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January Post Meeting

In lieu of a speaker, the Post recognized the following students for their essay submissions:
Our Patriot’s Pen winner – Karsen Friesen 6th Grade was not able to attend.

The 4th grade Youth Essay winner, Calijan Smith, below, left and the 5th grade winner, Eloise Liao at right, are shown in the photos below with Commander Bowen.

Also recognized was our Teacher of the Year, Ali Hammond, who was not able to attend.

January Post Meeting

Business Meeting Started@ 1815 Hrs

The minutes from the 10/18/2023 & the 11/15/2023 meetings were read and approved by the membership. The Quartermaster’s report was reviewed and approved by the membership.
Several expenditures were presented for approval and were so approved by voice vote, including expenditures for Quartermaster supplies, & equipment as well as a new video camera to facilitate the use of Zoom for meetings.

Christmas party meals and cash awards for the VFW Essay winners were also approved.
Two items were added to the Veterans Relief Fund budget; The Captain Joseph House and Sarge’s Place Shelter for the benefit of Gold Star Families and Homeless Veterans.

A proposal was also approved to pay to American Legion Post 66 an annual feel for the use of their building. We will recognize the recipients of the Police/Fire/EMT awards at our next meeting on 02/21/2024.

Mike Reagan has graciously offered to do a portrait of the recipients of the Post Police/Fire/EMT & Teache f the Year as chosen by the Post.

District 1 Memorial

District 1 Memorial

On Feb 10, VFW District 1 held its annual Memorial Service at the Post 2100 facility in Everett.

The District Memorial Service is a joint endeavor between the District VFW and Auxiliary. As a group, we pause to honor those VFW and Auxiliary Members who passed on during the previous year. We say the names of our departed and lay symbolic flowers in their honor.

In attendance were the National Sr. Vice Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Department Sr. Vice Commander, the Department Jr. Vice Commander, and the District 5 Commander.

District 1 Memorial

For some of us, everyday is Memorial Day. In the photo at right, VFW Post 8870 Commander Duane Bowen and Aux. Pres. Jo Boyett were on hand to honor our own members lost this past year.

District 1 Memorial

American Legion Clothing and Food Drive

American Legion Clothing and Food Drive

Community members showed their strong support for veterans when they stopped by the American Legion Post in Edmonds Saturday, Jan. 20 to drop off donations of food and winter clothing.

American Legion Post 66 and VFW post 8870 hosted the event to assist local veterans in need. Through the generosity of those donating, the two veterans’ organizations were able to collect hundreds of items for cold­weather use, including gloves, hats, socks, coats, shirts, pants, sweaters and blankets. They also collected over 300 pounds of food. Cash donations in the amount of $200 were received at the event.

Members of both posts were on hand to receive the donations and thank donors. Also helping was Mary Lancaster, chief of veterans’ outreach for Lynnwood Heroes Cafe. The items will go directly to veterans in need, with distribution arranged by Lynnwood Legion member (& Heroes Cafe Director) Gary Walderman.

Anything remaining after distribution will go to local food banks and shelters in need.

American Legion Clothing and Food Drive
Edmonds American Legion Post 66 Vice Commander Gary Walderman accepts one of the many donations the collected at the Jan. 20 food and clothing drive (Photo by Mark Bjorndal, MyEdmondsNews)

To make the event even more special, Jessica Dietsch of Project Serve Outreach graciously offered her mobile hot beverage service to provide coffee and cocoa to warm post members, and visitors who stopped by to drop off their items.

One of the donors traveled all the way from Mercer Island to bring clothing and food. “My wife used to live in Edmonds, and she wanted to contribute to this cause. It was worth the drive to help out,” he said.

Post 66 Commander Dan Mullene also noted that most of the people dropping off items said that they had heard of it through the My Neighborhood News Network, which includes online publications My Edmonds News, Lynnwood Today and MLTnews. “We appreciate the great support that Teresa Wippel and the My Neighborhood News Network offers in helping us promote our veteran-oriented events,” he said.

Legion and VFW leadership plan to move forward with further joint activities, to build on the success of this event. Well done!

American Legion Clothing and Food Drive
American Legion Clothing and Food Drive

Raffles to be Held for VFW & AL Posts

Raffles are to be conducted again this year, this time for both VFW Post 8870 and AL Post 66 to benefit the operating funds of both posts. The AL drawing will be held on July 4 at a celebration for Post 66 centennial year. 8870 will again hold the drawing at the Christmas party on December 14.

We are Planning more promotion vial local media & social media as well as tighter follow-up of ticket distribution. Mike Reagan has once again generously offered his drawings this time of Gary Senise (widely known for his support of veterans) and country music star Toby Keith, who passed away recently.

Stay tuned for further scheduling & ticket information.

Memorial Day Poppies Schedule

Memorial Day Poppies Schedule

Memorial Day Poppy distribution will take place on Friday, May 24 & Sat. May 25 this year, at our usual locations.

Mark your calendar and sign up for your slots at the Post meeting in March & April. The more help we have, the better results. Please invite family & friends to join you. Our Veterans Relief Fund is entirely dependent on the money from these Poppy drives.

Those of us who participate find it rewarding, both from the fund raising aspect and also from the recognition we receive.

Some Reminders for Members

Members are urged to report service time for the Post’s monthly report. To do so, log in at VFW Department of WA website (https://vfwwa.org/di/vfw/v2/default.asp) and click on “Program Reporting”. Just fill in the form.

Members are asked to encourage family members to join and participate in The Post Auxiliary. The Auxiliary’s purpose is to support to activities of the Post, including social/community events and fund raising activities.

May 4 is to be the third annual National VFW Day of Service. We are looking for suggestions for our local project. (Last year we did a beach clean up) If you are aware of a worthwhile community need in the Edmonds area that would benefit from a day’s work by a group of VFW volunteers, please contact Commander Bowman.

P. S. Just a reminder, “Buddy’® Poppy, recruiting and other events which raise monetary donations
do not qualify as a Day of Service event.

Tall Drinks of Water

by Duane Bowman

Tall Drinks of Water by Duane Bowman

Our commander’s cartoon submission for the month of February, may need a bit of clarification.
A Navy sailor of our acquaintance noted that the Navy considers Coasties to be “shallow water sailors” and should be required to to be very tall to allow them to swim ashore if their cutter were to sink.
Truth is, while many Coast Guard duties take place in relatively shallow lakes, rivers and coastal waters, they also serve far at sea sometimes as boarding parties with USN vessels operating in Drug interdiction missions. They are some of the finest seamen afloat!

VFW/Legion Christmas Party

by Duane Bowman

VFW/Legion Christmas Party

Our annual Christmas Party held on Saturday December 16 was a great success.

Thanks go out to Dan Mullene and American Legion Post 66 for co-hosting the event. Special thanks to my two decorating elves from our Auxiliary, Jo Boyett and Patsy Ethridge-Neal for all their hard work.

Great food and conversation were had plus we raised $500 from raffle items that was split with the American Legion.

VFW/Legion Christmas Party

We also raised $4,290 from our raffle of Michael Reagan’s Seahawks Legend poster. In addition, Michael did a special presentation to Michelle Clyborne of a portrait of her father, who served in the Special Forces in Vietnam.

We collected a lot of toys and food which I delivered to the Edmonds Food Bank by with the assistance of Quartermaster Joe Gray, to add to those already delivered from the collection at Teri’s Toybox, the downtown Edmonds toy store.

VFW/Legion Christmas Party

The Legion’s winter clothing Drive also received a lot of donations. The generosity of both the VFW and American Legion members is amazing!

If you weren’t able to make it to the party, we hope to see you there next year!

Honor & Remember Raffle

Honor & Remember Raffle

The raffle of the Michael Reagan’s “Northwest Seahawks Legends” was won by Jim Bennett of Mukilteo. Bennett is a member of the Olympic Fly Fishers, to which Jim Traner also belonged, as well as Comrade Don Stapleton, who was responsible for the sale of 100 raffle tickets to the members of that organization. Our congratulations go out to Bennett on his win as well as to Stapleton for a great job in ticket sales and, of course, our own resident artist Michael Reagan.

The post’s operating fund is now is much better shape, thanks to the efforts of everyone involved. We look forward to repeating this fund raiser in the future.

Traner’s Corner

The comer across from the front entrance began to be enhanced when the banner maps were hung, illustrating the locations of hostile actions that created the veteran status of so many of our members, up through and including the middle east actions of the past 30 years.

Traner's Corner

Last spring, Jim Traner, came up with the idea of creating a seating area in that comer, where members might sit comfortably and enjoy swapping yarns and sharing beverages. Charlie Gaul, who, with his wife is involved in furnishing professional spaces, arranged for the purchase of the couches and chairs we now have in place.

After Jim Traner passed away in July, VFW Post 8870 and AL Post 66 decided to designate that area as ” Traner’ s Comer” , to honor Jim’s many contributions to both posts over the years. The final piece we need to complete this project was found and donated by Jeff McKinney, in the form of the curio cabinet, which now displays some of Jim’s memorabilia. In these photos, Bob Little, Mike Reagan and Richard Balogna are enjoying the space at the Christmas party alongside the new cabinet.

November Post Meeting

Kyle Gaul

Our speaker for November was Kyle Gaul, the son of Post member Charlie Gaul. Kyle has played bagpipes, since he was a young boy and continues to perform at events around the area.

We also featured our Voice of Democracy winners at this meeting.

Voice of Democracy winners

First place award went to Josephine Chia, (left in the photo left) with the essay of Aaliyah Wright (at right) in second place.

Both young women presented their essay to the assembled members. The Voice of Democracy contest includes the verbal performance of the essay in addition to the written piece.

As the winner of our Post VOD contest, Chia was entered in the District contest and won second place in District 1. She is shown at below receiving that award at the January District Meeting and with Commander Duane Bowman and Post Essay chair Don Stapleton below right.

Minutes of the Post Business Meeting
Meeting Start @1800 hours

  • Post member Don Stapleton introduced the winners of the Voice of Democracy competition, Joshpine Chia, First place and Aaliyah Wrightin second.
  • Each student read their entry.
  • Both essays will be forwarded onto District 1.

Business Meeting started @1830 hours

  • The Quartermasters report was reviewed and approved by the membership.
  • The following expenditures were approved:
    – Motion to approve $1.00 payment to Michael Reagan for the Seahawks drawing. Moved by Don Stapleton and second by Rich Bologna.
    – In other financial matters, the membership voted to approve payments to reimburse Carl Kurfess for Post meal costs, a donation to support the new formerly Incarcerated Veterans support program anther to Northwest Veterans Museum. All approved by unanimous vote of the members present.
  • A motion was made and approved to create an additional scholarship in Jim Traner’ s name based upon the additional donation from Jim’s former company Traner Smith.
  • Discussed the upcoming December Christmas Party and reviewed the status of the Seahawks raffle drawing.
  • Reviewed the upcoming Mid-winter VFW conference in Wenatchee.
  • Discussed the recognition of Police/Fire/EMT and Teacher of the Year.
  • Discussed a grant application to Safeway for gift cards to distribute to veterans. (That application has been submitted)
  • Reviewed a proposal from American Legion Post 66 regarding monetary payment from VFW.
  • Quartermaster Joe Gray discussed updating the Post email system.
  • There will be no Post meeting in December due to the Christmas Party on December 16, 2023. Next Post meeting will be on January 17, 2024.