During the dog days of summer last year, kindness found its way to several struggling veterans in Chico, California, who had fallen on hard times and ended up homeless.

As if snatched from the pages of Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations,” it all began with an anonymous benefactor who in early July approached VFW Post 1555 members in Chico with a checkbook and questions.

The benefactor, a frequent donor to the Post’s relief fund, wanted to do more, according to Post 1555 Commander Mike Halldorson, who recalled the donor’s urgency to help veterans.

“He did not serve, but he said he had a heart for veterans and wanted to help any who did [serve],” Halldorson said. “The initial donation was for $25,000 and had no restrictions on where it was to be used. The benefactor said he wanted to help any veteran with [items such as] rent, utility bills, food or repair of a vehicle.”

Then the benefactor turned to VFW member Larry Wahl, his contact at Post 1555, and asked what else he could do and what would be most helpful for veterans in Chico.

Given some time to think about the question and craft a plan, Wahl, a former Chico councilman and current Butte County supervisor for District 2, came up with the Chico Housing Action Team (CHAT) from his days in government. Founded in 2013, CHAT is a volunteer program dedicated to aiding different categories of people in need of affordable housing around Chico.

“We presented it to our benefactor, and he signed the check that very day,” Halldorson said of a $600,000 donation. “It’s hard to understand that anyone would give that kind of money if your heart wasn’t in it.”

‘MAKE THIS DREAM HAPPEN’
Post 1555 leadership began working on a proposal for CHAT, accruing information and finding the best possible way to make use of the $600,000.

Despite the nonprofit’s ability to find housing accommodations for displaced civilians, Halldorson and Wahl remained adamant on the donation going strictly to veterans needing a hand up.

They, along with the unnamed benefactor and other Post 1555 members, stipulated that the donation be used for the purchase of two houses, each receiving $300,000, and that only veterans live in these homes.

“We had investigated their program to see if it was a good fit for the Post to make this dream happen,” Halldorson said. “We expressed that the funds were for assisting in the purchase of housing for veterans in need and to facilitate very low rental rates for them.”

With CHAT onboard, their representatives presented Post 1555 leadership with four housing options at various sites in Chico, about 90 miles north of the state’s capital, Sacramento.

“Larry Wahl and I accompanied Bob Trausch, from CHAT, to view three possible houses in both north and south Chico after one of the houses had been removed from the market,” Halldorson said. “We selected the ones that eventually became the two purchased.”

CHAT worked fast, using its database system to identify housing needs among veterans. They identified eight veterans in need of a hand up in and around Chico, splitting them up in groups of four to each of the two properties.

“There’s a process for finding veterans. We’ve got veterans like me working at CHAT, so it’s been part of what we’ve done over the years,” said Trausch, a CHAT co-founder a Marine veteran. “They get to us through local VSOs, word of mouth and Coordinated Entry, which is a 211 number where they answer serious questions and get a rating that then gets passed on to us.”

‘BLESSED AND EXTREMELY GRATEFUL’
Among those first eight veterans chosen was Vernon Carel, an Army veteran.

“I have struggled,” Carel said. “This housing has given me hope and allowed me to get on with my life.”

Like Carel, Darwin Sager, a Marine veteran, had endured his own share of hardships, which included losing his home during the 2018 Camp Fire disaster that remains California’s deadliest and most destructive wildfire to date.

“I was living in motels after the Camp Fire, and my wife passed,” Sager said. “With savings exhausted, this gives me a roof over my head that I can afford.”

Out of the eight original veterans selected by CHAT, only one is a woman. For Teresa Preston, a Marine veteran, the opportunity for a fresh start is a blessing.

“I feel privileged,” Preston said. “Blessed and extremely grateful to have such an opportunity.”

Preston and the other seven veterans began moving into one of the two houses in October, some 60 days after the properties had been purchased and refurbished. The swift process was celebrated during a small dedication ceremony on move-in day.

Halldorson, Wahl and Post Sr. Vice Commander Brianna Farrara attended the ceremony, which included the unveiling of installed placards with the VFW’s Maltese Cross and “VFW Post 1555” on them.

“The housed veterans came out for photo ops and thanked us profusely, wanting to know what the VFW was all about,” Halldorson said. “A few did not want their pictures taken, and we honored that as well.”

Trausch, who co-founded CHAT in 2013, attended the dedication and admitted that it was an emotional ceremony.

“It brought tears to my eyes,” Trausch said. “It’s our passion to get people off the street, so it was amazing to see that the VFW was there to help us. A lot of these vets are suffering, and they don’t trust society any longer. It’s up to us to build up that trust and help them heal.”

With the continued support of Post 1555, CHAT is now working on turning the garages of these two properties into bedrooms to house an additional veteran in each, moving the count to 10 housed veterans.

As for the anonymous benefactor, his devotion to veterans is summed up in his last conversation with Halldorson and Wahl.

“With his help, we established the veterans’ assistance committee within the Post for veterans that came to us with requests,” Halldorson said. “He also told us very firmly, ‘Whenever you need more, you just ask.’ Now for me, personally, I hear people say, ‘Thank you for your service,’ all the time, but a lot of times, they don’t know what it entails. I believe he does.”

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

The idea came to Nathan Moran and his girlfriend, Michelle Decker, while on a date.

The VFW and Auxiliary members of Post 7581 in Wayland, Mich., often had their date nights at VFW or American Legion halls, basking in the company of veterans and family members sharing stories in the spirit of camaraderie.

During this time, about two years ago, the couple noticed a trend through conversations with fellow VFW members about veterans being turned away because of improper paperwork or no knowledge on how to join.

“We would see them get turned away without an answer or guidance on how to attain the information needed,” said Moran, an Afghanistan War veteran who was named the 2022-2023 VFW National Deputy Chief of Staff. “We wanted to make sure nobody else would get turned away without answers. We felt the need to bring awareness, help educate members and document these places as we’ve watched so many close in the last few years.”

The couple began traveling across the country on their own dime to achieve this goal, gathering adventures, picturesque photos, new friends and many a ‘thanks’ from those they’ve helped along the way. Each adventure is documented on their Facebook blog – “Michigan VFW and American Legion Explorer.”

From Copper Harbor in Michigan, about 568 miles north of Wayland, to Savannah, Georgia, and everywhere in between, Moran and Decker have visited more than 170 VFW Posts to date.

“Usually it starts out with an idea of how we want to spend the day, which is usually an antique mall,” Moran said. “From there we look for Posts that we haven’t visited along the route there and back. Most of them are on a whim, as we’ve found multiple posts that didn’t register on Google Maps because nobody has added them.”

At each Post, they begin by taking photos that they offer to upload to the Post’s social media platforms in hopes of creating a larger online presence, but they soon introduce an array of free and voluntary services on behalf of veterans. They speak with members about re-issuing medals for free, helping others file DD-214 documents and even spreading the word on DNA testing for Korean and Vietnam War orphans.

“Once they find out all the different things we do, the questions come very quickly,” Moran said. “We have a ‘cheat sheet’ we use to email to people with hyperlinks to benefits and resources that can help them. If we find a veteran who is still with us that hasn’t contacted their VSO, we give them contact information for them as well.”

Moran and Decker also take down questions from members about certain subjects they may not have an answer for at the time, penciling their contact info to reach out once they find it. They leave business cards at each Post for those wanting to reach out after the fact, as well as carry a “master list” of all places visited in their travel car, which they update often.

Among the many who have witnessed the impact of Moran and Decker’s volunteerism is Garrett Dickey, commander of VFW Post 2144 in Holland, Michigan, and VFW Department of Michigan’s membership director.

“Their actions bring the VFW Posts they visit into the community and create visibility for those who would not normally be aware of all the good this organization does,” Dickey said. “But above all else, they perform these duties selflessly for the benefit of our brothers and sisters. Michelle and Nathen are true ambassadors to the VFW and its Auxiliary.”

Like Dickey, whose Post members have benefited from Moran and Decker, past Post 2144 commander Michael Martin has seen the impact himself.

“Nate and Michelle bring a huge amount of awareness to people who are not members of any veterans organization, but also to comrades who may only be familiar with their own Post,” Martin added. “Their descriptions of the Posts and the members there motivate others to visit, even to plan trips around visiting the Post themselves.”

Unfortunately, despite their generous nature and devotion to serving veterans, Moran added, not all Posts have welcomed them without scrutiny. There are hurdles along the way.

“Almost all of the places we visit, everyone is extremely welcoming right when we walk through the door,” Moran said. “That is comforting, and makes the visit better than we expected. We have only encountered a few places where the welcome was not received.”

For Moran, the unwelcoming Posts are an example of the limiting factor in continuing to increase VFW membership among the younger generation of veterans.

“All Posts should view anyone coming through the doors as a potential new VFW member,” Moran said. “It takes all of us to keep these Posts open and the legacy continuing. It really all comes down to the canteen hostess and members present. That is the representation and first impression people get, and decide if they would ever visit that establishment again.”

When they’re not traveling across the country to visit VFW Posts, Moran and Decker spend their time cleaning veterans’ gravestones in and around Wayland, as well as educating others on how to clean them and what solutions to use.

“Everything we do, we do for veterans,” Moran said. “This summer we look forward to traveling to a few new states in hopes of meeting new friends, spotlighting some amazing Posts and bringing our followers with us on our adventures.”

Members of a VFW Post in a Kansas City, Missouri, suburb have dedicated their efforts to conducting honors for veterans who have passed away.

Members of VFW Post 10906 in Gladstone, Missouri, have spent more than two decades conducting funeral honors. Joe Lyles, the coordinator of Post 10906’s honor guard, recalled that the Post’s honor guard began in November 1999.

In total, Post 10906 members have conducted such honors in the thousands. Lyles said the Post has participated in an “uncountable” number of funerals.

Lyles, a retired Army veteran who started on active duty in 1954, added that Post members conducted honors at 13 funerals in April 2023 alone. It was an average month for the Post’s honor guard.

“I remember a long time ago when we did 22 in one month,” Lyles said.

Lyles, who served a total of 38 years in the Army and the Army Reserve, said these tributes serve to recognize the service and sacrifice veterans have made during their military service and beyond.

Rendering these final tributes, Lyles said, is not only important to the family and friends attending a veteran’s funeral but also important for those in the Gladstone VFW Post Honor Guard.

“It doesn’t matter who the veteran is,” Lyles said, “even if they served honorably for only one day. We have conducted honors for everyone, from privates to generals.”

Lyles said that the honor guard works alongside the Missouri National Guard to perform honors in the Kansas City area at the funerals of veterans. Families request for a funeral detail, and Lyles said that he and other members of the honor guard will do their best to fulfill the family’s wishes. Lyles also said that the honor guard works with a funeral home in Kansas.

“These veterans gave a part of their life in service and defense of this country,” Lyles said. “We feel that veterans deserve for us to be there for them at their final step because of their devotion to the country.”

A decade ago, while driving in his home state of Oregon, Dick Tobiason, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, realized that none of the highways in the state recognized or honored veterans. He wanted to change that.

Tobiason, a member of VFW Post 4108 in Redmond, Oregon, founded the Bend Heroes Foundation in Bend, Oregon. On June 20, 2017, the Vietnam War veteran’s work paid off when the Oregon legislature and then-Gov. Kate Brown approved H.B. 2100, a law that officially declared Oregon’s 451-mile-long U.S. Highway 20 as the Oregon Medal of Honor Highway. The route stretches between Newport, on the state’s central coast, to the Oregon-Idaho state line.

For Tobiason, this was only the beginning. He wanted all of U.S. Highway 20, the longest highway in the U.S., which spans 3,365 miles from the Pacific to the Atlantic oceans, to be named in honor of Medal of Honor veterans. He said it became a reality when Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on Nov. 17, 2022 signed a bill that officially named Massachusetts’ U.S. Highway 20 in honor of Medal of Honor recipients. Massachusetts was the 12th and final state to officially dedicate U.S. Highway 20 for veterans who have received the nation’s highest award for valor.

PUTTING HIS EXPERIENCE TO USE
During his time in the Army, Tobiason served as the commanding officer of a forward air patrol unit that supported the 3rd Marine Division during his first tour of Vietnam in 1966 and 1967. On his second tour in 1972 and 1973, he was an advisor to the South Vietnamese government. Later in his career, Tobiason worked at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as a manager for its flight research program in Washington, D.C.

After retiring from NASA, Tobiason then worked as a lobbyist for several airlines from 1985 to 1990. That was where, he said, he learned the “ins and outs” of the legislative process.

Putting that experience to use, Tobiason began contacting veterans groups in the 11 other states east of Oregon that contain portions of Highway 20:

• Idaho, 411 miles
• Montana, 12 miles
• Wyoming, 531 miles
• Nebraska, 432 miles
• Iowa, 302 miles
• Illinois, 234 miles
• Indiana, 156 miles
• Ohio, 260 miles
• Pennsylvania, 45 miles
• New York, 372 miles
• Massachusetts, 153 miles

‘PROUD OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENT’
In the state of New York, the VFW Department of New York, along with the Bend Heroes Foundation, led efforts to pass legislation in the state to rename New York’s section of U.S. Highway 20. Past VFW Department of New York Commander Michael Hoag said he learned about the highway project headed by Tobiason after reading an article in the August 2017 issue of VFW magazine.

“After learning about this, I knew what I wanted to work on during my year as commander,” said Hoag, a Vietnam War veteran and Purple Heart recipient. “The Department of New York Headquarters in Albany is only about a mile away from Highway 20.”

In the years leading up to his year as the Department of New York commander (2021-22), Hoag said he began working with Tobiason and VFW Department of New York Legislative Advisor Kirby Haman to work with the state’s government for the project. Hoag said that last year, the New York legislature approved S. 7620-A and A. 9067-A to name the highway. Gov. Kathy Hochul on July 18, 2022, signed the bill into law.

“I am proud of the accomplishment,” said Hoag, who was drafted into the Army in 1966 and served a tour in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968.

HIGHWAY ACROSS AMERICA
Tobiason said he is working to get U.S. Highway 20 renamed to honor Medal of Honor veterans on the national level.

“To achieve that goal, Bend Heroes Foundation has requested Oregon’s Sen. Ron Wyden (D) to sponsor legislation by Congress designating the National Medal of Honor Highway,” Tobiason said. “It would be cosponsored in the House of Representatives by Pennsylvania Rep. Mike Kelly (R).”

Tobiason added that Kelly represents a district that is home to U.S. Highway 20. He added that VFW has given its support to the project.

This article is featured in the 2023 May issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Dave Spiva, associate editor for VFW magazine.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is proud to announce the second annual VFW Day of Service kicks off May 6, marking the start of veteran-led community service projects to take place throughout the month.

The VFW Day of Service was born from the organization’s award-winning #StillServing campaign launched in 2020 to recognize the ongoing dedication of veterans and service members who continue to serve through service to their communities.

More than 475 community service events will take place this year – a 20 percent increase over participation in 2022 – and include a wide range of events such as constructing accessibility accommodations for disabled veterans, beautifying parks and streets, food drives and cookouts for veterans.

VFW Day of Service enables VFW and Auxiliary members to engage veterans, service members and community advocates across America to spend a day making a meaningful difference in their communities. The initiative was recently honored by the 21st Annual American Business Awards^® and awarded the Gold Stevie^® Award in the Corporate & Community – Community Engagement Event category for its inaugural year.

“Part of showing what the VFW is about … we’re about community. It inspires others. This is a day for them to realize what we’re about, that we are about community service. It’s so simple, and it’s fun!” said Lela Bremen, commander of VFW Post 5699.

It’s not too late to sign up. The VFW urges its members and all veterans interested in participating to visit VFWDayofService.org to register their event on the interactive Day of Service map. For individuals looking to participate in an event near you, access the full list of 2023 events.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) was named the winner of a Gold Stevie^® Award in the Corporate & Community – Community Engagement Event category for its inaugural VFW Day of Service campaign in The 21st Annual American Business Awards^® yesterday.

The American Business Awards (ABA) is the nation’s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S. are eligible to submit nominations – public and private, for-profit and nonprofit, large and small.

This is the first award for the VFW Day of Service campaign, which is part of the VFW’s #StillServing initiative. The VFW #StillServing campaign earned several prestigious awards to include: The Internal Business Awards 2022 Grand Stevie^® Award for the Highest-rated Nomination of the Year and the 2022 Gold Stevie^® Award for Communications or PR Campaign of the Year (Nonprofit/Charity); and the Kansas City’s Data-Driven Marketers Association’s 2022 Silver AMBIT Award for Response-driven Web Campaign, and the Public Relations Society of America Greater Kansas City Chapter’s 2022 PRISM Award for Best in Show.

More than 3,700 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including Startup of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Thought Leader of the Year, and App of the Year, among others. The VFW was nominated in the Community Engagement Event category for Corporate & Community.

Among the judges’ feedback, one stated, “The everlasting effect on those who served, those they protected, and the togetherness of the community due to the VFW Day of Service is remarkable. Salute to a stellar submission and continued service to our great nation!”

“We already owe our veterans and servicemen and women a huge debt of gratitude – this initiative gives even more reason to appreciate their service and now contributions to our communities,” said another judge.

More than 230 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year’s Stevie Award winners.

“It is very gratifying for us to be able to recognize the achievements of such a wide variety of organizations, teams, and individuals in the 21st ABAs, and we look forward to bringing them together in New York on June 13 to celebrate with them,” said Maggie Miller, president of the Stevie Awards.

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2023 Stevie winners are available at StevieAwards.com/ABA.

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About the 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 approximately 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.

About the Stevie Awards: Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards^®, The International Business Awards^®, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Sponsors of The 2023 American Business Awards include HCL America, Melissa Sones Consulting, and SoftPro.

Having completed his first marathon in 2015 at 78 years old, Bob Gravley had an idea.

A Korean War veteran, Gravley crossed the finish line of the OBX Towne Bank Marathon that day in Outer Banks, North Carolina, with a notion of hosting a marathon back home in Salem, Missouri. Salem, in all its rural splendor, is exactly 26.7 miles south of Rolla, Missouri, and Gravley believed it ideal for a marathon centered on veterans.

When he returned to Salem, Gravley presented his idea to American Legion Post 99, whose leadership agreed to sponsor the event. A Life member of VFW Post 6280 in Salem, Gravley then turned to his Post for help in managing the event.

“We needed a group of organizers to get things going,” Gravley said. “I was confident they could do all the organizing to get this event off the ground.”

Backed by Post 6280 Commander Eric Surles, Post members soon volunteered in support of the event, which by now Gravley had dubbed the Honoring our HEROES Marathon.

“Our Post involvement in the HEROES Marathon was a natural progression from our skydiving, kayaking and 5K events that we have sponsored in the past for national and state epilepsy foundations,” Surles said. “Learning from our experience in the past, we formed a committee of volunteers and planned for the event to happen one week after Veterans Day each year.”

Surles and Post 6280’s volunteer committee handled logistics, finding venues for the starting and ending of the races, insurance and runner transportation to the starting place, as well as food and drink and the proceeding ceremony to end the event.

When word spread, as it often does in small towns, Surles received additional support from VFW Post 2025 members in nearby Rolla, led by Commander Dwight Sundeen.

The inaugural Honoring our HEROES Marathon welcomed more than 200 participants, who could choose to run or walk the marathon, half-marathon or a 5K. They met in Rolla and drove 26.7 miles to Salem, where the races began for the day.

“We learned a lot the first year,” Surles said. “Like renting a building for a postrace party. It had to be done indoors because it is too cold in November to have a finish-line party outdoors. But we were also surprised at the number of runners from across the U.S. and even South Africa.”

EVENT ATTRACTS 500 RUNNERS ANNUALLY
The 2016 debut event also netted $10,000, which the HEROES committee donated to the AUSA Warrior in Need Fund at the nearby Army installation Fort Leonard Wood in the Missouri Ozarks, and the Dent County Veteran’s Emergency Fund.

“With our proximity to Fort Leonard Wood, we have a higher-than-average number of veterans in our area, and sadly, more than 1,000 live in poverty,” said HEROES Board President and Army veteran Richard LaBrash, a Life member of Post 6280. “It’s gratifying to see the number of veterans we have been able to help through this event.”

Since 2016, the Honoring our HEROES Marathon event has grown in size and scope, becoming a nonprofit organization several years ago, as well as welcoming more than 500 participants on average each year and raising more than $130,000 in support of veterans to date.

“Thanks to the support of our community, we’ve been able to donate more than $100,000 of the proceeds to local veterans causes since HEROES began,” Surles said. “It has helped us fund our Unmet Needs program, veterans’ medical transportation, training for service dogs, beautification of our local memorials at Veterans Park and support of our Gold Star families. It also helped us donate toward our St. James Veterans Home, as well as into many other local veterans charities.”

The Salem to Rolla marathon course also is U.S.A. Track and Field-certified now, which allows competitive marathoners to participate and use it as a qualifier for renowned national marathons such as the Boston Marathon, according to Surles.

The event’s size also has grown, incorporating several new races and unique ways to praise veterans and those killed in action.

“We have added a relay marathon, where teams of four runners divide the workload into 6-mile intervals before crossing together at the finish line,” said HEROES Race Director Marilyn Sweitzer. “We have also added a 10K, an Honor Walk half-mile and instituted the No Hero Left Behind initiative, where volunteers accompany the last runner/walker on the last three miles of the race.”

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT MAKES EVENT ‘UNIQUE’
The No Hero Left Behind initiative, according to Sweitzer, was something instituted after the inaugural event in 2016, a nod to retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Troy Hardwick, a Post 6280 Life member, who walked the half-marathon in full combat gear and rucksack. To symbolize the military’s code of “No Man Left Behind,” Hardwick crossed the finish line and turned around to accompany the last participant in.

“We also have made the last mile of the course an Honor Walk, a stretch honoring our local veterans by having their individual profiles and service [hung up along the route],” Sweitzer said. “This last mile also comes decorated with hundreds of flags and patriotic signs.”

In 2022, Missouri State Representative Ron Copeland (R-Mo.) procured 100 U.S. flags for the event, joining hordes of other veteran-based organizations that have continued to join the cause in some capacity.

From VFW Posts 6280 and 2025 to those in nearby Pulaski County (Posts 4956 and 4238), all members volunteer to help with logistics and setup of the course, according to LaBrash. But the HEROES marathon also receives ample support from others. The local Disabled American Veteran’s Chapter 49 preps lunch for runners, American Legion Post 99 supplies course monitors and Mission 22, a nonprofit devoted to ending veteran suicides, has a Gatorade stand along the 22nd mile of the route.

“I think that’s what makes our event so unique,” LaBrash said. “We have so many different veterans organizations involved. The South-Central Regional Veteran’s Group decorates Veterans Park along our route with flags, and the ROTCs and Student Veteran’s Resource Association at Missouri University of Science and Technology have all been involved. That is in addition to local law enforcement, Boy Scouts, church groups, businesses, the Lions Club, Shriners, Rotary clubs and a large cadre of soldiers from Fort Leonard Wood.”

As for Gravley, the Air Force and Korean War veteran continues to be a presence at the event he helped pioneer. Having run the first three years, he now walks the 10K alongside his grandchildren. The event provides him with an opportunity to mentor younger generations on the importance of service and patriotism.

“It is heartwarming to see all of us band together to say thank you,” LaBrash added. “This event is an homage to those who have given us the freedoms we enjoy – because our veterans paid the price.”

The eighth annual Honoring our HEROES Marathon is slated for Nov. 26.

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

Following a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 limitations, the anticipation surrounding the 13th annual Frank H. Martin Car and Truck Show last June at VFW Post 7155 in Trappe, Pennsylvania, led to its most profitable year ever.

Named in memory of Martin, a Post 7155 member who began running shows in 2007 to help raise money for children in need before his passing in 2010, the event helped raise more than $18,000 for a 3-year-old girl suffering from microcephaly since birth.

“It was an overwhelming success,” Post 7155 Quartermaster Karla Frank said. “It was the biggest it has been despite a two-year layoff. We at the Post were surprised by the community’s engagement and support on behalf of the young lady.”

With support from its Auxiliary, bar and kitchen staff, as well as Boys Scout Troop 7155, Post 7155 members opened their expansive outdoor space to host more than 500 spectators and 206 cars and trucks on display in the event on June 10.

The Post relied on entry fees, donations and sponsorships to raise the $18,000 on behalf of the beneficiary, Evelyn, a local girl whose single parent needed help to improve her daughter’s quality of life. Microcephaly is a condition in which a baby’s head is much smaller than expected, which can lead to epilepsy, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, hearing loss and vision problems.

Prior to the event each year, the recipient of the car show proceeds is chosen by the car show committee, which evaluates dozens of submissions from residents or groups in the communities in and
around Trappe, about 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

“They receive entries from individuals or groups of people after conducting community outreach for months,” Frank said. “Then they vote on an individual that they think needs it most. This year, it happened to be the sweet Evelyn.”

Following the successful event, committee chairperson and car show co-founder Glenn Dunlap joined Post 7155 Commander Rich Cassey in presenting the $18,000 check to Evelyn’s family during a brief ceremony at Post 7155 on Sept. 25.

For the many Post 7155 members in attendance, the ceremony punctuated another successful feat in a long history of charity events hosted by the Post to enrich its community.

“Money raised toward a child in need goes a long way in acknowledging the positive impact Post 7155 makes within the community,” Frank said. “It’s our mission to never stop serving our community.”

Frank added that the Post is already planning its next annual tradition, a Bataan Death March Memorial event slated for April. This event’s proceeds will go toward the Post’s relief fund, as well as the
Semper Fi Fund, a California-based nonprofit that provides a variety of programs to assist wounded veterans.

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

The unspoken bond between veterans brought an 18-year-old Purple Heart and its adjoined certificate into the hands of Russ Martin on a late morning last June.

A Vietnam veteran who often wears his 25th Infantry Division hat with pride, Martin was on his way home when he decided to stop by a local pawn shop in his hometown of Shelton, Connecticut, in
search of a power tool.

Entering the Shelton Pawn and Jewelry store downtown, Martin was met with an inquisitive look from the owner, a veteran himself, who noticed the Army’s 25th Infantry Division logo on Martin’s cap. This prompted an exchange that rerouted fate.

“He said, ‘I have something to give you,’ and went off to his safe,” said Martin, who deployed with the Army’s 25th Infantry Division to Cu Chi, Vietnam, from November 1966-1967. “When he came back, he had a Purple Heart and certificate in his hands.”

The Purple Heart and certificate had been issued to Army Reserve Master Sgt. Heather Awner, a former Connecticut resident now living in El Paso, Texas. She was the recipient of the Purple Heart after being wounded while deployed to Iraq in 2004. It was there that Awner suffered a severed tendon from a piece of shrapnel when the Army transport vehicle she was riding in struck an improvised explosive device.

Martin read the plaque and gathered his thoughts. The pawn shop owner told Martin that he had received the Purple Heart and citation as part of a collection of material from a storage unit. Then he asked Martin to return it to its rightful owner.

“I was surprised by this,” said Martin, a life member of VFW Post 9460 in Stratford, Connecticut, about 10 miles south of Shelton. “He said he had planned to take it to the VFW himself, but he saw my hat and decided to give it to me instead. I said OK. I took it [from him] and brought it home.”

Martin showed up to his home with the Purple Heart and certificate, telling his wife, Audrey, the story behind the unfortunate separation between the Purple Heart and its recipient. An active member of Post 9460, Martin resolved to take it to his Post at first. But Audrey, the Post’s Auxiliary chaplain and a Life member herself, asked her husband to let her try and contact Awner before making the
decision to take it to the Post members for their assistance.

“I was just moved by what Russ had told me of the owner keeping it in his safe and wanting to bring it to the VFW for help,” Audrey said. “I imagine when he saw Russ’ Vietnam Army hat, he knew he was giving it to the right person to return it.”

Audrey took to the internet, where she was quick in finding Awner’s contact information. There was an address and a number for her, and Audrey decided to send her a text message photo of the Purple Heart and plaque before calling and leaving a voicemail.

“Russ brought the Purple Heart home around noon, and by 1:29 p.m., I had sent her the text,” Audrey said. “Heather called us right away and had no idea that it was even missing.”

Though Awner has refrained from comment due to legal counsel (there is a pending lawsuit filed against Oakdale Self Storage, the Connecticut-based storage company that Awner used to store her belongings), Audrey recalled the Purple Heart recipient crying over the phone after the harsh reality that items from her time in Iraq had been sold off without notice.

Awner, who plans to retire from the Army, coordinated with Audrey on a way to have her Purple Heart returned. Despite being unable to travel to Connecticut for it, Awner had the Martins meet with a family member in town for the return instead.

“It was on Father’s Day,” Audrey said of the June 19 meeting. “Her sister’s father-in-law, Chuck Garbor, a retired Navy commander who lives in Stratford, came to the Post and picked up the Purple Heart and certificate for her.”

The return of the Purple Heart to its recipient was a special moment for Audrey and Russ, who still keep in contact with Awner. For the Martins, the good deed was the reward itself.

“It was an honor and a privilege to be able to do that for her,” Audrey said. “I know it meant so much to her to have that back.”

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

In a tightknit community like that of Bennington, Vermont, whispers of heartache tend to grow into a rallying cry strong enough to summon all residents from downtown to its outskirts.

When these whispers about 2-year-old Finley Scanlon spread across town in early spring of 2022, it prompted VFW Post 1332 members to lead a fundraising eff ort alongside other local organizations to raise more than $56,000 by July 15.

“I have two daughters and granddaughters, and nobody wants to hear that their child has cancer,” Post 1332 Commander Norm LeBlanc said. “I’ve been fortunate to not have that happen to me, but sometimes you just have to pay it forward.”

Scanlon had been diagnosed with a rare form of bladder cancer, prompting her mother to take a leave of absence as an elementary school teacher and her father to make up the financial shortfall by taking on extra shifts at work. With daycare an improbable option as chemo and radiation could tear down the body’s defenses against all kinds of infections, including COVID, the family sought help from a community well-prepared for the fight.

The first to hear of it was Norshaft Lions Club President Matt Gras, whose first call was to LeBlanc at Post 1332 based on the Post commander’s reputation to take charge and execute a plan of attack.

Together, the Post and Lions Club members dubbed their efforts under a unifying banner of “Together We Are Stronger,” reaching out to other local organizations that included the Cancer Crusaders, Eagles, Elks, Rotary Club and American Legion Post 13.

“We started knocking on club doors, showing up to their private meetings to talk about what this young family was about to endure,” said LeBlanc, who retired in 2012 from the Navy as a senior chief following a 24-year career. “Each meeting went well. They all wanted to help.”

With VFW and American Legion Auxiliary groups and Riders of the VFW and Legion also joining the cause, LeBlanc then proposed a combined fundraising effort that scoured Bennington for donations.

Under LeBlanc’s leadership, the clubs and organizations each united in helping host a spaghetti dinner and several raffle events, which later prompted a Post 1332 member, Tim Jones, owner of Eagle Hose Auto in Bennington, to start the “Rev Up” challenge. All local dealerships soon began donating more than $500 each, and it eventually snowballed into everyone with a motor in a car or lawnmower to donate as well.

But LeBlanc was not done brainstorming. He then sacrificed his beloved gray beard, which he had not cut in more than a decade since retiring from the military.

“I didn’t want to cut my beard, but it was a challenge and we always try to just shoot for the moon,” LeBlanc said. “I think the noblest gestures in the world require sacrifice. If you can stand at the front of the line and lead by example, it motivates people to do the same.”

On July 15 at the event, LeBlanc, true to his word, sat in the barber’s chair and by 8:30 p.m. raised an additional $5,000 from neighbors and residents delighted to see how far the former Navy senior chief was willing to go.

The clean-shaven LeBlanc joined the others for the rest of the night, each effort and challenge helping raise a combined $56,000, which representatives of each club and organization then together presented in the form of a check to the Scanlons.

“It was special to see how extremely grateful and humbled the family was,” LeBlanc said. “They were also able to see the faces and meet the people who worked so tirelessly to bring this together. It was a fitting example of what can be accomplished when we work together.”

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