While it is hard to gauge the extent family relationships are intertwined with VFW memberships, it is clear, after talking with members of VFW Posts from New Jersey, North Carolina, Texas, California and as far away as American Samoa, that VFW “family ties” often become VFW “force multipliers.” Here is a look at some of those families.

CARLO AND LEE ANN DAVIS
VFW POST 9191, KILLEEN,TEXAS
In October 2019, when Lee Ann Davis – a retired U.S. Army chief warrant officer – took the Post 9191 commander’s gavel from her husband, Carlo Davis – an active-duty Army chief warrant officer – she described the opportunity as “very overwhelming and … humbling.”

Three years later, Lee Ann, an Iraq War vet, reflected on that initial assessment: “I’ve got to be honest with you, only after I started doing the job did I fully realize just what [it] truly requires,” she said. “That’s when the light bulb came on. I was expecting others to come help me until I realized I had to do it on my own. I was elected and Carlo was deployed.”

Lee Ann said that when she was in need of guidance or information, Carlo was there for her.

“You know,” Carlo said, “because Lee Ann is a combat veteran like me, [this transition] fit like a glove. Not only can she and I do stuff that we’re passionate about, but it also brings us closer together.”

From a broader perspective, the Davises emphasized the importance of family support. It is especially important, they said, for veterans facing PTSD and mental health challenges.

“For veterans who feel they are on an island all by themselves, the VFW is a secondary family that can deliver the support chain,” Carlo said.

For the marital tag team, leading Post 9191 represents both prestige and challenges for the couple. Not chartered until May 1959, when it was officially named for Benjamin O. Davis, the first African American general officer in the U.S. armed forces, the facility was originally called “The Colored Veterans of Foreign Wars Post.”

“One thing we’re trying to do right now is get our Post to be an historical landmark in the city of Killeen,” said Carlo, a veteran of both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. “At the same time, I believe the VFW should also better recognize our history. Because of racial division, it was not always a good history. But it’s part of our heritage, so let’s not hide that.”

SONNY FATU VA’A, MARIA VA’AIGAFO, WANDA VA’A BAINES, SONNY VA’A JR., CHRISTY VA’A FIELDING, CHRISTOPHER FIELDING, MARY VA’A
VFW POST 3391, PAGO PAGO, AMERICAN SAMOA
If the VFW set out to determine the biggest family cohort in a single Post, the Va’a family would make strong contenders for the title.

Maria Brown Va’a-Igafo, the 61-yearold Va’a matriarch, counts a next-generation flock of five: a son, two daughters, a son-in-law and a daughter-in-law. Four are on active duty in the Air Force or Army. Maria earned her VFW eligibility in Korea.

As Maria’s daughter, Wanda Va’a Baines, an Army major, said, it was the death of patriarch Sonny Fatu Va’a, also a member of VFW Post 3391, that convinced the younger generation to consider entering the VFW fold.

“My mom first introduced the VFW to us when she planned to attend the 2015 VFW National Convention in Pittsburgh,” said Wanda, an Iraq and Afghanistan War vet. “I remember very clearly how she informed us of VFW benefits and resources.”

Wanda said the VFW really left a “lasting impression” on the family when it helped the Va’a’s navigate the VA after Sonny’s death in 2013.

“She was very passionate [for] us to become members, so we all attended the 2015 convention to learn more,” Wanda said.

Not only did this sojourn spur new Post 3391 memberships, but it also became family tradition.

“Most of us are on the East Coast [in Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia, with one in-law deployed to Poland] while my mom and non-military siblings are out west.” Wanda said. “We don’t get to see each other 11 months of the year. So we use the annual national conventions as opportunities to have a family reunion, as well as show our patriotic support of VFW.”

NORMAN WIENER, BRIAN WIENER AND COLIN WIENER
VFW POST 8098, BRIGANTINE, NEW JERSEY
In June 2020, Brian Wiener – a six-year Navy veteran and now an Atlantic City, New Jersey, firefighter – became commander of the VFW Department of New Jersey.

One of his first acts was appointing his father, Norman Wiener, a Korean War vet, as his chief of staff.

“Not many people get to do that,” said Brian, a Persian Gulf War vet. “We became much, much closer [and] genuinely wanted the best for each other. I would do it all over again if I could.”

A National Guard veteran, Norman took charge of Brian’s daily schedule.

“Sometimes he missed a date,” Norman said.

And, even though Brian was the boss, Norman occasionally stepped in as father.

“But I did it tactfully,” Norman said. “Sometimes he didn’t know it. All in all, we worked together pretty [well].”

Not surprisingly, the Wieners’ inter-generational VFW affiliation – Brian’s son, Colin, an Army officer, also is a member of Post 8098 – entail different perspectives on the VFW.

Brian, 51, understands that Norman, 86, and Colin, 27, have different age and lifestyle agendas.

“My father,” Brian said, “is of a completely different generation than my children. (Brian’s daughter, Breana, serves in the Marine Corps band.) His beliefs and his service are just different than ours. I have a vested interest, not only with my children’s and father’s VFW future, but also my own.”

Brian added that he has a special interest in the legislative end of veterans’ affairs, which complements the interests of the rest of his family.

“We would all like to be taken care of as veterans,” he said. “That remains the same [even though] the work that we put into it differs.”

BOBBI SHEETS, DAVE SHEETS AND BILL SANDERS
VFW POST 6365, LOCUST, NORTH CAROLINA
For Bobbi Sheets, North Carolina VFW District 12 commander, family connections have made Post 6365 a recruiting and financial juggernaut.

When Bobbi first joined the VFW in 1990 – three years into a 13-year Air Force career as an airdrop loadmaster and instructor – she assumed the Post was a bar outside the base gate.

“When I got here to North Carolina [after discharge], I transferred my membership right away [but] it took me 13 years to walk into the Post,” said Bobbi, who earned her VFW eligibility in Panama.

One day, though, Bobbi received a phone call inviting her to a meeting.

“What time does the bar open?” she asked, only to learn there was no bar because the Post was in a dry county.

Intrigued, Bobbi attended the meeting, only to find herself elected Post chaplain.

“I thought, ‘Oh Lord, I am the least likely person to ever be a chaplain,'” she said.

It was not until she attended the 2016 VFW National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, that Bobbi finally got “the big picture of what the VFW actually did.”

Once Bobbi moved up to Post 6365’s top leadership role – unexpectedly when her predecessor stepped down – she marshalled her untapped strength and began recruiting.

“If I filled the need that veterans have, they would join,” she said. “We even started Zoom communications to reach our shut-ins, deployed reservists and even people who left the area but still wanted to be involved.”

Post 6365 also benefits from the work of Bobbi’s spouse, Dave Sheets, an Air Force retiree who earned his eligibility on Grenada.

“My husband is the Post quartermaster,” Bobbi said. “He takes care of all the financials and keeps me focused on the numbers. He’s also the adjutant. He’ll give me a list [telling me] to ‘text these people, they need to pay.'”

Bobbi’s brother, Bill Sanders, another Air Force retiree who meets via Zoom from Ohio, chips in. Bill’s membership eligibility came from his time in Bosnia.

“He has really honed [my] writing skills,” said Bobbi, who often emails Bill drafts of VFW communications for his review and comment.

According to the figures, the Sheets and Sanders families have made a positive impact on the Post.

“We started my tenure with 19 [members],” Bobbi said. “We’re [now] at 95 people. We didn’t originally have a big bank account. Now we have five figures. We’ve done a lot.”

DAWN AND JACK NAPIER
POST 9561, HOOPA, CALIFORNIA;
KEVIN DALGLEISH
VFW POST 1872, LOWER LAKE, CALIFORNIA
For Dawn “Dusty” Napier, a Native American and member of the Kurak Tribe, leaving home for a Navy career meant leaving behind her family and indigenous heritage.

Returning 30 years later – retired as a senior chief in radio communications – Dusty found herself disconnected from two extended families – military comradeship and the Kurak Tribe.

“Had I not gone off to serve,” said Dusty, a Persian Gulf War vet, “I likely would have been active in restoration of tribal ceremonies and language. Since being back home, I’ve attended Kurak ceremonies, but reintegration has been slow.”

In Dusty’s view, VFW efforts to connect with “native veteran brothers and sisters” face daunting hurdles. To some tribal members, for example, VA and even veteran service organizations represent a government they do not trust.

Dusty said that for the most part, Native American veterans prefer having their health care provided by the Indian Health Service instead of VA.

As VFW Department of California commander, Dusty encourages VFW Posts to partner with their tribes.

Meanwhile, Dusty and her husband, Jack – a Navy retiree and Desert Storm vet – relish their reconnection with military camaraderie. Her brother, Kevin Dalgleish, is a member of a different VFW Post.

“I’m putting my energies into the VFW, a tight-knit association that bonds my husband and me together as family,” Dusty said.

If you have multiple family members who are veterans within the VFW ranks, send us a photo. We may use it on VFW magazine’s Facebook page.

This article is featured in the 2022 August issue of VFW magazine and was written by David Sears is a Vietnam War veteran and VFW member in New Jersey.

Picture captions:

Top row, left: Brian Wiener (far right) appointed his father, Norman (far left) as his chief of staff when Brian became the Department of New Jersey commander in 2020. Father and son are members of VFW Post 8098 in Brigantine, New Jersey, as is Brian’s son, Colin, also pictured. Brian’s daughter, Breana, is also pictured in her Marine Corps band uniform.
Top row, middle: Carlo and Lee Ann Davis of VFW Post 9191 in Killeen, Texas, believe that the VFW is a secondary family that delivers an important support chain.
Top row, right: Husband and wife duo Jack and Dawn “Dusty” Napier of VFW Post 9561 in Hoopa, California, said they cherish the VFW as it keeps them connected with a sense of military camaraderie. Bottom row, left: Bobbi and Dave Sheets work together as husband and wife at VFW Post 6365 in Locust, North Carolina.
Bottom row, right: The Va’a family of VFW Post 3391 in Pago Pago, American Samoa, counts multiple family members involved in the VFW.

A Sunflower State VFW Post in March hosted a benefit dinner for a resident who needed help with medical bills.

Chris Dearinger, a Basehor, Kansas, resident, was “stricken” by COVID-19 in September 2021, according to VFW Post 11499 Commander David Babin. The Army veteran said that even though Dearinger has medical insurance, the Basehor resident accrued more than $1.5 million in medical bills, with a “significant amount” that Dearinger still is responsible to pay.

“Chris spent 47 days on a ventilator,” Babin said, “took three months of rehab learning how to walk and breath on his own. It was all from complications from catching COVID-19.”

Babin added that Dearinger had only returned home from the hospital in recent months.

“We learned of Chris’ situation from former Basehor Mayor David Breuer, and we decided to lend a hand and took a bulk of that on,” Babin said. “We hosted a spaghetti dinner that more than about 200 concerned residents attended. We were able to raise more than $8,000.”

Babin said Dearinger and his father, Daniel, are well known in the community. Babin said that every year the community looks forward to the father-son duo’s Fourth of July city fireworks shows.

“We want to make sure we help anyone in need,” the Army veteran said.

VFW Post 11499 has a “strong connection” with the community, according to Babin.

“We are very involved with putting together fund-raising dinners for seniors, veterans and first responders of the community,” Babin said. “We also work with the school district here with Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy. The Post is well known, and I believe it is respected by everyone.”

Despite becoming the first female Department commander of West Virginia in June, Dr. Corrina Boggess dwells little on the historic accomplishment, focusing rather on the tasks at hand.

A former deputy chief of staff for the Army Reserve in Washington, D.C., who retired in 2009 as a colonel after 28 years in the service, Boggess’ leadership will take the forefront as she exemplifies her motto – “Service To All.”

“It’s a neat accomplishment, but I didn’t place much attention toward that,” said Boggess, who deployed in 2004-05 to Tikrit, Iraq, in command of the 376th Personnel Services Battalion. “I’m more focused on re-energizing Posts across the state to increase membership, as well as growing our presence in local communities so people understand the work that we do.”

Since joining the VFW in 2013 at Post 9097 in Hurricane, West Virginia, Boggess attributes her swift rise up the ranks to an uncanny understanding of legislation that was apparent during her first state convention appearance.

“They were presenting a piece of legislation, and I stood up and added some input,” said Boggess, who received her doctorate in executive leadership from the University of Charleston in West Virginia in 2018. “I was very comfortable talking about legislation because I did that for many years in the military. I was then pulled aside and asked to join the Department’s legislative committee.”

By then, Boggess had transferred with her uncle, a Vietnam veteran, to Post 8363 in Chesapeake, West Virginia, where she became junior vice commander in 2016 and saw the Post attain All-State and All-American honors.

When the COVID-19 pandemic plagued the country in 2020, Boggess, who had recently been voted commander of Post 8363, received a proposition to further elevate her status within the organization.

“The Department commander at the time had asked me if I was interested in the junior vice position because it had become vacant,” Boggess said. “The vote was done by the council of administration because there was no state convention that year due to COVID. There was some resistance from a few Posts because I was a female, but the council was very supportive and unanimously voted me in.”

During her historic ceremony as the first female Department commander of West Virginia in June, Boggess again displayed a shrewd sense of leadership. Instead of holding the ceremony at the state headquarters, Boggess chose a banquet hall that allowed the state’s Auxiliary members to attend.

“From my perspective, the Auxiliary and the VFW are two sides of the same coin,” Boggess said. “I did my presentation at the banquet hall to allow the Auxiliary members to be present because they’re a crucial part the organization. They are a great asset to help recruit, and I think that’s a relationship we should be strengthening.”

Boggess also wants to capture the attention of veterans in communities across the Mountaineer State by enhancing VFW’s presence. From curating shabby VFW Posts in need of repairs to advocating for VFW’s many services.

“I am actively out there recruiting ad servicing all veterans, not necessarily placing all my focus on a specific group,” Boggess said. “While I do want to recruit more female veterans into our great organization, we must first help them recognize that they are combat veterans.”

Boggess cited that over the last 20 years, there’s been a large influx of female veterans deploying to combat zones. A lot of them, however, are younger and placing most of their post-military efforts on having families and succeeding in their civilian careers.

“As they begin to age, I think these female veterans will be an active voice in our organization,” Boggess said. “Since I was older when I retired, I had the time to join and work towards something. I believe as these female veterans start to age out, they’ll start to get more involved like I did. For now, I’ll keep talking to as many of them as I can, sharing my experience that the VFW is more than welcoming to women.”

For many veterans, equine therapy has been a way to cope with symptoms of post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries. Those veterans form a special bond and relief from working with horses that possibly no other animal can provide.

At New Freedom Farm, located in Buchanan, Virginia, organizers take it a step further by saving horses that are a part of the therapy.

New Freedom Farm Founder and Director Lois Dawn Fritz said her mission is to provide a refuge for horses and therapy for veterans and first responders.

A veteran of 1991’s Persian Gulf War, Fritz said veterans and first responders can visit the farm any time it is open. She added that no appointment is needed for attendance.

A SAFE HAVEN FOR HORSES
Founded in 2016, New Freedom Farm, according to Fritz, exists to aid veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, TBIs and substance abuse through activity with the farm’s horses, as well as farming and peer-to-peer support.

“The end goal is to personally empower veterans and help them heal through the realization of their own efforts and contributions,” said Fritz, a former Navy corpsman. “Our slogan is ‘Healing Heroes Through Horses.’ At New Freedom Farm, veterans and horses help each other.”

New Freedom Farm, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, also serves as a place for the rehabilitation of neglected horses, with many at risk of being slaughtered. Fritz, a member of VFW Post 5895 in Buchanan, Virginia, said the farm provides shelter and serves as a “foster home” for those horses.

“Unfortunately, in our country, horses are often sent to slaughter,” Fritz said. “Those mustangs have been through so much trauma, just like our veterans have.”

Fritz claims that her farm is the first organization for veterans to receive accreditation from the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries. GFAS is a nonprofit dedicated to recognizing animal rescue centers with high standards and raising awareness for their work.

BATTLE BUDDIES
One veteran who receives therapy at New Freedom Farm is Clint Cash. The medically retired Army veteran said he met Fritz years before he started going to New Freedom Farm on a regular basis. He has been going to the farm for more than two-and-a-half years.

“One day I decided that I wanted to go there and try it out,” Cash said. “I started going back more and more, and now it’s like a second home to me. I always enjoy going back to the farm.”

Cash was medically retired from the Army for PTSD, which he said stems from his deployment to Afghanistan.

“I was happy getting out of the military, but after I got out, I realized I missed the camaraderie,” Cash said. “I don’t miss being in the Army, but I really miss the brotherhood I had with my fellow soldiers.”

Cash – who deployed from June 2009 to June 2010 to Spin Boldak, Afghanistan, with 8th Squadron, 1st Cav Regt., 5th Bde., 2nd Inf. Div. – said the first few times he visited the farm, he got to know Andrew Kintgen, the barn manager at New Freedom Farm.

Cash said he has a lot in common with Kintgen, an Iraq War veteran and a member of Post 5895.

“We started talking one day and found out that both of us were born on the same day,” Cash said. “We were both Army cavalry scouts and were medically retired as sergeants. We became pretty close after that.”

A Virginia native, Cash said one of the reasons he likes going back to New Freedom Farm is that sense of camaraderie he receives while taking care of horses and visiting the farm.

“The reason veterans need other veterans and their camaraderie is because veterans need to find other people like them, who have been through the same situations,” Cash said. “We know we can rely on each other more than we can rely on others.”

Cash added, saying that it has been a relief to be able to be around others who have the same mindset as him.

REHABILITATING HORSES
Cash, who served in the Army from January 2009 to November 2013, said that during his time at New Freedom Farm, he has worked with two horses, Eli and Cole.

“When Cole first came to New Freedom Farm and given to me, he did not like any humans,” Cash said. “He didn’t have any trust in people. When we first got Cole, he had a halter buried in his nose.”

Cash said that Cole’s wound has healed since then.

“Cole was just supposed to be at the farm until someone adopted him,” Cash said. “After a while, Cole started taking a liking to me. Surprisingly, New Freedom Farm gave me the horse in January.”

Cash said that ever since then, he and Fritz have been working with Cole. Fritz worked with Cole and got the horse comfortable enough to interact with humans. Cash noticed how gentle treatment made the horse more trusting.

“[Fritz] was also able to get a halter on him and walk him around,” Cash added. “Cole has turned around and is a good horse now.”

‘HORSES DON’T JUDGE’
While at the farm, Cash said he typically grooms and waters the horses. He added that he helps take care of the farm, including cleaning the horses’ stalls.

Cash said he spends a lot of his time with Cole and Eli and added that he is around them more than he is around most people.

“Sometimes if I have something I need to say out loud, but don’t really want to talk about it with anyone, I can just talk to the horses,” Cash said. “That’s why I like animals. I think that animals can feel some sort of bond with humans. They can feel that I’m having a bad day. A horse can tell if people are emotional or acting differently than normal.”

Cash said he believes veterans needing support should attempt animal therapy.

“I highly recommend that people find an animal to take care of,” Cash said. “The great thing about horses is people can say anything to them, and they will keep coming back as long as they show the horse affection. Horses don’t judge.”

This article is featured in the 2022 June/July issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Dave Spiva, associate editor for VFW magazine.

VFW Post 670 strives to be a good neighbor within its Fayetteville, North Carolina, community. Its members serve on local civic boards, volunteer at different organizations, work to combat hunger and more. Above all else, the Post is devoted to supporting its members and the greater veteran population.

“Our Post, although open to the public, is very much an organization that helps veterans,” said Commander Mike Baker. “It provides a place for veterans to talk to others who’ve dealt with the same issues, been to the same places … people who understand what you’re trying to describe, even when you can’t find the words.”

Because of the family atmosphere and camaraderie, the Post is a place where members can be themselves and join like-minded friends to make a positive impact together.

Recently, they took part in the inaugural VFW Day of Service when they gathered with Auxiliary members to clean up a local roadway.

“We walked a mile from the Post and collected all the litter,” said Quartermaster Amelia Smith. “In just that one mile, we collected 300 pounds of trash.”

In addition to this event, Post members have performed countless other acts of service in recent months.

“In April, we bought and collected $250 in new toys, blankets and games to donate to the Child Advocacy Center,” Smith said. “On March 30, the Post and Auxiliary hosted a Vietnam Veterans’ Appreciation Lunch.”

The Post also dedicates time and raises funds to support many programs, such as Man 22, the Veteran Suicide Awareness Program, 22 Until None, Veterans Empowering Veterans and Gold Star Families. And to support active-duty soldiers, members provide meal services at unit events.

“We’ve done four events in the last couple of months and served over 800 soldiers and family members,” said Baker. “We’ve also distributed candy, cookies and hygiene products to deploying units.”

No matter the task, members of VFW Post 670 are eager to unite and lend a hand.

“We’re still serving because it helps our community, as well as the veterans. When veterans gather together to help someone else, we don’t focus on what’s wrong with us, and we don’t feel alone,” said Smith.

“Regardless of the amount of people who show up, we come together and work as a team, focusing on how to get the job done to the best of our ability. Along the way, we meet people, make connections, share ideas and just try to relax and enjoy the camaraderie.”

The VFW is proud to honor the members of Post 670 who are #StillServing to provide vital support to the community and one another.

For those who knew him, Herb Kieforndorf was a “great man.” A member of VFW Post 3358 in Slinger, Wisconsin, Kieforndorf served his community well.

According to long-time friend and fellow VFW member Tom Haase, when Kieforndorf died in May 2020 from brain cancer, the community was hit hard by the loss.

“Herb had more integrity than any person I think I have ever met in my life,” said Haase, Post 3358 adjutant. “He personified the essence of what a veteran should be as well as a good citizen.

Not long after Kieforndorf’s death, the Post agreed to honor him with a scholarship to be awarded to a student at Slinger High School.

On May 25, Kacey Ott received the first-ever VFW Post 3358 Herb Kieforndorf Scholarship in the amount of $500. Ott, who wants to be a doctor, plans to attend college at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana.

The co-valedictorian of her graduating class said she chose Taylor because it has a stellar basketball program.

Haase said the scholarship is funded for the first two years.

“Herb was a great, great mentor,” Haase said. “Kids at the school interviewed him about his service. He was very popular with the students.”

Haase, who first met Kieforndorf in 1987 while serving with the Wisconsin Air National Guard’s 128th Air Refueling Wing, said the pair deployed multiple times together including during Operation Desert Storm. Incidentally, Haase also served in Vietnam in 1967-1968 and more recently in Iraq.

“Everyone jumped on this scholarship right away,” Haase said. “We as a VFW wanted to do this to make sure the community doesn’t forget him. It was very fulfilling to me that one of my buddies was honored.”

A VFW Post in the Silver State for the second time organized a barbecue contest to help raise funds for scholarship programs funded by VFW.

VFW Post 3396 in Sparks, Nevada, a suburb east of Reno, Nevada, hosted the 2nd Annual Armed Forces BBQ Challenge which had 17 total groups of competitors. VFW Post 3396 Commander Candace Beck said that the Post raised $4,325 from hosting the competition.

Beck said that in the barbeque competition’s first year, it featured local amateur cooks. Beck, a Korea Defense Service Army veteran, said that for the second year, Post members “wanted to go bigger.” So, members of Post 3396 decided to host the annual event with professionals and “backyard” grillers.

“We hosted the event to raise money for the Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy scholarship programs,” Beck said. “We also did it to fund our Post’s VA nurses scholarships.”

VFW Post 3396 Quartermaster David Sousa told KOLO-TV, an ABC affiliate in Reno, that the barbecue competition is a way for the Post to “give back” to its community. Sousa added that the attraction was a good way to bring the community together and “raise a little money for the VFW Post.”

Members of the Kansas City Barbeque Society were on hand to judge every meat made at the Armed Forces BBQ Challenge. VFW National Headquarters in July partnered with the Kansas City Barbeque Society, which sanctions official barbeque competitions. The Kansas City Barbeque Society plans to send judges to other barbeque contests at other VFW Posts across the country.

In July 2021, VFW Post 3396 was selected as VFW’s Post of the Month as part of the #StillServing campaign. Visit vfw.org/stillserving to learn more about #StillServing.

A brand new VFW Post in Texas at Fort Hood was chartered in January with its members having a goal in mind: to help military members and their families.

VFW Post 12209 members held the installation ceremony on Jan. 7 at Fort Hood’s Phantom Warrior Center.

Post Commander Willie Keller said that Post members wanted the Post to be on the grounds of Fort Hood to help with the “perception” of VFW.

“A lot of people think the VFW is a place to get a drink,” said Keller, who has been a VFW member since 1995. “We want to show troops at Fort Hood that VFW is here to help them, and we have many VFW services they can use.”

Keller, an Army veteran of more than 16 years – said he and other Post 12209 members wanted to introduce VFW services to potential members. He named the Military Assistance Program, which provides grants to Posts to help active-duty troops, and Unmet Needs, which helps military families with financial difficulties, as well as programs offered by the VFW Department of Texas. Keller
added that being on base is “more effective” than being located outside of the installation.

“We are on Fort Hood four times a week,” said Keller, who medically retired from the military in 2009. “We at the VFW are out here with the troops. We talk to them – we assist them with what they need. We want to guide them in the right direction through the military.”

The Post was named in honor of the late A.C. Cotton, a retired command sergeant major who died at the age of 86 on Sept. 7, 2021. Cotton, a Vietnam War veteran, joined the Army in 1955 and served 33 years. Cotton also was the first black command sergeant major of the Army’s “First Team,” the 1st Cavalry Division, according to Keller.

Keller – who served in Haiti, Afghanistan and Iraq – said he and the other Post members took the chance to name a Post after a soldier who made history in the military.

“We named the Post in honor of Cotton because we all personally knew him,” added Keller, who medically retired from the military in 2009. “When he passed last year, it affected all of us. He was well-known in the armored cavalry community.”

For those interested, VFW Post 12209 is located at Fort Hood Building 18000. The Post also can be followed on Facebook by searching CSM A.C. Cotton VFW Post 12209.

This article is featured in the 2022 May issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Dave Spiva, associate editor for VFW magazine.

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.