Members of a Sunflower State VFW Post on Jan. 23 gave their respects to a World War II veteran on his 100th birthday.

VFW Post 11499 in Basehor, Kansas, held a birthday celebration for Wilbur Grisham’s century of living. Grisham, a retired Army tech sergeant, is a longtime Life member of the VFW Post and still attend Post meetings, said VFW Post 11499 Commander David Babin.

“He’s respected in the community,” Babin said. “Not only is he a World War II veteran, but he was also a postal carrier in town and drove a school bus. As a fireman, he was instrumental in getting the first firetruck in eastern Kansas, too. He’s such a humble man.”

Grisham was at Pearl Harbor during the Japanese attack on Dec. 7, 1941. According to Babin, Grisham cared for the wounded from the attack.

Babin also said Grisham has donated thousands of dollars to the Post to buy life memberships for veterans he thought deserved it.

“Because of his age, he doesn’t help much with setting up events, but he is very active and participates in everything we do.

In recognition of the 100-year milestone, the mayor of Basehor, Dick Drennon, declared Jan. 23, 2023, as “Clyde Wilbur Grisham Day” in the town.

Within a large and darkened nightclub accentuated by the pink glow of neon lights and computer screens, Afghanistan War veteran Hunter DeSander watched as young video gamers and veterans converged in a whirlwind inspired by his fourth annual Combo Con.

The Sept. 23-25, 2022, weekend festival at Wayside Central in Mount Pleasant. Michigan, proved a success for DeSander, who reveled in a soundtrack of incessant keyboard click-clacks, reverberating laughs, shouts and loud waves of “oohs” and “aahs” from about 400 attendees.

“Even though we only made enough to cover expenses after a two-year layoff due to COVID, people loved the cause,” said DeSander, a former VFW Post 4113 commander in St. Johns, Michigan, and current junior vice commander of VFW’s Department of Michigan’s District 9.

A video game enthusiast himself, the 29-year-old DeSander spent most of the weekend pacing from screen to screen, huddle to huddle, eavesdropping on conversations between older veterans and younger gamers, many from different countries, as his vision played out.

For DeSander, whose Combo Con livestream brought an additional 3,000 viewers to watch the action between some 150 gamers competing against one another for cash prizes, the exposure was his unique way of promoting the VFW and what it does for veterans.

All those in attendance virtually and in person joined intermittent games hosted by DeSander throughout the weekend, which included renowned online gamers that came from as far away as Ireland to support the cause.

“I was told many times by spectators that they didn’t think the VFW could do such a thing,” said DeSander, who served as an infantryman in Afghanistan in 2013 with the 2nd Bn., 506th Inf., 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Abn. Div.

“Our big-time gamers, not being from this country, loved the VFW and what it represented enough to genuinely show their love and promote it on their platforms to a global audience.”

Gaming community sensations with gamer names such as Woolie VS, Unrooolie and Super Eye Patch Wolf spent their off -time playing military trivia and mingling with veterans in the audience, many offering them a perspective on what it’s really like to be the characters they use in war games such as Call of Duty.

For Unrooolie, a tenured gaming community persona dating back to the 1990s and whose real name is Kenny O’Brien, the festival’s mission to help veterans is the main reason he continues to come back.

“Many members of the fighter-game community have served in the military,” O’Brien said. “We get a lot of messages from community members that are like, ‘Hey, I’m stationed over here, and we watch your [online video] streams and we watch you play fighting games, and it’s helped us get through tough times.”

‘THIS IS ABOUT LENDING THEIR VOICE TO OURS’
Many of the veterans in attendance served as volunteers helping DeSander run his fourth Combo Con, helping set up and pick up, as well as manning a VFW booth for membership that juxtaposed a row of
other booths with collector’s items such as comic books and paintings.

DeSander strategically placed VFW at the helm of the booths, spotlighted to remind gamers that the unique setup of the festival served not just the gaming community but as a connection between them and veterans.

“By bridging the gap with Combo Con, we’re also raising morale for our VFW District and pushing awareness to show that we are keeping up with the times and adapting,” DeSander said.

“Many of us younger veterans feel disenfranchised, and this event proved the community does have the best interest in mind for them.”

Among the veterans helping run the event and spreading awareness, many were Vietnam veterans who did not play video games themselves. For them, the notion of younger veterans feeling disenfranchised is a familiar one.

“We want to make younger veterans understand why it’s important to belong despite their busy lives,” said Shane Houghton, a Vietnam veteran who served with the 196th Light Infantry Brigade in Danang. “This is about lending their voice to ours in order to keep getting veterans their much-deserved benefits.”

Houghton, a past All-American District 9 commander and current quartermaster at Post 12083 in Iona, Michigan, joined as a volunteer following DeSander’s proposal at a District 9 meeting. The idea of bridging a gap between young civilians and veterans through a unique festival featuring video games, cosplay and comic books seemed enticing.

“It really is an interesting thing to get young people involved to learn something about the VFW,” Houghton said. “This seems like a new and unique way of teaching younger people about our organization and about veterans in their language. And they seemed very appreciative about what we do at VFW.”

Post 4113 life member and Vietnam veteran Gordon Shipley shared a similar sentiment after hours of mingling with the gaming community in attendance. Though Shipley had volunteered for Combo Con in past years, the festival always brings an element of novelty.

“This is a great way to advocate for veterans’ causes, and they have all been very polite and thanked me for my service,” said Shipley, who deployed to the Navy’s Small Craft Repair Facility in Danang from July 1968 to July 1969. “Many of the younger people don’t necessarily know veterans, and this has been a novel opportunity to teach and let them appreciate what veterans go through.”

CHALLENGING PRECONCEIVED IDEAS
DeSander’s efforts throughout the weekend also helped solidify about $6,000 in fundraising to cover expenses and procure a donation on behalf of District 9 to the Humane Society in Michigan.

But the Afghanistan War veteran stood firm when explaining what he believed the real success of the festival was: his ability to blur the lines between two communities through the use of video games, cosplay, comic books and movies.

A person with pieces of himself placed within the VFW, young veterans’ community and the gaming world alike, DeSander’s perspective sits outside the box of norms.

Already working toward the fifth annual Combo Con next year, DeSander hopes that as his event continues to grow, so will his ability to further unite all communities together.

“There’s mutual acceptance when gaming, as if finding the perfect dance partner,” DeSander said. “To be relevant in this day and age, we have to keep progressing as an organization. And that’s why I do this. I believe that the rising of the tide brings up all ships.”

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

George Gagnon sat having lunch when his calling walked through the door of VFW Post 6364 in Richmond, Virginia, in November 2021. It arrived in the form of Jim Carney, a representative with the Richmond chapter of Guitars 4 Vets, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping veterans treat PTSD and other wounds of war through music.

Gagnon, a Vietnam veteran who began playing the guitar in 1964, overheard Carney’s pitch on using Post 6364 as a venue to teach guitar lessons. Intrigued about the prospects of such a union, he approached the Guitars 4 Vets representative about joining the effort.

“We met weeks later, and he gave me paperwork and signed me up as an instructor,” said Gagnon, who served with the Army’s 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Div., in Vietnam between August 1970 and June 1971. “I did all the training required and was soon teaching fellow veterans at my Post.”

On Dec. 1, 2021, Gagnon taught his first guitar lesson to a Post 6364 member, Army veteran Soloman Blevins. The experience confirmed his own therapist’s view on music carrying the power to ease suffering and treat several wounds of war often not visible to many.

For Gagnon, who strummed his guitar alongside his student, the notes produced by this instrument of wonderment moved gently across the room to calm them both.

“For 45 years, I did not know I was suffering from PTSD, and it was my therapist who eventually told me I was giving myself therapy all these years by playing the guitar daily,” Gagnon said. “So it was very gratifying to see other veterans with that sparkle in their eyes as they made progress in learning how to play the guitar because it’s clear how calming making music really is.”

‘BEING A GOOD LISTENER IS VERY IMPORTANT’
Since beginning his volunteer teaching role in 2021, Gagnon has helped three veterans graduate from the Guitar 4 Vets program, which includes a 10-week course that ends with a certificate of completion, a Yamaha guitar and several books on music theory.

The program also offers advanced lessons following the 10-week course and graduation, a way to keep those transformed by the progress in tune with the power of creating music.

In his short time as a teacher for Guitars 4 Vets, Gagnon’s influence has brought many other students to sign up and learn to play the guitar. The lessons, added Gagnon, resemble a therapy session split between learning the music and speaking candidly with one another, a mutual connection shared through combat.

“As an instructor, there are times when you just listen and do very little with the guitars,” Gagnon said. “You don’t have to be a good therapist, but being a good listener is very important. These guys sometimes just want to share their story with someone who can be empathetic and understand them. As a veteran who suffered from PTSD myself, I am able to provide that.”

Through the Guitar 4 Vets chapter in Richmond, Gagnon says more than 143 veteran students have graduated since its inception in 2011. The chapter operates on donations, issuing a $200 guitar to veterans free of charge upon graduation, as well as books on music and other useful tools to enhance their experience.

Since coming onboard and having Post 6364 Commander Mike Purcell give his blessings for the Richmond chapter to use the Post as a venue, Gagnon also has paved the way for all students of the program to receive a proper graduation ceremony during the Post’s weekly meetings.

“We as a Post let the Richmond chapter use the venue free of charge, which allows my fellow VFW members that have been treated for PTSD to witness the lessons, and some have signed up for lessons themselves as a result,” Gagnon said. “We also have made the Post available to other instructors of the program, as well as using it for our regional chapter meetings.”

‘MANY VETERAN LIVES WILL BE ENRICHED’
The Richmond chapter is one of more than 100 Guitar 4 Vets chapters established nationwide since its creation in 2007, prompting VFW to ink a partnership with the nonprofit in March 2022.

Like Gagnon and legions of veterans using guitars to treat their PTSD and other wounds of war today, Guitar 4 Vets co-founder Dan Van Buskirk created the nonprofit after discovering the power guitar lessons had on his own mental health.

A Vietnam War veteran himself, Van Buskirk joined guitar instructor Patrick Nettesheim in sharing what they had learned at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, a lesson that has since become the origins of Guitars 4 Vets.

“The VFW is providing Guitars 4 Vets with the most significant expansion opportunity since the founding of our mission in 2007,” Nettesheim said. “As a result, many veteran lives will be enriched and possibly even saved. We share the belief with the VFW that through the healing power of music, the effects of PTSD on the mind, body and spirit can be lessened.”

Since 2007, Guitars 4 Vets has provided more than 50,000 lessons and distributed more than 5,000 guitars to veterans. With more than 100 chapters in 40 states and counting, the VFW’s extensive network of about 6,000 Posts around the world is poised to expand the program’s reach.

VFW members interested in volunteering opportunities or hosting free guitar lessons at their Post are encouraged to contact Guitars 4 Vets National Program Director Bailey King at bailey@guitarsforvets.org.

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

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.