken all day to clear one tree with that little chainsaw. You could see the exhaustion on his face."</p> <p>He offered assistance to the man, who looked back at him skeptically.</p> <p>"He wanted to know how much we would charge," Nutt said. "I told him we were here to help."</p> <p>The Sheep Dogs cleared the three trees within an hour, and the man, who earlier seemed defeated by his own progress, began smiling and laughing with Nutt's team.</p> <p><strong>'A DESIRE TO SERVE'</strong><br /> The tale is symbolic of Nutt's Sheep Dog Impact Assistance program. Veterans who return after serving in conflict and retired police officers, firemen and EMTs suffering from the stress and trauma of their jobs all have their own fallen trees to deal with.</p> <p>"Our nation's heroes have a desire to serve," said Nutt, a life member of VFW Post 3031 in Rogers, Arkansas.</p> <p>He said when a veteran's tour of duty ends, his or her sense of purpose may end as well. After a life of intense service, suddenly they find themselves sitting on the couch with nothing to do, Nutt added.</p> <p>That is where problems arise. Veterans' suicide rates are alarmingly high as a result. Last year, according to the National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, 6,146 veterans took their own lives. Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for post-9/11 veterans, accounting for 22.3 percent of all veteran deaths.</p> <p>"We were helping the town of Wynne begin their recovery," Nutt said. "But we are also helping our individuals begin their own recovery."</p> <p>The Sheep Dogs Impact Assistance program idea was triggered in Nutt's mind during the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. While with the Marines, Nutt brought a group to Louisiana to help those in need.</p> <p>"We lost men in combat in Iraq," he said. "That was part of the job. I came home, and I was thankful, but some of our brothers did not. And others who did come home started killing themselves. I thought, 'How, as a leader, did I fail them? I became angry and began blaming myself. Then Hurricane Katrina came, and I watched. Here we are failing the public again. I had to get up and do something."</p> <p>Nutt was sworn into the Marine Corps by his father, a retired Navy aviator, in 1988.</p> <p>The younger Nutt deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Desert Shield/Storm. He later attended the University of Arkansas at Monticello, where he earned degrees in business management and communications.</p> <p>He returned to the Marines in 1995 and served as a recruiter and instructor until 2000.</p> <p>Nutt then left the Marines to manage corporate sales for major retail marketing companies in northwest Arkansas.</p> <p>But with the war on terror in full swing, Nutt re-enlisted, joining the 3rd Battalion, 24th Marines in 2003.</p> <p>"I grew up with the company of heroes," he said, referring to his family who also served in the military. "The definition to serve was ingrained in me the day I was born."</p> <p><strong>'SHEEP DOGS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS'</strong><br /> In 2010, Nutt created the Sheep Dogs. It began slowly, mostly in Arkansas. His team would travel to disaster sites, helping locals deal with ravaging tornadoes and floods. Newspapers began reporting about the teams' work in Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Alabama, Kentucky and other areas, and attention grew.</p> <p>"It changed how I felt about myself," he said. "Helping is healing. Helping others can help yourself."</p> <p>Gene Roberts, the owner of a pizza restaurant in northeast Arkansas, was one of the first Sheep Dog members in the Jonesboro, Arkansas, chapter.</p> <p>Roberts volunteered at first; he later became a police officer and then officially joined the Sheep Dog organization.</p> <p>He and Nutt were friends in college, and Roberts traveled to southern Louisiana with Nutt after <em>Hurricane Katrina</em>.</p> <p>The impact of the group came to him and, like Nutt, he becomes emotional when telling the story.</p> <p>A young soldier returned from Afghanistan. He had been injured and was using a walker and wheelchair. Someone told the Sheep Dogs that the man did not have a ramp leading to his home and he had to negotiate steps.</p> <p>"The Sheep Dogs went to his house with donated materials," Roberts said. "We built a porch with a large staircase and wheelchair ramp. His family said they could not afford it, but we told them it would not cost them anything. We got a picture and a hug and it was worth it. There was not a dry eye out there when we were finished. Sheep Dogs take care of business."</p> <p>The first few years for the Sheep Dogs were "nasty," Nutt said. It was constant trips to disaster scenes. He saw the vast devastation of tornadoes in Joplin, Missouri, and Birmingham, Alabama, and flooding in his home state.</p> <p>Then, things slowed down.</p> <p>"We needed to fill in gaps between the disasters," he said. "What do we need to do to get off the couch?"</p> <p>That was the mantra of his new programs. Nutt developed "Get Off The Couch," a program designed to bring Sheep Dogs together for camping and hunting trips, fishing and other events just to maintain the camaraderie they need.</p> <p>He also created Warrior PATHH for posttraumatic growth help with a seven-day training program.</p> <p>"It is the next step of life," Nutt said. "It is the second mountain. We climbed the first one already [with combat and service] and now we are faced with the second one. This truly defines our legacy as human beings."</p> <p>Participation in the Sheep Dog Impact Assistance program has grown to 20,000 members in 20 states.</p> <p>"It has been amazing," Nutt said. "I am beyond proud of what this is. We lost veterans because they gave up on themselves. We are reminding people never to give up on themselves."</p> <p>VFW Department of Arkansas Commander Jeffrey Byrd, a member of Post 2330 in Searcy, Arkansas, said his VFW Department wants its members to join with other organizations to help veterans.</p> <p>"We encourage all our local VFWs to partner with the Sheep Dogs," Byrd said. "Many of the groups like Sheep Dogs and We Are The 22 are all doing the same thing - helping veterans."</p> <p>There is a deep brethren among veterans, he added. He believes in the power of his "buddy checks," times when he picks up his cell phone and sends quick text messages to fellow veterans.</p> <p>"It's a two-second text just to check on others," Byrd said. "You are reaching out to let them know you're there.</p> <p>"There's not been a sense of real belonging at times. You're seeing the closing of local VFW chapters. Sheep Dogs allow retired veterans to go and talk about their experiences with others without people judging them."</p> <p>Arkansas currently counts 72 VFW Posts with approximately 10,000 members.</p> <p>Jonesboro VFW Post 1991 opened its doors earlier this year for the Sheep Dogs to present their program and to recruit members, Commander Robert Murphy said.</p> <p>"Anything that can get people together will help," he said.</p> <p>The Sheep Dogs also have worked with We Are The 22, a group dedicated to helping veterans in volatile situations. During a recent Sheep Dog meeting in Jonesboro, members of that group also briefed each other about their programs.</p> <p>Wes Holt, a member of the We Are The 22 Arkansas chapter, said that in the five years his organization has been in existence in Arkansas, members have lost only one veteran while responding to 500 calls in the state.</p> <p>"We help de-escalate things," Holt said. "If you have law enforcement coming to a situation with a veteran with a gun threatening to harm himself with lights and sirens going, it won't go well. The only real reason why we do it is because we are all brothers."</p> <p>Several Sheep Dog members also are involved in the other assistance programs.</p> <p>The northeast Arkansas Sheep Dog group has 12 members and meets the third Thursday of each month. If they are not planning outings or assistance programs, they are just gathering together to see each other.</p> <p>In February, Gene Roberts was given the 2022 Northeast Arkansas Sheep Dog of the Year award for his work.</p> <p>"This is personal," Roberts said "We have friends who may be in trouble emotionally and need help. Sheep Dogs help keep the wolves away." </p> <p> </p> <p><em>This article is featured in the 2023 August issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by Kenneth Heard. Heard is a former newspaper and television reporter based in Jonesboro, Arkansas. He currently is the media information director for the Craighead County (Arkansas) Prosecuting Attorney's office.</em></p>2023-12-07T09:10:40-06:00{AFD7DD0A-E2E9-4108-A082-F55CE8611E8A}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/7/creating-a-green-spaceCreating a 'Green Space'<p>A VFW Post in New Jersey will show why it is called the Garden State.</p> <p>VFW Post 7925 Commander Brian Gallagher announced in July that the Post and community are coming together to build a "green space" for Fairfield residents to enjoy. The garden is named Schlapfer Gardens in honor of Warren Schlapfer, a late World War II veteran and VFW member.</p> <p>Schlapfer, an Army veteran who fought in the Philippine Islands, was a charter member of VFW Post 7925 in 1946. Schlapfer died on March 14, 2022, according to his obituary.</p> <p>Community members are also working on the Freedom Rocks project. Anyone can participate and they will receive a rock to paint in honor of any veteran. The stone will be placed in the garden when it opens.</p> <p>Gallagher said that the project could not happen without the support of the residents of Fairfield.</p> <p>"We wanted to give back to the Fairfield community for their support over the years as well as honor one of our founding members," Gallagher said during an interview with TAPinto West Essex. "Schlapfer Gardens will be a place where our residents can enjoy a place of tranquility to remember and reflect."</p> <div> </div>2023-12-07T09:10:46-06:00{77934719-A4D5-4F5F-A511-4BA83B3DB901}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/7/more-than-12000-pounds-of-foodMore than 12,000 Pounds of Food<p>Since 2019, VFW Post 2667 and its Auxiliary members have donated canned food and peanut butter and jelly to the One Roof Ecumenical Alliance Outreach in their hometown of Newnan, Ga., as well as Bridging the Gap, the Salvation Army and The I-58 Mission.</p> <p>According to Janet Alford, secretary/historian of Post 2667 Auxiliary, members are encouraged to bring jars of peanut butter and jelly to the monthly meetings. Those are then taken monthly to one of four community groups committed to helping food insecure families.</p> <p>"To date, we donate more than 100 jars of peanut butter monthly," Alford said. "As of July, we have donated a total of 4,848 jars of peanut butter, 1,354 jars of jelly and various canned goods. These donations have amounted to more than 12,000 pounds and an approximate value of more than $10,000."</p> <p>Alford said that in 2022, Auxiliary members began making birthday kits to donate to the pantries. Kits include cake mix, party plates, napkins, candles, frosting and pan to bake the cake in. Six birthday kits are donated each month.</p> <p>"Our members have been very generous with their donations and our food pantries are very grateful for our donations," Alford said. "We definitely feel like we are making a difference in our community. This is a project that every VFW could to in their community and it would make such a difference."</p>{18039338-2B6B-4BE0-8732-6C2EC0BD177B}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/7/veteran-helps-build-vfw-community-overseasVeteran Helps Build VFW Community Overseas<p>Blain Bertrand enlisted in 1989 out of a desire to serve his country. He spent four years in the Army and was stationed in Nuremberg, Germany.</p> <p>Three decades later, the Texas native is #StillServing as the commander of VFW Post 3885 in Erlangen, Germany. Even before becoming their official leader, Bertrand offered guidance to Post members.</p> <p>"Before I was commander, I spent two years as a service officer helping numerous veterans file claims," he said.</p> <p>Bertrand also takes an active role in outreach efforts. For instance, he built and manages his Post's website and social media channels. He also provides support when the Post hosts benefit concerts and outdoor activities.</p> <p>Recently, Bertrand started a chapter of the Veteran Golfers Association. Organizing golf tournaments for veterans and their families is one more way he's bringing the veteran community in Germany together.</p> <p>"Golf is huge in the United States, but no one has started something in Germany. As a PGA Professional and Army combat veteran, this is a perfect way to help veterans in Germany come together and grow the VFW community."</p> <p>The ways in which veterans across the country and abroad are #StillServing take many forms. Using their unique talents, Bertrand and others like him are finding creative ways - like managing their Post's online presence and organizing special events - to continue supporting communities everywhere.</p> <div> </div>2023-12-07T09:10:45-06:00{608303AE-5133-40F5-9EC7-77E10D82BAC6}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/6/our-mission-is-not-done'Our Mission is Not Done'<p>A section of Highway 115 (mile markers 15-27) in Colorado's Fremont County is now known as Veterans of Foreign Wars VFW Warriors Memorial Highway thanks to the efforts of VFW's Department of Colorado and its VFW Warriors Motorcycle Organization.</p> <p>According to VFW Warriors Terry Mullins, the work on the highway naming began in 2022 with a petition to the state of Colorado. On April 21, 2022, VFW representatives including Department of Colorado Commander Gerri Rimpley, gathered at the state capital to hear the reading of Colorado Senate Joint Resolution 22-012, which authorized the highway name.</p> <p>Mullins said there was not one "nay," as every senator agreed to accept the resolution.</p> <p>"Because of that resolution, we now have a memorial highway that is dedicated to our fallen warriors," said Mullins, adding that there are about 200 riders in the organization.</p> <p>The Colorado VFW Warriors began in 2004 at VFW Post 101 in Colorado Springs. One of its members, Army Sgt. Bobby Clark was killed in a motorcycle accident on April 8, 2006, in Penrose, Colorado.</p> <p>The following year, the riders held their first memorial ride from Colorado Springs to Penrose in remembrance of Clark. Mullins said since then, the annual ride has grown to be part of each of the Department's eight Districts.</p> <p>On April 22 during the 2023 memorial ride, the Veterans of Foreign Wars VFW Warriors Memorial Highway signs were erected. The signs were paid for by VFW District 2 and District 5 Warrior members.</p> <p>"This is just one of many projects that the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Colorado has done to promote and support all of our past, present and future veterans and their families," Mullins said. "The VFW Warriors continue to strive to make our communities aware that our mission is not done. We will always be there for our veterans and families in need."</p> <div> </div>{8CF1DD12-1883-418F-A0A6-1017E226A8AA}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/6/the-first-of-its-kind'The First of its Kind'<p>Families in the Tar Heel State gathered on June 3 in the state's High Country for an event aimed to entertain families of the area.</p> <p>The inaugural Family Fun Day event, hosted by Boone, N.C.'s VFW Post 7031, the Wounded Warrior Project and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, featured live music, arts and crafts, and other children's activities free of charge. While the event was opened to the public, Family Fun Day was held with veterans and their families in mind.</p> <p>Past-VFW Post 7031 Commander Chuck Wright, who was the Post's commander leading up to the event, said that he and other organizers believe Family Fun Day was a success. Wright added that 91 registered veterans attended with their families.</p> <p>"It was an outstanding event, and we are appreciative of all the veterans who showed up with their families," said Wright, a Marine of the Vietnam War. "We were even able to sign up several new members to the Post and Auxiliary."</p> <p>Wright, who served with the 3rd Marine Division in Vietnam, said that the event went so well that there are plans to hold another Family Fun Day in the future.</p> <p>"This event was the first of its kind here in northwestern North Carolina," said Wright, who served three tours from 1965 to 1971. "Representatives from the Elizabeth Dole Foundation have said they would like to participate in a future event."</p> <p>Wright, who medically retired from the Marine Corps in 1972, said the event would not have happened without the work of VFW Post 7031 Auxiliary member Tammy Dyson, who is a fellow of the Tennessee Elizabeth Dole Foundation. Dyson, along with the Post 7031 Auxiliary, was a pivotal part of the event and its success, according to Wright.</p> <p>"It is important for us to keep VFW's mission at the forefront," Wright said. "And we have to be able to show that to our community."</p> <div> </div>{F97DF372-C8BE-4E25-8B80-56E938089905}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/6/a-cane-is-more-than-a-crutchA Cane is More Than a Crutch<p>Watching his aging World War II veteran father neglect his cane because it made him appear "vulnerable" in public, VFW Life member Tom Ashmore set off on a journey that led him to Cane-Fu.</p> <p>With an extensive martial arts background dating back to formal training in judo at 14 years old, Ashmore, 78, contacted Grand Master Mark Shuey, a U.S. Martial Arts Hall of Fame inductee who created the American Cane System.</p> <p>The system, developed for seniors and people older than 40 in all physical conditions, appealed to Ashmore. He believed that using a cane for exercise and self-defense could get his father to appreciate his own.</p> <p>"I started training with Grand Master Shuey a decade ago and worked my way up, going through all the different belts," said Ashmore, a Purple Heart recipient who deployed in 1966 with the 2nd Bn., 4th Marines to Vietnam. "Then as I got more involved in teaching my father, I figured I'd help others like me. It became a hobby of love more than anything else."</p> <p>A Life member of VFW Post 4639 in Williamsburg, Virginia, and a retired police officer, Ashmore and his wife created Cane Loyalty, a free program that has since taught Cane-Fu to more than 2,000 veterans in and around Virginia.</p> <p>He describes Cane-Fu as an "innovative" way for veterans to stay active and practice self-defense tactics.</p> <p>"Sadly, physical attacks on seniors and the disabled have increased about 70 percent in the last few years," said Ashmore, whose martial arts background includes learning under several masters while deployed to Japan, as well as mastering Arnis, the national martial arts of the Philippines that uses stick, knife and open hand fighting.</p> <p>"We went with Cane Loyalty because if you are loyal to your cane, it will be loyal to you," Ashmore added. "It's like taking care of your weapon in combat. When you need it, it is there."</p> <p>Ashmore's Cane Loyalty program offers seminars with hands-on training, providing each veteran with a free hardwood cane manufactured by Cane Masters in Florida. While open to traveling for seminars, most of Ashmore's classes are held at the War Memorial Cultural Arts & Community Center in his hometown of Powhatan, Virginia.</p> <p>"I've been traveling around Virginia, but as I get older, I have traveled less," Ashmore said. "I do classes at VFW Posts and Purple Heart chapters around the area now. No veteran has ever paid for a class, either."</p> <p>For his efforts in teaching Cane-Fu to veterans, Ashmore has received much recognition over the years. Last year, the Vietnam veteran was honored with a permanent mural and Quilt of Honor at the VA hospital in Richmond, Virginia, as well as an award from the Richmond chapter of The Military Order of the Purple Heart for his continuous work in teaching veterans that a cane is more than a crutch.</p> <p>"The cane can become your personal gym so you can get stronger to live longer," Ashmore said. "You can use your cane to enhance your balance, increase your flexibility and defend yourself and others if needed. Learning these movements also builds confidence, and it can alleviate depression by giving them something to focus on."</p> <p>Through Cane Loyalty, Ashmore has recently developed new training programs for veterans who are wheelchair bound, as well as programs dedicated to caregivers and those missing a hand or arm.</p> <p>"Caregivers also benefit greatly from the strength building and flexibility training as well as the defense option," Ashmore said. "The caregiver and the veteran can practice together for added camaraderie."</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the June/July 2023 issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:irodriguez@vfw.org">Ismael Rodriguez Jr.</a>, senior writer for VFW magazine.</em></p>2023-12-07T09:10:48-06:00{CBDA3A55-B3FD-43D3-B4F0-ECE9F595FB69}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/6/vfw-names-virginia-post-winner-of-2023-community-service-awardVFW Names Virginia Post Winner of 2023 Community Service Award<p><strong>KANSAS CITY, Mo. -</strong> The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is proud to announce SSG Jonathan Dozier Memorial Post 2894 in Chesapeake, Virginia, has been selected to receive the 2023 VFW Fred C. Hall Memorial Outstanding Post Special Project Award, a prestigious award that recognizes VFW Posts for notable and exceptional community service projects.</p> <p>In early 2020, U.S. Navy Petty Officer Victoria Bullard and her husband, Christopher Edmonds, who was also on active-duty service in the Navy, purchased a home with the seller agreeing to make necessary repairs prior to the couple's return from their respective overseas tours. Victoria was dismayed when she returned from deployment to discover the seller had not completed any of the work, leaving her family with a home nearly uninhabitable. With Christopher still deployed, Victoria faced the sole responsibility of moving into a home that needed major repairs, and she didn't know where to turn.</p> <p>When members of VFW Post 2894 heard Victoria's story, they stepped in without hesitation. From repairing a large hole in the kitchen floor and replacing flooring throughout the home, to renovating the kitchen and repairing the backyard deck, together with the community and local groups like The Home Depot, I Sell 757 and Habitat for Humanity, Post members didn't stop working until the Bullard's house became a safe home.</p> <p>VFW National Commander Tim Borland will present VFW Post 2894 Commander Jose <span>Vazquez </span>with the 2023 VFW Fred C. Hall Memorial Outstanding Post Special Project Award on Wednesday, July 26, during the 124th VFW National Convention in Phoenix, Arizona.</p> <div> </div>{07EB49C7-E709-4E78-B763-21E953957B60}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/6/cars-and-courageCars and Courage<p>Members of VFW Post 10380 Green Township, Ohio, held their ninth annual "Cars and Courage" car show on April 29 to raise funds for their veterans' programs.</p> <p>The car show, a blend of more than 85 vintage and exotic cars lined across the parking lot of the Diamond Oaks Career Campus in Cincinnati, Ohio, helped the Post raise more than $1,200 towards their goal this year.</p> <p>"It was also a great way to increase our presence in the community," Post 10380 Vice Commander Edward Murphy said.</p> <p>Hosting more than 500 car enthusiasts between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on a Saturday, members of Post 10338 charged car show participants $20, collecting the rest of profits from food and drinks. All spectators had free access to the show, as in years past.</p> <p>The car show in April is among many slated fundraisers and community hosted by Post 10380 throughout the year. Some of these most popular events include a Fourth of July fireworks display, a Kids Fest in August, Veterans and Memorial Day parades, as well as an annual golf tournament.</p> <p>On Aug. 27, the Post also will celebrate its 35th anniversary with the community.</p>2023-12-07T09:10:49-06:00{0B10959A-F748-486E-B96E-886BF5594008}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/6/posts-with-strong-auxiliaries-do-wellPosts with Strong Auxiliaries Do Well<p>VFW has made great strides this year in membership. At press time, the organization was on track to hit 102 percent in membership.</p> <p>VFW's Membership Department offers congratulations to everyone helping to make this possible.</p> <p>To keep this trend going, VFW Membership Associate Director of Post Development and Revitalization Corey Hunt urges Posts that may be struggling to work on revitalization efforts.</p> <p>"A Post with good community ties will be a successful Post," Hunt said. "Events held at the Post whether big or small is healthy for the membership of the Post."</p> <p>Hunt added that each Post revitalization story is unique. Perhaps it is a Post that made changes to its home to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act ordinances or a Post that offered up its<br /> property to serve as a community garden.</p> <p>It could be the act of gathering food trucks in the Post parking lot, thereby drawing the community to the Post.</p> <p>"We do a lot of things at Posts throughout the year that count as revitalization," Hunt said. "It doesn't necessarily take a large, impactful effort, but small efforts combined."</p> <p>Hunt encouraged Posts with Auxiliaries to work closely with them for greater impact.</p> <p>"Even small endeavors by Auxiliaries can make a difference in the revitalization of Posts," Hunt said. "It is no secret that Posts with strong Auxiliaries do well. Most of those are All-American Posts."</p> <p>As an added incentive, Departments that charter a new Post or have a struggling Post that is revitalized will receive an award.</p> <p>That award is a $250 VFW Store credit given to the Department to be used for new Post materials. Additionally, the Membership Department sends new Posts a New Post Charter Kit from the VFW Store. Hunt noted that this award is subject to change each program year.</p> <p>"Ultimately, revitalization efforts are ongoing and keep Posts from defaulting," Hunt said. "If it is not happening, the Posts would not be able to exist."</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the June/July 2023 issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:JDyhouse@vfw.org">Janie Dyhouse</a>, senior editor for VFW magazine.</em></p>{C5C10E92-BDD2-4108-9A8A-B852D7A8EA70}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/6/nobody-has-bigger-hearts-than-bikers'Nobody Has Bigger Hearts Than Bikers'<p>It had been 15 years since Michael Polsley rode a motorcycle, feeling the rush of wind hiss as he traveled fast and steady down an open road.</p> <p>A Vietnam War veteran, Polsley's favorite pastime had been stripped from him by the utterance of a name given to symptoms he was beginning to experience in his later years, that of Parkinson's Disease.</p> <p>The thrill of one last ride prompted Polsley's son-in-law, Iraq War veteran Jerry Robinson, to reach out to Virginia VFW Riders Chairman Rob Pedersen on Nov. 26 in hopes of borrowing a sidecar that could be mounted on a motorcycle.</p> <p>"Jerry Robinson wanted to give his father-in-law a special gift by taking him on a motorcycle ride," said James Cooper, the VFW Post 637 commander in Hopewell, Virginia. "He spoke to Rob about how his father-in-law rode motorcycles all his life before his condition kept him off a bike for 15 years."</p> <p>Empathizing with the inquiry, Pedersen contacted the president of the riders group at Post 637, Michael Losoya, who sought help from Cooper in finding a sidecar to accommodate Polsley.</p> <p>After a few days, Losoya and Cooper landed help from VFW Post 637 Chaplain and fellow rider Sharon Sculthorpe, who has often volunteered to use her trike to give hospice patients in Hopewell rides around town.</p> <p>"I had heard they were having trouble finding a sidecar, so I told them I had a trike and if they could get him onto my bike then I could take him on this ride," Sculthorpe said. "I had been giving rides to people at hospices in order to grant them wishes of one last ride."</p> <p>Without knowing what had been set in motion by his son-in-law, Polsley, thinking he was going to see a motorcycle show at Post 637 on Dec. 11, was surprised when he arrived at noon to a motorcade of more than 25 riders waiting to join him on a memorable ride.</p> <p>"He was so excited and humbled by the surprise his family had set up," Sculthorpe said. "We strapped him in with padded pool noodles and he seemed very ready to go despite it being as cold as it was."</p> <p>Setting out from Post 637 on a motorcycle for the first time in more than 15 years, Polsley held onto Sculthorpe as the pair rode about 40 miles in temperatures grazing the low 20s.</p> <p>They strolled down backroads and highways around Prince George County, Virginia, passing through the scenic countryside and busy intersections alike.</p> <p>"We stopped one time along the way to give him a break because he gets tired easily with his disease, but he kept saying, 'Let's go, I want to keep riding,'" Sculthorpe said. "He was really enjoying all the bikes around him, too. We had riders from the VFW, American Legion and Patriot Guard. They all wanted to show their gratitude for his service, which goes to show you that nobody has bigger hearts than bikers."</p> <p>Following the 40-mile trek that ended back at the Post, Polsley was presented a Vietnam War veteran's pin and certificate by Post 637 Quartermaster Lee Dixon during a small ceremony.</p> <p>With his family and grandkids present, Polsley accepted the honor and thanked all those who helped make his wish a reality.</p> <p>For the Post 637 members and VFW Riders in attendance, the joy in a fellow veteran's eyes despite his circumstances was a reassurance of an ethos Sculthorpe added they all follow.</p> <p>"For us veterans, we live with the 'others before self ' motto, and if we could do something like this to make someone else's wish come true, we're going to do it," Sculthorpe said. "It was an honor and a privilege to do this for him."</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the June/July 2023 issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:irodriguez@vfw.org">Ismael Rodriguez Jr.</a>, senior writer for VFW magazine.</em></p>{10A79C8F-BA75-44C0-8AEB-12AE6B110688}https://vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2023/6/i-was-able-to-help-them'I Was Able to Help Them'<p>Irene Hosking was 24 years old when she joined the Army Nurse Corps more than 80 years ago. Her brother - two years her junior - survived the attack on Pearl Harbor. That pivotal moment provided the impetus for Hosking's enlistment on May 15, 1942.</p> <p>She met her husband, Louis W.A. Hosking, while based at Fort Custer, Michigan (now Fort McCoy). They would eventually have one son, Howard.</p> <p>Growing up in Hurley, Wisconsin, Hosking attended Milwaukee Wisconsin School of Nursing, where she graduated as a registered nurse on Feb. 8, 1940.</p> <p>As an Army nurse in 1942, Hosking found herself in Australia caring for the wounded. She clearly remembers tending to those with severe amputations. One was a baseball player who lost his pitching arm. Another GI had 17 wounds.</p> <p>"[I can recall] how they were able to endure the pain of getting their dressings done," Hosking said. "Those are the things I remember the most. I am very, very happy that I was a registered nurse. I was able to help them."</p> <p>After returning home, Hosking tried to join a VFW Post, but at that time, women were not allowed membership in the organization. In 1984, she joined VFW Post 4005 in Corunna, Michigan, and became Post commander in 1995.</p> <p>Hosking also was the first female commander of Michigan's Shiawassee VFW County Council. She has held a multitude of other positions within VFW since then. In 1996, Hosking became a member of the Post Auxiliary.</p> <p>At 105, Hosking regularly attends Post meetings as a Life member as well as VFW County Council meetings. Her daughter-in-law, Cathy, said Hosking tries to also attend state meetings when those are held close to home.</p> <p>To celebrate Hosking and her 105th birthday, VFW Post 4005 was to host an open house in her honor on April 22, just two days after her birthday.</p> <p>Post Commander Fred Blair said Hosking was the Post chaplain for 25 years, stepping down just last year. In April, she conducted the installation of the new Post officers.</p> <p>Blair said Hosking keeps him in line and lets him know if he makes any mistakes.</p> <p>"I joke she is nothing but a thorn in my butt ... because she is my rose," Blair said. "I recently gave her half a dozen roses - one for every year she has had to put up with me as Post commander."</p> <p>For her big celebration, Hosking requested no gifts, but instead asked for contributions to the Post, the VFW National Home for Children, or other causes.</p> <p>Hosking shared her secret to longevity: no smoking, no drinking and everything else in moderation.</p> <p>With 105 years of living under her belt, Hosking has simple, but sage advice when it comes to living the best life: "I always try to be nice to everyone. I treat everyone I meet like I have known them a long time."</p> <p><em>This article is featured in the June/July 2023 issue of <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/vfw-magazine">VFW magazine</a>, and was written by <a href="mailto:JDyhouse@vfw.org">Janie Dyhouse</a>, senior editor for VFW magazine.</em></p>2023-12-07T09:10:49-06:00