The hum of bagpipes called out to Frederick Benda Jr. a quarter century ago, and the Vietnam War veteran has not stopped playing them.

Benda, a Life member of VFW Post 872 in Southwick, Massachusetts, was drawn to bagpipes for their ability to pulse together a soundtrack that without words could honor fellow veterans at all the funerals and memorials he frequented since his return from war.

“After I got out of the service in 1972, I carried on with life for some 20 years,” said Benda, who served with the Air Force’s 823rd and 554th Civil Engineering Squadrons at Tan Son Nhut, Vietnam, from September 1970-September 1971. “When I began joining different groups at 50 years of age, I decided to learn how to play the bagpipes to honor our fallen veterans.”

Benda’s journey toward becoming a practicing bagpipes player began after he first joined VFW in the 1990s. Signing up at the now-defunct Post 1847 in Westfield, Massachusetts, 98 miles west of Boston, he appealed to his fellow members, who voted him as Post commander for four consecutive years.

During his time as Post commander, Benda often sat at the helm of VFW functions in Westfield. From Memorial Day functions to Veterans Day programs over the years, the pulse of bagpipes being played captivated Benda.

Benda began taking lessons, learning to play a wide variety of famous songs and eventually joined a kiltie pipe band in Springfield, Massachusetts. Over the years, he and his band have been a fixture at all local and neighboring community functions and parades, veterans’ memorials and honorary events.

“I also belong to the Vietnam Veterans Liberty Chapter 219 here in Westfield, and we are planning to have a special ceremony to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the war,” Benda said.

Benda said he plans to perform a self-written song during a commemorative march on the official 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War in Westfield. His performance of the song “Never Again Will One Generation Of Veterans Abandon Another” will be its debut.

This article is featured in the 2023 January issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Ismael Rodriguez Jr., senior writer for VFW magazine.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The VFW and Humana are joining forces with multiple veterans organizations to collaborate on a new initiative focused on raising awareness about Veterans Service Officer (VSO) programs.

With Humana’s support, PsychArmor, a national nonprofit and preferred training provider specializing in military culture awareness, is creating an online, video-based curriculum to educate about VSOs and to offer guidance on how to access support and maximize veteran entitlements across the full range of non-profit providers.

“The VFW is excited to see that Humana and PsychArmor see the value of VSOs and the human impact that this network of professional and trained advocates offers to the veterans’ community free of charge,” said Ryan Gallucci, VFW Deputy Executive Director. “We look forward to working with Humana, PsychArmor and our VSO partners on this project to make sure veterans, military-connected families, and the American public know how to easily access the care and benefits to which they are entitled.”

During the collective impact strategy meeting here Jan. 11, leaders from the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), DAV (Disabled American Veterans), Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) and the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers (NACVSO) brainstormed with the Humana and PsychArmor teams to determine the overarching goals for the developing curriculum.

The training PsychArmor is developing will leverage the collective strength of these organizations around whole-person health in military-connected communities.

“I am proud Humana is taking an important role in bringing together various veteran service organizations to have critical discussions on how to better educate and coordinate transitions of those leaving active service as well as support the many existing veterans who are unaware of or apprehensive about accessing benefits and services available to them,” said Dan Maltese, Vice President of Retail Career Distribution for Humana MarketPoint. “Our veteran community is in need of trusted, easy-to-access and understandable resources that will give them a path of care, support and services that can stand as proud as the service our veterans gave to our country.”

The group agreed there is a significant knowledge gap when it comes to general understanding of the benefits and services available to those who have served in the military, meaning many veterans are not accessing the financial compensation or health care to which they are entitled through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

VSOs are in communities across the country to help veterans navigate federal, state and local resources and benefits. Their services are free of charge through national veterans non-profit organizations, like those working to develop this educational training with PsychArmor.

“This is yet another building block in our work to reduce barriers to care for veterans and their families,” said Dr. Tina Atherall, CEO of PsychArmor. “We’re applying a public-health approach to an identified health equity need – getting veterans in touch with their VSO peers who can help them navigate the complexities of VA claims and benefits. We also believe that the resulting social connections and their impact on health outcomes will be a secondary benefit of VSO engagement and advocacy.”

The new course being developed, 15 Things Veteran Service Officers Want You To Know, will be based on feedback from this meeting as well as surveys and focus groups with VSOs and learners. In addition to raising awareness about VSO programs, the curriculum aims to counter misconceptions about the VSO program and will address concerns that many veterans do not self-identify or file VA claims.

The VSO course will follow a similar format as PsychArmor’s cornerstone course, 15 Things Veterans Want You To Know.

The VFW is gearing up its second annual VFW Day of Service scheduled for May 6. More than 400 Posts worldwide engaged in activities benefiting communities during last year’s inaugural event.

Nearly 100 percent of Posts participating last year have already said they will host events again, according to VFW Communications Director Randi Law.

“Our members show up when there’s a need,” Law said. “Day of Service offers us a great way for them to demonstrate what they stand for, and that’s service to others.”

Law added that while the first Saturday in May has been designated as the VFW Day of Service, Posts can host events at any time throughout the month.

This day of serving was created following the success of VFW’s #StillServing campaign which launched in 2020. The social media campaign recognizes VFW members’ commitment to community service. Since then, more than 3 million people have engaged in the campaign.

Last year’s Day of Service saw Posts beautifying communities and collecting supplies for animal shelters. There were food drives, events to recognize firefighters and even a Freedom Festival hosted by one Post.

VFW members are no stranger to community service and for most, they naturally gravitate toward it.

“Bringing veterans and the community together to make a meaningful difference is what the VFW does,” Law said.

To learn more about the second annual VFW Day of Service and to register your Post, visit VFWDayofService.org.

VFW Post 2598 members and its VFW Riders in Cleveland, Tennessee, combined their efforts during a benefit ride to help raise more than $16,000 for children’s medical research on Sept. 3.

With 34 motorcycles and several cars belonging to Post 2598 members, the VFW Riders trekked more than 190 miles across the state in true volunteer fashion to help raise money for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.

“Even though we were the only ones to host and manage the event,” Post 2598 Quartermaster Ernie Griggs said, “It was through the efforts of the community and sponsors that it was a successful event.”

Following the 190-mile ride, which included four stops, the 34 VFW Riders and participating Post 2598 members in cars were welcomed back at the Post by more than 125 patrons for an auction to end the benefit ride.

It was through their participation, along with generous donations by local businesses, that Post 2598 members secured $16,000 towards St. Jude’s.

“Local support and participation were the key to our success,” Griggs said. “At least 120-130 people attended the auction after the ride, which was the main money-raising event for us.”

Popular among the community for hosting multiple benefit rides in and around Cleveland, 369 miles east of Memphis, Post 2598 and their Riders are already planning a slew of other rides in 2023.

“We have several more rides in the planning stages,” Griggs said. “But no definite dates yet.”

For updates on Post 2598 benefit rides, visit their Facebook profile at https://www.facebook.com/VFW-Post-2598-1036462649701759/.

VFW Post 7248 members in Sparta, New Jersey, welcomed more than 160 visitors to their hall in support of the second annual Frankie’s Toy Drive on Dec. 11.

The event, named after 5-year-old Frankie Volpe, who at four months old was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Langerhan Cell Histiocytosis (LCH), helped collect more than 200 unwrapped gifts for a Christmas donation to the Ronald McDonald House in Philadelphia.

“I have been very lucky to have Frankie home with our family during the holidays, but not all the children we see are that lucky,” said Alicia Volpe, Frankie’s mom and toy drive founder. “Because our family goes through so much, the way we get through it is giving back at Christmas.”

Volpe began running the toy drive in 2021 but seeing a large community response to the event prompted them to seek a larger venue for their second annual event this year.

When a friend of the family, Heather Tanner, insisted on reaching out to the local VFW, Volpe contacted Post 7248 Commander Pete Litchfield, who agreed to help the family run the event at the Post’s event hall.

“They were amazing,” Volpe said. “Pete is one of the most thoughtful people, and he went over and above for my son’s toy drive event,” Volpe said. “Without their support we would not have been able to do this.”

The event at Post 7248 provided local children and their families with all the comforts of the Christmas spirit, from hot chocolate and homemade cookies to homemade confections and photos with Santa, as well as arts and crafts and local vendors providing food and drinks.

The success of the event left Volpe thanking Litchfield and others at Post 7248 for their gracious support in running her son’s toy drive.

“It was such a success that we are already planning our next toy drive next year,” Volpe said.

When the Department of New York VFW published a posting for an assistant Department service officer, Navy veteran Maddie Fletcher considered applying for the job. But she decided the hour-and-a-half commute was too much.

A few months later, Fletcher attended a VFW conference where the Department announced it was still looking to fill the role. She reconsidered and spoke with Department personnel to see if it would be a good fit. Shortly after, Fletcher was called in for an interview, offered the job and accepted.

Since starting a few months ago, Fletcher splits her time between a VFW office in Albany and another in New York City. She uses the drive time to clear her mind before and after each day.

Fletcher’s main responsibility is to help individuals secure benefits. But she wants veterans to know that whatever they are going through – even if it is not related to benefits – her office is there to help.

“One of the first cases I got was a veteran in the city. His car battery had died, so he was getting tickets and couldn’t get to his job,” she explained.

Around the same time, the veteran and his wife were forced out of their apartment because of a rat and bedbug infestation, and the couple had to sleep in their car.

“The veteran called me one morning while having a breakdown and talked about taking drastic measures,” Fletcher said. “It broke my heart, and I knew I needed to do something.”

Fletcher was able to provide immediate assistance. With her help, the couple got something to eat and put gas in their car.

“After that, everything just kind of did a 180,” she said.

The veteran got his vehicle to the shop, and with help from Fletcher and others, including New York District 1 Commander Luke Magliaro Jr., got a new car battery. After that, he was able to go back to work and find placement in a shelter. The case stands out to Fletcher because it proves that small actions can have a major impact.

“Sometimes, it’s just talking to somebody,” she said. “Anytime I start a conversation with a veteran, I ask them if their benefits are OK or if they know anyone looking for help. That’s generally how I’ve pulled things in – just talking to people.” Since that early case, Fletcher has had other victories. But that does not mean the job is easy.

“The most challenging thing is not being able to do everything, but there’s only so much you can do,” she said.

Despite feeling frustrated when things do not work out, Fletcher knows this is the role for her.

“I’m in a position now where I feel like I can actually do something to help people,” she explained. “There was a time when I didn’t have anything and I needed help. I feel like in a way, I’m paying it forward. It’s like it’s what I’m supposed to be doing – it just feels right.”

Learn more about the VFW’s National Veterans Service (NVS) program.

For as long as there has been a VFW presence in Madison, West Virginia, the Christmas spirit has remained within reach of all in and around the community.

Without missing a beat in more than 70 years, members of VFW Post 5578 and its Auxiliary members in Madison have annually prepared and distributed baskets of food to residents in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities, as well as those suffering from food insecurity.

Embodying the community’s togetherness, Post Commander and life member Curtis Mayhorn credits local businesses and residents for providing donations to help VFW bring Christmas to those less fortunate.

“This community has always stepped up when there is a need,” Mayhorn said. “I can’t say enough about the people in this county and how they take care of one another.”

Chartered in 1946 by Conscio C. Smarr, among others, Post 5578 began its Christmas Basket Program in 1951. The inspiration for the program came while Smarr was deployed to France, where he noticed a VFW Post distributing food baskets to those in need during World War II.

Smarr decided to bring the idea for the program back to West Virginia. The original food baskets in Madison contained an assortment of flour, corn meal, salt, canned food, ham, bread, potatoes, peanut butter, jelly, milk, sugar and other seasonal items. The Post issued a sign-up sheet in mid-October each year, and recipients could collect the baskets in early December at the Post, which today sits beside the Madison Civic Center.

When the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world in 2020, Mayhorn and Post 5578 were determined to keep the program active.

“We always had a local Boy Scout group in here filling the baskets while we loaded,” Mayhorn said. “The parents of the scouts always helped, too. It was a real community thing. I did not want to expose all those people to the coronavirus, so we started doing the food cards instead.”

What ensued was specific food deliveries to those confined in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Other residents suffering from food insecurity received food cards worth $100 each, redeemable at Kroger, a local grocery store in Madison. In 2021 alone, Post 5578, with help from the community, provided more than 300 food cards worth some $30,000, according to Mayhorn.

“It actually seemed to work better this way for us and for those who sign up to receive them,” Mayhorn said. “There is a good chance that we’ll keep doing it this way moving forward.”

Post 5578 and its Auxiliary also operate a Christmas Toy Program for children in Madison that coincides with those families applying for food cards.

“Our applications have information to fill out the ages of boys and girls and the number of each,” said Post 5578 Quartermaster Johnny Saunders. “I say that about 150 kids each year receive gifts.”

Paying it forward to the younger generations, added Mayhorn, is the surest way to continue a tradition of unity within the community of Madison.

“We don’t want these things to be forgotten in the future,” Mayhorn said. “We need our younger members to carry it forward.”

The food cards and toys this year will be distributed between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. at Post 5578 on Dec. 6, 7 and 8.

This article is featured in the 2022 November/December issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Ismael Rodriguez Jr., senior writer for VFW magazine.

Veterans living at Brickmont Assisted Living in Woodstock, Georgia, have a “Veterans Resource Reading Area” thanks to members of VFW Post 12002 in nearby Alpharetta.

Past Post Chaplain Dennis Parmer said that when he established the reading area in June, he did it so that VFW would be represented each day at the facility.

“We wanted to do something to keep us in their minds,” Parmer said. “And also, that they know we are always thinking about them.”

Post members save past issues of VFW and American Legion magazines, which are then put in an area at Brickmont designated as VFW Post 12002 Veterans Resource Reading Area. Incidentally, the
Alpharetta Post is home to VFW Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief Al Lipphardt.

Parmer, a retired Army first sergeant, said he often goes to the home in his military uniform to talk with the veterans about how the military has changed since those vets served.

“They love having the conversations about how things used to be,” Parmer said. “We talk about soldiers getting tattoos, female soldiers wearing fingernail polish and new military vehicles.”

Parmer said the stacks of magazines are available to veterans 24 hours a day and provide articles on topics they may not find in other publications.

“We have had a great response to this,” said Parmer, who served in 2003 with the 101st Airborne Division in Mosul, Iraq, in addition to numerous other overseas deployments during his 27-year Army career. “To make this more personal, I put their names and former ranks on a board in the resource area. Our veterans do not want to be forgotten.”

According to Parmer, Brickmont Activities Director Evette O’Neal said the veterans “are very excited” when they hear that Parmer is coming for a visit.

“We hope this is an area that Brickmont veterans can enjoy for many years,” Parmer said.

This article is featured in the 2022 November/December issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Janie Dyhouse, senior editor for VFW magazine.

They gathered on an afternoon stitched in gray, serenaded by a brass band playing on the manicured lawn of the American Legion Pavilion at the local VA hospital in Bedford, Massachusetts.

Several dozen veterans, many confined to wheelchairs, welcomed a new trolley draped in the proverbial red, white and blue of their beloved nation on June 23, a $129,000 donation by VFW Post 1105 members in nearby Watertown, Massachusetts.

“We saw a need,” Post 1105 Commander Derek Mayerhofer said. “We had the means to help, and the veterans deserved it.”

Alongside members of Post 1105, Mayerhofer unveiled the custom-made trolley, enhanced with a chairlift and large removable windows, as a gift to residents and staff of the Bedford VA hospital to use for campus navigation.

Mayerhofer then joined Director of VA Bedford Healthcare Joan Clifford in the ribbon-cutting ceremony, a prelude to the much-anticipated inaugural ride for many patients of the hospital around its campus.

“We had the old trolley for over 25 years,” Clifford said. “The VFW volunteered to purchase this for us when ours kept breaking down. This trolley ended up costing about $129,000, so not a small
amount that they donated to us.”

In early 2021, the members of Post 1105, 13 miles southeast of Bedford, sold their longtime building to an Alexandria-based real estate company in Virginia for a large sum. With the newly arrived influx of cash, Post members soon began voting on ways to help veterans in and around their community with the proceeds.

“We sold our building in Watertown for $1.2 million, so when we found out they were doing a fundraiser for a new trolley, member Dominic Ricci made a motion to donate $10,000,” Post Quartermaster Ed Aucoin said. “Then I said, ‘Wait a minute, why don’t we donate the whole amount?’ “

In keeping up with the VFW motto ‘No One Does More for Veterans,’ Aucoin and Post 1105 reached out to the VA hospital’s personnel and surprised them with a sizeable donation after their more than two-year fundraising campaign.

“This is life-changing for our patients,” said Laurel Holland, a VA Voluntary Service Chief at the Bedford VA healthcare system. “They have been through the pandemic for two years with loads of restrictions and no fun. Then suddenly, this joy comes in. Not only are they going to have a great time, but they will be able to ride around the campus on this gorgeous trolley hanging out the window,
honking and waving like the celebrities they are. People will give them so much love.”

The patients sported smiles while being wheeled by hospital staff onto the trolley, sitting with their heads poking out of the windows as it rolled off in motion to a soundtrack of old songs being played by the brass band.

For one of the many Post 1105 members in attendance, their smiles were worth more than any six-figure check could cash.

“I was filled with a sense of honor that our VFW Post was able to assist fellow veterans in such a meaningful way in their hour of need,” said George MacMasters, a combat veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. “I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for the veterans to be locked down in the hospital for two years due to COVID, and how liberated they must feel now riding around the hospital campus in a new trolley enjoying the sunshine and fresh air.”

Post 1105 members, who now rent the Pvt. Charles J. Shutt Marine Corps League building for VFW gatherings in Watertown, invested part of the money from the sale of their former Post home.

They now use the interest from this investment to fund several other veterans’ programs throughout the area.

“We invested the money with a financial advisor and have been using the interest to fund and sponsor training of service dogs, horse therapy programs for veterans with PTSD, as well as purchasing the trolley for the hospital,” MacMasters said. “We are now in the process of buying a van for a veterans’ program that works with returning veterans.”

This article is featured in the 2022 November/December issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Ismael Rodriguez Jr., senior writer for VFW magazine.

David Vieira, Senior Vice Commander of VFW Post 149 in Danbury, Connecticut, describes his Post as “very active,” with a long list of accomplishments to back that up.

It has hosted BBQ fundraisers for youth sports, participated in flag-placing days at cemeteries, hosted blood drives, sponsored a little league baseball team, prepared meals for community groups and more.

“We do it because even when we hang up our uniform, our commitment to service and this great country doesn’t end,” explained Vieira.

Most recently, the Post undertook a new challenge, which will have a long-lasting impact on the community, especially veterans. A couple of years ago, some members came up with the idea to build Connecticut’s first memorial in honor of Afghanistan and Iraq War veterans.

What began as a dream sketched on a napkin is becoming a reality. A rendering has been created and fundraising efforts are underway. The Post even teamed with Stone Creek Brewery in neighboring Branford, Connecticut, which created a specialty beer for the occasion. A portion of AO Lager sales will go toward construction.

No matter the activity, Vieira and his fellow Post members have one, over-arching mission.

“It’s our duty to help fellow veterans in need and to build and maintain relationships,” he said. “We want to be there for each other and the residents of our city and state.”

The VFW is proud to recognize VFW Post 149 and its members who are #StillServing.