Being heralded for years as the primary place for the retirement of U.S. flags in the county, members of VFW Post 2391 in St. Augustine, Florida, wanted to upgrade its site and ceremony.

Under the direction of Post 2391 Quartermaster Bob Bewsee, who oversees the Post’s Honor Guard and more than 1,000 flag-retirement events a month, design plans for a new beautification project began in June 2023 to revamp the old flag retirement site at the Post.

“A pentagon was chosen for the shape, with each of the five corners representing one of the five service branches,” Bewsee said. “We received a significant contribution from the local Lowe’s, and the project was completed by Sept. 4.”

The majority of the work was undertaken by Post 2391 Life member Rick McAllister and fellow Honor Guardsman Dan Weir, who spent most of August working on the site.

The pair laid gravel and decorative garden paver bricks, erected a flagpole, added fire extinguisher mounts and two concrete benches for public observation.

“Weir also designed and constructed four smokeless burn barrels and donated a mounted eagle for the center,” McAllister said. “Then other Post and Honor Guard members jumped onboard to help with the finishing touches.”

The new retirement site was unveiled on Labor Day last year during a ceremony led by Post 2391 Commander Daniel McDonough, who dedicated the project to the U.S. flag itself for all it means to veterans and Americans alike.

“We are honored to render the proper respect to all American flags in our community once they have reached their retirement condition,” McDonough said in his opening remarks. “The flag has served us with honor since the inception of our country and, as we do with fallen veterans, we are proud to offer respect and dignity at the end of their duty.”

Post Chaplain Paul Szarnicki proceeded McDonough by offering a prayer covering the historical significance and reverence of the flag. The Honor Guard then conducted the retirement ceremony for those gathered.

“It was a nice ceremony with about 40 members and guests,” McAllister said. “And it was immediately followed by the start of our annual Labor Day celebration and cookout. Well over 100 people attended this event, and we made a point to direct our guests to see our new flag retirement site.”

This article is featured in the 2024 March issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Ismael Rodriguez Jr., senior writer for VFW magazine.

VFW Posts around the country are amping up for the third annual VFW Day of Service on May 4. That date kicks off a month of veteran-led community service projects.

The Day of Service is an outgrowth of the VFW’s #StillServing initiative that launched in 2020 and has since brought recognition to how much U.S. military veterans continue to serve in their communities after they take off their uniform.

By concentrating on veteran-led community service projects on this day, and throughout the month of May, the VFW intends to bring focus to the role veterans play in the well-being of their communities and surrounding areas.

“We hope to harness the momentum of our last two events to make the third annual Day of Service the best yet in terms of participation and impact,” VFW Director of Communications Randi Law said. “Through this event, not only have our members contributed in countless, meaningful ways to their communities, but they’ve had a lot of fun doing it. Our hope is the event continues to grow for years to come.”

VFW’s second annual Day of Service in 2023 grew its total number of grassroots events by more than 20 percent from the first year. VFW Posts in all 50 states, as well as those in Europe, Guam, Asia and Puerto Rico, participated last year.

Much as Veterans Day commemorations take place throughout the month of November, the VFW Day of Service kicks off on the first Saturday in May.

The VFW asks that VFW members, all veterans and others visit VFWDayofService.org to register their events on the interactive Day of Service map and receive a special participation decal and/or find a local event to join and see what veterans around the country are doing to make a difference.

VFW Day of Service events are community service focused, so it is up to you and your Post to identify what your community needs. Whatever Day of Service project you and your members decide upon will qualify. However, “Buddy”® Poppy, recruiting and events which raise monetary donations do not qualify as a Day of Service event.

Below are some examples of community service events:

• Drives – food, personal hygiene products, diapers
• Home repair
• Street / park / cemetery / vacant lot clean-up
• Health fairs
• Houseless to home support
• Playground rehab / installation
• Accessibility initiatives

The photos you see here are some fine examples of work done during the 2023 VFW Day of Service. For more information about VFW Day of Service, contact info@todaysvfw.org.

This article is featured in the 2024 March issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Janie Dyhouse, senior editor for VFW magazine.

In anticipation of the 2024 VFW National Convention in July in Louisville, Kentucky, the VFW and Humana are continuing the Uniting to Combat Hunger program that has provided more than 4.5 million meals for food-insecure families since 2018.

During the 124th VFW National Convention in Phoenix last year, dozens of VFW and Auxiliary members, as well as Humana employees, participated in a Uniting to Combat Hunger seed-packing event that provided about 30 tons of vegetables for families suffering from food insecurity.

VFW Foundation Grants Manager Jason Couch said that VFW is once again working alongside the Society of Saint Andrews. The nonprofit organization is offering VFW Posts free seeds to create victory gardens.

“Creating a victory garden is a great way to grow food in food deserts and other areas where fresh produce is scarce,” Couch said. “It’s also more sustainable – growing your own plants is better for the environment.”

Victory gardens have a rich history dating back to the first and second world wars. The U.S. encouraged citizens to plant various fruits and vegetables in private gardens to supplement rations.

The Uniting to Combat Hunger program aims to alleviate food insecurity among veterans and their families, as well as in the broader community. The program recognizes that many veterans face challenges, including financial difficulties and limited access to resources, which can contribute to food insecurity.

“The Uniting to Combat Hunger initiative exemplifies the spirit of collaboration and sustainability within communities across the country,” he said. “By fostering the growth of victory gardens, we are strengthening the bonds among VFW Post and Auxiliary members.”

The Department of Agriculture in 2021 said more than 34 million people, including 9 million children, experience food insecurity in the U.S. during the year – that is about 1-in-10 households in the country.

Feeding America says that about 125,000 active-duty military troops experience food insecurity – about 7 percent of troops in the active military. However, according to the Department of Agriculture, only about 2 percent of active-duty troops qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Feeding America also says 1-in-4 Afghanistan and Iraq War veterans are affected by food insecurity.
For more information, visit https://endhunger.org/seed-project.

Members of VFW Post 6755 in Liberty, Pennsylvania, hosted a Suicide Awareness Brunch on Feb. 18 to help raise donations and awareness for a local nonprofit dedicated to helping veterans.

In a joint partnership with This is My Quest: Veterans in the Wild, a local nonprofit created in 2022 to provide veterans of all ages with outdoor exposure therapy, the event served brunch to 85 people and helped raise more than $1,700 among other donated items.

“All the money raised was for This is My Quest: Veterans in the Wild to help with their efforts to get veterans out in nature and talking,” Post 6755 Commander Scott Mclaughlin said. “Whether it is at a VFW Post or out in nature, we believe just a simple conversation or gesture might make all of the difference for a fellow veteran.”

The idea for a suicide awareness brunch was presented to Post 6755 by one of their own, trustee Travis McConnell, who serves as the nonprofit’s veterans outreach director. It was through McConnell that Post members jumped at the opportunity to raise awareness about an issue as important as the suicide numbers among their own.

“Mr. McConnell is a Post trustee, so naturally, when he asked, the Post gladly provided him with the space and support he needed to host such a meaningful event for our local veteran community,” Post Quartermaster James Reed said.

During the brunch, the Post also received donations in the form of 30 blankets, 40 knitted hats, 100 pairs of socks, a few packs of T-shirts and 15 pairs of gloves. The donations will go toward veterans in need of clothing items and blankets to stay warm.

Through their joint partnership, Post 6755 and This is My Quest: Veterans in the Wild plan to continue to raise awareness on behalf of veterans committing suicide at an alarming rate.

For Reed, the “heart-stopping” number of veterans’ suicides each year is something he believes all veterans feel deeply personal about. Events like the Post’s recent Suicide Awareness Brunch provide a means toward opening discourse among those close to the edge.

“With each obituary skirting around the cause of death, instant messages, phone calls or texts from battle buddies, it never gets any easier,” Reed said. “Those lost in the shadows know that it takes another who has been down that dark path to lead them back out. Without these events and networking amongst each other, we will lose others to the darkness.”

When VFW Post 7168 in Sanger, California, struggled financially five years ago, Jim Anderson found help in the unlikeliest of places.

Anderson, who had transferred to Post 7168 to help it stay open, brought this up to a group of incarcerated veterans he sponsored and met with weekly at the Avenal State Prison in Avenal, California.

“Since I started doing a little bit of counseling with them seven or eight years ago, I quickly learned they are a very strong group of veterans,” said Anderson, a past Post 3225 commander and current Department of California District 9 quartermaster. “Despite what they have done in the past, they have been very committed to helping our veterans and the community where they can.”

On behalf of the Veterans Group of Avenal, the prisoners began raising funds for Post 7168 by collecting donations around the prison, as well as by having Post 7168 auction their artwork at golf tournaments open to the community.

“They do their own fundraising activities within the prison, and quite often, they get the rest of the blocks to donate,” Anderson said. “It requires the help of the officials within the prison, but they are good talkers and usually get that kind of support to allow them to fund-raise.”

They have since helped raise thousands of dollars for Post 7168 and its initiatives, which include Post grants for local veterans in need, as well as donations to the Fresno VA Medical Center in Fresno, California, homeless shelters in Fresno and Sanger, and overseas missionaries.

Their most recent fundraiser was held on Sept. 22, when the prisoners helped raise $3,138.56 during a food sale at the prison’s canteen, which they later presented to the Post in the form of a novelty check. They are allowed to do about two of these a year, according to Anderson.

The Veterans Group of Avenal also makes cards throughout the year and presents them to Anderson for distribution to local veterans’ hospitals, Blue Star mothers and others around the two communities.

“The scope of who they touch is rather large for such a small group of veterans,” Anderson said. “They are making a real difference, and they have done this type of work several times a year.”

Anderson says that Post 7168 shows its gratitude by donating art supplies and other equipment to the prison. He added that working with more than 200 incarcerated veterans at the prison has been personally fulfilling.

“One of the most gratifying things I have done is work with this group of veterans over the years,” Anderson said. “We have built a great relationship, and I have seen them time and again repent for what they did on the outside by committing themselves to serving others.”

This article is featured in the 2024 March issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Ismael Rodriguez Jr., senior writer for VFW magazine.

A VFW Post in the Land of 10,000 Lakes was recognized in February as a top contributor by donating to a new community athletic field.

VFW Post 4086, located in Wabasha, Minnesota, donated $10,000 to a new athletic compound in its city. The donation gave Post 8046 the status as a “Gold Contributor” to the soon-to-be-built Wabasha Athletic Field.

“Our donation was made possible through our Minnesota Charitable Gambling program,” said Jim Mathias, Post 4086 commander. “The Post takes a great deal of pride in the Charitable Gambling program and our ability to donate to several non-profit and education programs in the Wabasha-Kellogg area.”

Leaders of Wabasha broke ground at the athletic complex in July. The project costs $2.1 million, according to a press release from the City of Wabasha. The 7.5-acre complex will include baseball and softball fields; a hockey and skating rink; and basketball, tennis and pickleball courts. The complex will be outdoors but be built to withstand the harsh weather conditions of Minnesota.

“The new athletic complex location will address flooding of the old field location and improve safety by moving pedestrians and spectators away from the traffic coming off the Interstate Highway 60 bridge,” said Mathias, a retired Navy and Persian Gulf War veteran.

Mathias said that Post 4086 in late May will participate in the dedication ceremony for the new complex.

“Wabasha is a community of approximately 2,500 residents,” Mathias said. “Together with Kellogg, seven miles to the south, with a population of 425, our Post has a history of ‘giving back’ to the Wabasha-Kellogg community. By donating to the new Wabasha Athletic Complex, we can continue our legacy of ‘giving back.’ This was an exciting donation for us as the complex will serve many future generations.”

Members of VFW Post 1650 in Topeka, Kansas, honored four female members of the Kansas Air National Guard during its fifth annual Women in Military Service Recognition ceremony on Oct. 7.

The ceremony recognized Kansas Air National Guardsmen Sarah Vargas, Olivia Parmentier, Tori Wilson and Rachael Parris, affording them a platform to talk about their military career, deployment experiences and the highs and lows of being a woman in the military.

“We hold this event to recognize our women military members and their service to our nation,” VFW Post 1650 member and event coordinator Angie Gray said. “Each service member has a unique story, and telling it sometimes helps with healing or opening doors for other veterans in the audience to share their stories of military life.”

Gray, who herself deployed to Iraq in 2007 with the 287th Sustainment Brigade out of Wichita, Kansas, coordinates the project each year by seeking women veterans open to speaking about their military experience.

She does this by sending requests through the Post’s social media channels, word-of-mouth and the Kansas National Guard Public Affairs office.

Created by the Post to diversify and bring multiple generations of veterans together to tell their stories and bask in camaraderie, Gray added that events such as the Women in Military Service Recognition ceremonies provide a unique opportunity for the older Post members.

“Ceremonies like these give an opportunity for our older veterans to give back to the younger generation by awarding or thanking them for their service,” Gray said. “Many of our older veterans also participate in setting up for the event and participating in several roles needed to carry out the Women in Military Service Recognition Ceremony.”

The annual event also provides Post 1650 with opportunities to open its doors to the public and welcome those who stand to potentially lead VFW into the future. Along with other Post events held throughout the year, Gray believes the Women in Military Service Recognition Ceremony is as good as any event to help recruit new veterans.

“It helps us showcase all the activities and events we have to offer veterans, as well as letting the local community know the VFW is open to the public,” Gray said. “The goal is to bring in new veterans, young and old, male and female. It is our way of letting the next generation of veterans know that we are not your grandpa’s VFW and that we have modernized our ways.”

This article is featured in the 2024 March issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Ismael Rodriguez Jr., senior writer for VFW magazine.

For several years, Candy Kuck has co-chaired the Veterans Stand Down in Fairbanks, Alaska. A Life member of VFW Post 10029 Auxiliary in North Pole, about 20 minutes from Fairbanks, Kuck had the idea to host an event specifically for female vets.

March 9 will mark the second annual women veterans’ expo sponsored by VFW Post 10029 and its Auxiliary.

“This came to be after working at the Stand Down,” Kuck said. “A female vet there told me that something really needed to be done just for women vets.”

For the first expo in March 2023, Kuck invited area Guard and active-duty women who are close to being discharged from the military. Post 10029 sits about halfway between Fort Wainwright and Eielson AFB. Additionally, the Alaska Army National Guard Readiness Center is just west of Fort Wainwright.

“There also were older female veterans who wanted to just come out and hang out and talk with the younger ones,” Kuck said. “There were Korea and Vietnam War veterans. We had 36 ladies show up, and the majority stayed all day.”

In addition to an acupuncturist and masseuse, the Fairbanks Rescue Mission participated in the expo. Kuck said the mission has a program specifically for homeless veterans. The Cohen Clinic attended as well, and offered free mental health services for women.

“We made sure that the employees sent from each place were women so that our veterans would feel the most comfortable,” Kuck said. “The only men there were the service officers.”

Kuck said that representatives of the Aging and Disability Resource Center came to pass out information. The center has staff specifically assigned to assist veterans.

As she prepares for the second expo, Kuck said she is reflecting on the impact that last year’s event made.

“The ladies who showed up were extremely grateful,” said Kuck, who has lived in Alaska since 2011 when her husband retired after 22 years in the Army infantry. “One woman in particular, she hugged me and cried as she told me she finally got the help she needed.”

Kuck said that while the expo provides an opportunity for female vets to bond for a few hours, it also allows the different providers to network with each other.

The second annual women veterans’ expo will feature door prizes, lunch and will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Kuck said that based on last year’s numbers, she expects this year to have an even greater turnout.

“I was worried no one would show up,” Kuck said. “So when 36 ladies showed up, I was absolutely pumped. I was thrilled.”

This article is featured in the 2024 March issue of VFW magazine and was written by Janie Dyhouse, senior editor for VFW magazine.

Mike Rogers joined the Army in 1968 right as he was about to be drafted for Vietnam.

He first served from 1968-72 where he attended Infantry Officer Candidate School and airborne school. He then deployed to Vietnam as a rifle platoon leader in the 173rd Airborne Brigade. He served a second time from 1983-93 as a special forces soldier with assignments to Fort Bragg, Okinawa, Fort Lewis and Korea.

He currently lives in Lake Placid, Florida, where he serves as the co-captain of VFW Post 4300’s Honor Guard.

“I have been a part of the Honor Guard for over five years now,” he said. “We provide final military honors for deceased veterans in our country.”

Rogers, a VFW Life member, emphasizes that #StillServing in the Honor Guard is one of his most sacred duties.

“Rituals are important. As an Honor Guard member is poised to present the folded triangle flag, the rifle line fires three volleys that signify duty, honor and country. Then the bugler sounds Taps,” he said. “The deep emotions of the families during this moment are what compel all our Honor Guard members to do their best in honoring veterans. Their sacrifice will always be remembered.”

In addition to funeral services for veterans, the Honor Guard also interacts with the community on military holidays and other events like school activities, parades or celebrations at their local park.

“We’re also responsible for performing the correct way to dispose of a United States flag,” Rogers said. “Several times a year hundreds of flags are brought to the VFW Post so we can retire them.”

Rogers says he is fortunate to live in a community that greatly supports their Honor Guard. “On more than one occasion we’ll be at a diner and an unnamed benefactor will have prepaid the entire tab for the squad. We support one another around here.”

Emphasizing his compatriots’ work, Rogers asked that all accolades come to their Honor Guard as a whole – rather than himself as an individual. “I am merely one of the members who supervises the duty that we perform. I couldn’t do anything alone. We’re a team,” he said.

When Evan Tyler Cruz became active with VFW in 2022, the first thing he inspired in his fellow Post 904 members in Loomis, California, was to find new ways to serve veterans.

A skilled arborist with experience in managing sick and fallen trees, Cruz joined Post 904 Senior Vice Commander and Service Officer Shawn Simmons in establishing two work parties that would deploy when needed by veterans around the county.

Nestled between rural communities 30 miles to the northeast and Sacramento about 25 miles to the southwest, Post 904 members soon found themselves with many opportunities to serve veterans across Placer County, California.

“It is very labor-intensive but just like when we were in the military, it has built strong bonds and camaraderie,” said Simmons, an Air Force veteran with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. “We pride ourselves in the work we do and seeing the smiles and hearing the ‘thank yous’ that come from a job well done is of immeasurable satisfaction to us.”

The work parties vary based upon weather, intensity of the job, length of the job and availability. They are made up of five to eight VFW members organized by Simmons and often deploy with an assortment of equipment that includes wood splitters, dump trailers, quads, chains, ratchet straps, axes, ladders, weedeaters and chainsaws.

“We use chainsaws to cut fallen trees and split the rounds into firewood for use by the veteran property owners,” Simmons said. “In some cases, if the veteran doesn’t need the firewood, we load it up and haul the firewood to other veterans who can use it during the winter.”

Throughout 2023, Post 904’s work parties have assisted more than 25 veterans and removed more than 20 tons of lumber from their properties.

They also have provided power chairs, downed trees, made dump runs, conducted lawn and house maintenance, repaired equipment and cleaned up trash at veterans’ properties.

“They are always amazed when we show up with our team,” Simmons said. “California is notorious for people hustling people, so they are often surprised when we show up free of charge, in good spirits, and get it done.”

Simmons added that the Post hopes to continue providing service opportunities every week to 10 days, though the work “ebbs and flows” depending on the need.

“We also try and keep in touch with those we help for further assistance,” Simmons said. “Our goal is not just to provide a service but to build quality friendships that will hopefully last a lifetime.”

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