When an Auxiliary member in Muncy, Pennsylvania, suffered a near-death experience following a gruesome motorcycle crash in April, his VFW Post 3428 counterparts stepped in to provide assistance.

More than 85 people attended a fundraiser at VFW Post 3428 on behalf of Anthony Mitchell in July, helping raise $5,490 towards the Auxiliary member’s hospital bills accrued over months of intensive care and surgeries.

“It was overwhelming,” Mitchell told the PA homepage news outlet in Pennsylvania. “Even if it was not a lot of people, friends are friends.”

The wreck happened on April 30, when Mitchell lost control of his motorcycle on his way home after a benefit ride in memory of a local child that had passed away.

He recalled the grass, gravel and then the fog that comes from broken pieces after a traumatic accident shatters perception.

“From that point there, I can’t tell you what happened because I don’t know what happened,” Mitchell said. “My mind just went completely blank after that.”

Mitchell spent five weeks in the hospital nursing broken ribs, a punctured and collapsed lung, as well as blood clots. For an avid motorcyclist, the traumatic accident marked his first in more than 30 years of riding.

“After 33 years together, I just had to make sure he was okay,” said Millie Mitchell, Anthony’s wife. “He’s my best friend, my husband. I don’t know what I would do without him.”

With the mounting expenses as a result of surgeries and physical therapy since the crash, the Mitchells received a hand up by members of Post 3428, who surprised the couple with a fundraiser laden with food, live music and raffles.

Though Mitchell’s recovery remains a work in progress, he was deeply moved by the Post’s efforts to help a fellow friend and Auxiliary member the way it did.

“I get very emotional because they’re not just friends, they’re all family,” Mitchell said. “I appreciate everything.”

When VFW Post 3911 in Key West, Florida, needed an innovative way to raise money for its relief fund in 2013, Powell Thomas turned to the island’s roots.

Revered as a bustling fishing village with a long and celebrated history, Thomas knew Key West served as the perfect backdrop for a veterans fishing tournament to raise funds.

With a history of avid fishermen that includes Ernest Hemingway and legendary baseball player and Korean War veteran Ted Williams, fishing is either a vocation or a pastime for most locals in Key West.

“Just about everyone in Key West owns a boat or knows someone who does,” said Thomas, a Vietnam veteran and a life member of Post 3911. “So I went to the meeting and said this is something we should do. I had run a few fishing tournaments before, and I knew my way around constructing them.”

The Post’s quartermaster at the time, Thomas believed a two-day fishing tournament would both enhance the Post’s presence on the island and help raise funds to support its sizeable veterans population.

“I knew a lot of veterans in the area who were doing quite well, but I also knew a few who weren’t doing so well,” Thomas said. “There are many active-duty service men and women in the Florida Keys, so the Post relief fund also helps many of these people when a sudden deployment wreaks havoc on a young family’s finances.”

With help from Post members and the VFW Auxiliary president, Thomas launched the first “Fish for Veterans” tournament in June 2013, welcoming a modest 18 boats manned by veterans and non-veterans fishing for cash prizes.

Since then, the tournament has grown exponentially as a result of continuous advertising in national fishing and wildlife magazines, as well as word of mouth amongst veterans and locals. And despite cancelling the 2020 tourney due to COVID-19, the 2021 event last June proved the most profitable to date.

The ninth annual “Fish For Veterans” tournament last year welcomed a record 213 participants and 46 boats from across the country. It also yielded more than $20,000 in cash prizes for the heaviest species of mahi, tuna, wahoo, grouper and snapper caught, as well as individual angler categories that included ladies, peewee, junior, active duty, veteran, senior and first responders.

“The event has grown steadily each year with the exception of 2020, but last year was the biggest one yet,” Thomas said. “That’s a testament to how well-supported the tournament is among the Florida Keys communities and their local businesses.”

The tournament’s success over the years also has met Thomas’ expectations for its creation, amassing more than $200,000 through 2021 for Post 3911’s relief fund. Through the fund, Post 3911 has continued to help Key West’s veterans’ population, which includes sizeable donations annually to Volunteers of America (VOA), a social services organization providing transitional housing to homeless veterans in Key West.

“Volunteers of America provides some housing for homeless veterans, and its semi-long term,” Thomas said. “What we’ve done is support them financially over the years. We also help the homeless veterans themselves, helping the individuals get on their feet once they leave there by giving them furniture, clothes and stuff of that kind.”

Though Thomas stepped down as program director after the ninth annual tourney last year, he will remain a fixture during the planning and undertaking of the event, adding that he believes it will be the best one to date.

“It will be bigger and better than ever,” Thomas said. “This year, the super prize for heaviest mahi has been increased to $20,000 or a brand new Toyota Corolla.”

The 10th annual tournament is scheduled for June 17-19, and it will be open to the general public as always.

Further information can be obtained by visiting www.vfwpost3911.org.

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

When President Joe Biden signed a law on Oct. 13, 2021, that designates a 1,300-mile trail called the September 11th National Memorial Trail, it served as the culmination of two decades of planning for David Brickley.

Brickley, who heard the news while on a business trip in Austria, fused his gratification with the memory of the project’s genesis in the wake of one of America’s darkest days.

In September 2001, Brickley served as director of Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation. He was to join a 13-state conference on trails and greenway infrastructure from Sept. 15-18 in Arlington, Virginia, when the Sept. 11 attacks happened.

“When 9/11 hit, we had a conference call among ourselves, and it was agreed to proceed with the conference, partly as a reflection that we couldn’t be beaten down,” said Brickley, who was awarded the Bronze Star during his deployment to Vietnam in 1969.

Brickley, a Life member of VFW Post 1503 in Dale City, Virginia, welcomed the multi-state representatives into a conference room at the Crystal City Marriott by having his park rangers pass out small U.S. flags at the entrance.

“I wanted to establish a mood of resiliency and patriotism in the wake of these senseless terrorist attacks,” Brickley said. “At the end of the conference, I said we needed to find a way to merge our love of trails and greenways with this horrific event that happened just days before and just blocks from where we were meeting.”

With overwhelming support, Brickley formed the 9/11 National Memorial Trail Alliance, a Prince William County nonprofit, a year later. The goal of the Alliance was to create a multi-state trail system that linked all three September 11 memorial sites – the National September 11 Memorial in New York City, the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington.

“We have had tremendous support from local and state governments ever since,” Brickley said. “Our volunteers are the backbone, and they come from all backgrounds, which includes the mother of a beautiful daughter lost in the Flight 93 crash and a New York City firefighter who survived the collapse of both towers [of the World Trade Center.]”

Brickley’s vision took the form of a triangle on the map, which linked all three sites in what runs 1,300 miles long altogether. In order to actualize the vision, however, Brickley had to find answers for several concerns.

From finding ways for the National Park Service to manage the multi-state trail to linking other existing trails and historic areas together, Brickley sought help from local and state governments in order to materialize the concept. With help and support from Virginia Sen. Charles Colgan and later Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania, concerns became possibilities for Brickley.

“I wrote to Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, and his chief of staff called me back and said, ‘The governor really loved the idea, because it could be the state’s longest trail, crossing the mountains to Pittsburgh,'” Brickley said. “He even provided initial funding toward our project.”

After laying out the blueprint for a trail system, the next task was to find a link between the Flight 93 crash site and the West Allegheny Passage, which is part of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, extending from Pittsburgh through West Virginia down into Virginia.

The link needed to encompass a 21-mile gap, which led to Brickley’s partnership with CSX Corp., a U.S.-based holding company focused on rail transportation and real estate, among many other ventures.

It was Brickley’s brother-in-law, Ben Swecker, who discovered an abandoned railroad corridor owned by CSX Corp., that could shorten the gap.

“We didn’t have funds when we started to negotiate to buy the land,” Brickley said. “I wrote CSX Corp.’s CEO Michael Ward a letter to remind him that 2016 would be the 15th anniversary of 9/11. Then I asked him if it wouldn’t be a wonderful gesture to donate 12 miles of the corridor.”

A month after the letter was written and sent, Brickley received a response from Ward, who was glad to help the cause by having CSX Corp. donate all 12 miles of the land toward the project.

After more than 16 years to find land and piece together the trail, Brickley’s next step was to seek designation as a federal trail to protect and solidify the land’s purpose in the future.

Through his connections, Brickley had U.S. Reps. Gerald E. Connolly (D-Va.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Don Beyer (D-Va.) introduce a bill to make the 1,300-mile trail a federal landmark in 2020. The bill subsequently passed in the House of Representatives with a vote of 423-0, which was then followed by the Senate’s unanimous consent.

“It was a great example of what can happen when both political parties work together,” said Brickley, who has since remained with the Alliance as its president emeritus. “In this case, the goal led to this system that connects five states and is a multi-use, on-road and off-road trail to honor the heroes of 9/11, as well as show the resilience and perseverance of Americans since the founding of our country.”

Though Brickley remained in Austria during the signing of the bill into public law by Biden on Oct. 13, he professed his appreciation for the President’s interest and involvement with the Alliance.

“Biden spent over an hour with our Alliance members talking about trails and greenways,” Brickley said. “He was engaging and understood how important it was to remember those heroes of 9/11 and ensure their memories are never forgotten.”

Now that the September 11th National Memorial Trail has earned federal designation, Brickely added that the next step is to continue working with the National Park Service in making the trail 100 percent off-road.

Today, the trail remains 50 percent off-road, allowing those who venture along it the options to drive, cycle or hike. Since 2001, hundreds of thousands of people have ventured on the trail, according to Brickley, with a few hundred people completing the full 1,300 miles.

“We’ve been greeted by the communities along the trail, and it really shows a sense of patriotism,” Brickley said. “It is still a work in progress, but our goal is to eventually have an entirely off-road trail. It’ll probably take decades, but it’s open now, and it’s a wonderful symbol of America.”

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

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is proud to announce that Freddie John Falgout Post 3665 in Raceland, Louisiana, was selected to receive the 2022 VFW Fred C. Hall Memorial Outstanding Post Special Project Award, a prestigious award that recognizes VFW Posts for notable and exceptional community service projects.

VFW Post 3665 was selected for its tireless work aiding and supporting its hometown in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida in the fall of 2021. When the town took a direct hit, knocking out critical infrastructure, Post members jumped into action, opening the doors of the Post to provide shelter, collecting fuel, nonperishable foods, water, tarps and cleaning products to distribute to the community.

Going above and beyond, Post members fully committed to the recovery efforts and worked with other nonprofit organizations to provide more than 2,000 hot meals to the community. Because of their efforts, 84 brand new mattresses found their way to the homes of people impacted by the hurricane.

“Service to others is a founding tenet of the VFW, and what Post 3665 was able to accomplish in the chaos and destruction following Hurricane Ida is a perfect example of the VFW doing what it does best,” said VFW National Commander Fritz Mihelcic.

VFW National Commander Mihelcic will present VFW Post 3665 Commander James Prestenbach with the 2022 VFW Fred C. Hall Memorial Outstanding Post Special Project Award on Wednesday, July 20, during the 123rd VFW National Convention being held in Kansas City, Missouri.

When Afghanistan War veteran Tony Mayne retired from the Army after more than 20 years, he vowed to continue serving fellow Rangers by sharing his invaluable knowledge.

Understanding the complexities of a journey from service member to civilian, Mayne resolved to help the Rangers population through a “Ranger For Life” concept he began developing while serving in the 75th Ranger Regiment’s public affairs staff in 2014.

“I knew Rangers were not aware of the resources available to them due to my day-to-day interactions,” said Mayne, who deployed with C Co., 3rd Ranger Bn., 75th Ranger Regt. during the initial airborne assault on Objective Rhino in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan, on Oct. 19, 2001.

Mayne knew the Army’s “Soldier for Life” program was a good starting point, but he believed service in the 75th Rangers provided the foundation for success.

“We look at ourselves as Rangers first,” said Mayne, a Life member of VFW Post 665 in Columbus, Ga. “Soldier for Life can work if it is tailored to the unit level. That’s why we developed the Ranger For Life concept as a retention and transition program.”

The program, which the 75th Rangers officially established in 2019 to both help with civilian transition and expand retention through the Phalanx program for Rangers who want to remain in the Army, follows a holistic approach comprised of five key elements for transition. For Mayne, who retired in April 2020, those five elements became the pillars upon which his Columbus-based company, Ranger For Life LLC, was created in July 2020.

“Employment and education are the easy parts of transition,” Mayne said. “Our Ranger For Life holistic approach is comprised of the big five – networking, continuing education and initial employment, VA integration, financial literacy and holistic strength training of the body, mind and spirit.”

Operating out of the Ranger Outreach Center in Columbus since its inception in 2020, Mayne’s company has continuously developed contacts and boasts a diverse array of professionals, businesses and organizations ready to assist Rangers with their transition.

As its CEO, Mayne also has partnered with GallantFew Inc., and Three Rangers Foundation to enhance the effectiveness of providing Rangers with a pathway to success as they enter the civilian world.

“GallantFew, Three Rangers Foundation and Ranger For Life LLC have a 100 percent employment placement and/or enrollment in a chosen field of study for the more than 400 transitioning Rangers we have seen six months prior to Expiration Term of Service,” said Mayne, who has served as GallantFew’s programs director since April 2020.

Mayne attributes the growing success of the partnership between these veteran-based organizations to networking, a staple of his Ranger For Life concept and one learned from his time at Clemson University and The Ohio State University, respectively.

“Like at universities, we are building the alumni network,” Mayne said. “Every successfully transitioned Ranger is a spokesperson for the regiment – that is recruiting. A well-transitioned Ranger is a potential Ranger volunteer – that is relationship building through mentorship.”

From transition support for the individual to training solutions scalable for large-sized organizations, Mayne believes his Ranger For Life approach can help navigate a post-military career without hiccups.

“It’s not mandatory for Rangers to see us, so once a Ranger takes the GallantFew self-assessment test, steps in the doors of the Ranger Outreach Center or signs up for our elite courses, watch out,” Mayne said. “A Ranger who seeks assistance has already overcome the biggest hurdle in transition – fear of the unknown.”

In spreading the word, Mayne also created A More Elite podcast in May 2021, which welcomes guests to share their personal journeys as examples of perseverance. The podcast episodes air every Thursday at noon ET on Apple Podcasts.

“Our desire is only to see our Rangers and their families continue to serve our great nation and thrive in the process,” Mayne said. “At the end of the day, we’ve got a lot of people who can make an impact across many industries. We want to put our Rangers front and center.”

For more information on how Ranger For Life injects the holistic wellness practices of Rangers into America, visit www.rangerforlife.com.

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

Members of VFW Post 3834 in San Fernando, California, are celebrating their recent achievement of earning All-American status. They are celebrating for good reason. This is the first time in the Post’s 80-year history to have received the honor. A quick look at the Post’s community involvement makes clear the title is well deserved.

“Our Post provides opportunities to those veterans who want to continue their service or find connections with like-minded veterans,” said Post Commander Raul Barragan. “From providing opportunities for local families through our Cub Scout pack to offering vaccinations through a local health partnership, we are committed to continuing to be a pillar [for] our community.”

It is important to members of Post 3834 that that community includes everyone. They take extra care to ensure veterans from every era and background feel supported. Last spring, the Post hosted a Salute to Women Veterans event where women service members received a specially prepared meal, vocational resources, COVID supplies and more. In October, the Post held a ceremony to award a Korean War veteran with a special citation for his service.

No matter where they served or what they experienced, the Post provides resources to support the well-being of all veterans. Partnering recently with other local entities, it co-hosted a Veterans and Military Families Wellness Day. The event featured family fun activities and entertainment. Attendees received meals and groceries, vaccinations, wellness checks, employment assistance, haircuts and more.

For young people, too, the Post makes sure to lead and inspire by example. Working with Boy Scouts of America, the Post chartered a new chapter, Scout Pack 3834.

“Involvement with the Scouting program presented our Post with the ability to positively affect the lives of youth in our community while developing partnerships,” said Barragan.

“Both organizations share similar goals, primarily that of supporting the community. By working together, we can help develop the leaders of our future through teaching hard lessons learned by the leaders of today.”

In addition to these events and programs, Post members are working together to come back from the pandemic stronger than before. They remain focused on providing a place where every veteran feels welcome and equipped to fulfill their passion to serve.

“We strive to continue to lead by example,” said Barragan. “As they say, just because we are no longer in uniform doesn’t mean our commitment to serving our nation wanes.”

The VFW is proud to honor the members of Post 3834 who are #StillServing today, and celebrates them as the June 2022 VFW #StillServing Post of the Month.

OAK BROOK, Ill. – Ace Hardware is collaborating with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) once again this year to honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country by giving away 1 million American flags nationwide on Saturday, May 28, 2022.

Consumers who visit a participating Ace store on May 29th will receive a free 8″ x 12″ American flag.* A second flag will be donated to a local VFW Post to be used for marking and honoring veterans’ graves this Memorial Day.

“Ace is proud to be a part of this nationwide effort to distribute flags to our customers and to the VFW to help honor our fallen heroes on Memorial Day,” said Kim Lefko, Chief Marketing Officer, Ace Hardware. “With Ace stores easily accessible to millions of Americans, we wanted to step up and provide a way for our customers, and our store owners and associates, to pay tribute to our military men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.”

“For veterans and VFW members, Memorial Day is the most sacred of days as we remember and honor the men and women of our armed forces who made the ultimate sacrifice,” said VFW National Commander Fritz Mihelcic. “We’re proud to partner with patriotic and compassionate companies like Ace Hardware to help ensure our fallen service members are never forgotten.”

Last year, over 500,000 American flags were given away to customers at Ace stores nationwide. In addition, Ace sent 550,000 flags to more than 1,900 VFW Posts for placement on veterans’ graves.

“The American flag giveaway aligns with Ace Hardware’s long history of supporting veterans nationwide,” added Lefko. “Ace’s very name is a commemoration of the “flying aces,” the courageous fighter pilots from World War I. Ace’s patriotism continues through the support of its veteran retailers, and the sincere appreciation for all the veterans and active-duty military who work in Ace stores, distribution centers, and its corporate offices.”

*Flags will be available at participating Ace stores while quantities last. Limit one 8″ x 12″ flag per customer. No purchase necessary.

About Ace Hardware
Ace Hardware is the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the world with more than 5,500 locally owned and operated hardware stores in approximately 70 countries.

Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace and its subsidiaries operate an expansive network of distribution centers in the U.S. and have distribution capabilities in Ningbo, China; Colon, Panama; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Since 1924, Ace has become a part of local communities around the world and known as the place with the helpful hardware folks. For more information, visit acehardware.com or newsroom.acehardware.com.

About the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is the nation’s largest and oldest major war veterans organization. Founded in 1899, the congressionally chartered VFW is comprised entirely of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, Guard and Reserve forces. With more than 1.5 million VFW and Auxiliary members located in nearly 6,000 Posts worldwide, the nonprofit veterans service organization is proud to proclaim “NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS” than the VFW, which is dedicated to veterans’ service, legislative advocacy, and military and community service programs. For more information, or to join, visit our website at vfw.org.

Heralded as “America’s Patriotic Home” with many streets clothed in the proverbial red, white and blue, Hawthorne, Nevada, provided a fitting backdrop last year for a robust display of patriotism.

For the first time since 2016, the collaboration between Western Nevada College (WNC) and VFW Post 2313 in Hawthorne reintroduced the renowned Always Lost: A Meditation on War exhibit as a public display in September.

The exhibition, which began as a creative writing class project at WNC’s Carson City campus in 2009, had gone dormant after a seven-year barnstorming tour to more than 50 venues across the country.

When approached by WNC’s faculty early in 2021, Post 2313 Commander C.J. Schulz and his fellow members were both humbled and honored to have an opportunity to serve as the exhibit’s long-term host.

“It caught me off guard because they reached out first,” said Schulz, who deployed with the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division to Korea in 1994-95. “It meant a lot to us to be able to bring something to our town that represents the sacrifice many of our younger veterans and their families have made.”

Following a six-month period of legal contracts and a steady stream of conversations, Schulz received the Always Lost: A Meditation on War exhibit in August and decided to unveil it on Sept. 10, 2021.

Like Schulz and other members of Post 2313, the unveiling prompted emotions for many northern Nevada residents who stopped by to see the exhibit. It featured an array of literary works that sit alongside more than 7,000 faces of veterans who perished during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars from Sept. 11, 2001, to Dec. 31, 2014.

Along with the literary works by WNC students, veterans and their families, the exhibit also carries a display of combat photographs by a 2004 Pulitzer Prize-winning team from The Dallas Morning News. Other items include original poetry by Army Spc. Noah C. Pierce, who died by suicide after serving two tours in Iraq.

“The whole thing is pretty powerful,” Schulz said. “The poetry on the wall along with the photographs is one of those things that hits very close to home. Many of our Iraq and Afghanistan veterans can’t talk about it. I have a hard time myself because I also have friends on the wall.”

For most of the northern Nevada and Hawthorne residents drawn into the Post’s exhibit room since the opening last year, Schulz believes many are searching for a level of closure in finding loved ones within the 7,000 faces.

“The first day, I remember one of the families that showed up had his big brother on the wall,” Schulz said. “For me, it had been so long since I had seen some of my friends, but I wasn’t sure if I had lost them. It brought me closure to find them.”

The Always Lost: A Meditation on War exhibit is slated to remain at VFW Post 2313, about 315 miles northwest of Las Vegas, for a five-year period with a possibility for renewal, according to Schulz.

Admission is free for all visitors wanting to visit the exhibit, which is showcased daily from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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

1st Lt. Ashley White was serving as a member of a Cultural Support Team attached to a Joint Special Operations Task Force in Afghanistan when she was killed on Oct. 22, 2011. On Jan. 10, the Villagers for Veterans and Habitat for Humanity of Lake-Sumter in Eustis, Florida, broke ground for Ashley’s House, a transition home for female veterans.

White is one of hundreds of veterans whose stories have been told by Bob Peters, a Vietnam veteran and host of the Central Florida Salute YouTube channel.

A Life member of VFW Post 201 in Waterbury, Connecticut, Peters retired to Leesburg, Florida, with his wife several years ago. In 2009, Lake Front TV in Leesburg approached local AMVETS members to see if they would be interested in doing programs on veterans and veterans issues.

Peters offered the names of some folks whom he thought would make good subjects for the station’s reporters to interview.

Producers at Lake Front TV told Peters, however, they were interested in having him conduct the show. In 2010, Peters began the first of nearly 10 years on air profiling veteransthroughout Florida. When the news station changed ownership, there also was a change in editorial direction.

Peters parted ways. Videographer Sue Cameron of Wild Zebra Media, who had worked with Peters on Lake Front TV, told him he needed to continue his work. She suggested a YouTube channel.

Students from Leesburg High School had built a set at the TV station for Peters, and he took it with him when he left. Eagles Aerie 4273 in Okahumpka, Florida, gave him studio space, which is where he airs the show unless he’s taping on location in the community.

Peters said he receives no funding for the show, and any donations he does receive, he passes on to Cameron, who volunteers her professional expertise.

“Sue believes in this project and wants to help,” Peters said. “She is an absolute professional.”

Cameron said that while she did not serve in the military, she wants to support veterans in any way she can.

“I understand the importance of what they did for our country,” she said. “I am appalled by the fact our young people are not aware of the sacrifices and hardships our veterans endured. Recently, Bob was speaking with some high school students. They made a comment that Hitler wasn’t such a bad guy. They should watch Bob’s interview with holocaust survivor Gene Klein.”

‘I HAVE A GOOD TIME DOING THIS’
On Central Florida Salute, Peters has interviewed everyone from Iraq War vet Jason White and Afghanistan veteran Sebastian Lajeunesse to WWII veteran Quentin Brelsford. He hosts veterans’ advocacy groups and talks about topics of concern to veterans.

White is seen on camera in other Central Florida Salute episodes. One such show took viewers on the road to the Marion County Veterans Exhibit and Education Center in Ocala.

“This is a place of solace and camaraderie,” White said on the show. “For me, it’s like my church.”

Peters hosts Vietnam and Korean War veterans. He has talked about Wreaths Across America and taken viewers on tours of places such as St. Johns Hops, a veteran farming community. Medal of Honor recipients and a former Olympian have appeared as well. He has had Gold Star parents such as Deborah White, mother of Ashley White, on his show.

“I really appreciate the men and women who serve our country and the things they have been through,” said Peters, who served four years in the Air Force. “I’d really like to see a Heroes Day established. It would be for the doctors, nurses, police, fireman, and of course, veterans. Just to offer our ‘thank you’ for what they do.”

A frequent sponsor of Central Florida Salute is Project SOS-Support Our Soldiers, established by Gary Kadow in 2009. Project SOS helps military personnel serving overseas as well as disabled and homeless veterans.

“I have a good time doing this,” Peters said. “It’s a lot of work, sure, but I have a great bunch of people to help me out.”

‘RAISED TO DO THIS TYPE OF WORK’
Peters, who was born and raised in Connecticut, has a long history of volunteerism. He said it’s something his parents instilled. When he was just a teen, Peters and his brother, Bill, volunteered to coach Special Olympics. He continued on that path until he joined the Air Force.

In the Air Force, Peters served from 1967 to 1971, the majority of that time in U-Tapau, Thailand, with the 509th Field Maintenance Squadron. There, he worked on every aspect of the B-52s.

After the military, Peters became a lineman for Connecticut Light and Power but still found time for his volunteer endeavors, particularly when it came to veterans’ causes.

“I’ve really been involved with the veteran community for more than 35 years,” Peters said. “In my hometown of Oxford (Connecticut), I helped create a veterans park before moving to Florida. I was raised to do this type of work.”

Peters said he is proud of his family’s military service, which includes his uncle Ed who served in the Signal Corps during WWII, and another uncle, Ted, who received a Distinguished Service Cross for his actions on D-Day.

Ted had no children and wanted part of his estate donated to the greenhouse at the Rock Hill Connecticut veterans home. Peters made sure that happened.

“That’s my uncle’s legacy,” Peters said. “The vegetables grown in that greenhouse help feed the veterans in the home.”

Noting this is Peters’ 13th year interviewing veterans, Cameron said it’s “an honor” to assist him.

“He has never taken a dime for what he does, either,” she said. “His passion to educate and honor veterans is infectious.”

Peters also appears on WQBQ-1410 AM every Friday with radio station owner James Floyd and retired Col. Rick Baysinger. They discuss veterans’ issues and resources.

“It’s just a thrill for me to do all of this,” Peters said. “It’s not about me. It’s about the people who support me. After all, no one does anything alone.”

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

Members of VFW Silver State Post 3396 in Sparks, Nevada, are looking forward to the inaugural VFW Day of Service as an opportunity to give back to their community and build connections.

When deciding how they would participate in the event, Post members went straight to those who their contributions would affect.

“We talked with the City of Sparks to find a location that needs our support, They pointed us to Victorian Avenue,” said David Sousa, Post Quartermaster and Adjutant.

Together with other local partners, including 39 North, Nevada Energy and Humana, Post members will lead an area beautification project to pick up trash and plant flowers and shrubs. They will also host a food drive benefitting the Food Bank of Northern Nevada and in support of the VFW and Humana “Uniting to Combat Hunger” campaign.

When asked what makes him most proud of his Post, Sousa said, “the dedication to service before self.”

That dedication extends well beyond the VFW Day of Service. The 218-member Post is a fixture in its community. It supports a variety of causes, including the City of Reno’s Military Sports Camp, a VA hospital nursing scholarship program and camaraderie-focused events like Operation Battle Born March and the Bataan Memorial Death March.

Post members are eager for another chance to give back and inspire others to do the same.

“We are excited [for VFW Day of Service] to show our community how dedicated we are to serving and how they can help our organization make this a better place for all,” said Sousa.

There’s still time to participate in the inaugural VFW Day of Service, happening all month long in May. Visit vfw.org/DayofService for more information to let us know how you plan to serve.