News

Our annual Christmas and Holiday Dinner will be held on December 13th at 1:00PM at the American Legion Hall at 117 6th Ave. S. in Edmonds. Admission is free but if you can, bring an unwrapped toy and/or non-perishable food items. Following the Dinner, we will deliver the food to the Edmonds Food Bank and the toys to Holly House. We will be holding a low key raffle with various baskets and other items in the raffle.

At the last meeting we passed around a list of items i.e. salads, deserts, etc., needed for the meal. We will pass it around again at December’s meeting which is the day before our party. Otherwise, just show up with an appetite and spend a couple of hours with us.

And by the way, your family members are invited to this as well as any veterans you may know that you would like to invite. We don’t plan on publishing this to the public as we have limitations on the amount of food we will have available.

Edmonds Food Bank, Holly House, VFW Christmas and Holiday Dinner

Where Does Our Relief Funds Go?

We raise a lot of money handing out Buddy Poppies. How do we spend it? Not a single penny goes to the Post or to overhead. Here’s this year’s budget:

Service Officer – $2,500
Special Olympics – $ 500
Scholarships – $4,000
Fallen Heroes Project – $2,250
Youth Programs – $1,000
Fisher Houses – $2,000
Teacher of the Year – $ 500
Santa’s Castle– JBLM – $1,000
Student Essays – $ 750
Chaplains’ Offices – $1,500
Veterans Homes – $2,000
Semper Fi Fund – $ 500
National Home for Children – $1,000
Wounded Warriors – $ 500
National Military Services – $1,000
CRISTA Camps – $1,000
USO – $1000
NW Battle Buddies – $ 500
Rainier Therapeutic Riding – $ 500
Wreaths Across America – $ 500
Misc./Contingency – $1,200

Chaplains’ Offices, CRISTA Camps, Fallen Heroes Project, Fisher Houses, National Home for Children, National Military Services, NW Battle Buddies, Rainier Therapeutic Riding, Santa’s Castle– JBLM, Scholarships, Semper Fi Fund, service officer, Special Olympics, Student Essays, Teacher of the Year, USO, Veterans Homes, VFW Post 8870 Relief Fund, Wounded Warriors, Wreaths Across America, Youth Programs

Veterans Day Ceremony at Veterans Plaza

With the help of a lot of our Post members in setting up the Plaza for the ceremony, our first ever VeteransDay ceremony was a huge success. Our WWII veterans posted the wreath while Post Commander Jim Blossey MC’d the event with Mike Reagan being our featured speaker. Mike hit the correct tone in saying this Plaza would become a treasured spot for all the veterans in Edmonds and thanked the support of the city in making it possible. Dave Earling, Mayor, talked about how Veterans Day impacted him by the fact of family members serving and the loss of a close friend in Vietnam. It was a day to remember.

Edmonds Veterans Plaza, Edmonds WA Veterans Day Ceremony

USS Killen DD-593

The following email was received by the Post:

My name is Juan Vera. I am the State Underwater Archaeologist in Puerto Rico. A few years ago we rediscovered a Fletcher Class destroyer in Puerto Rico. We have since identified it as the USS Killen DD-593. I have researched the history of the ship and its crew. One of your members, Amos B Chapman S2/C USNR, was a crew member on the Killen. I have put together a pictorial tribute to honor the ship and her crew for their service in a time of need. The Killen received a deadly attack on 1 November 1944. This year on the 70 anniversary of the attack, I laid a wreath and read the names of the 17 young sailors that gave their lives that day. I am sending you a copy of the tribute and would deeply appreciate if you can give a copy to Mr. Amos Chapman and his family. If I have made any mistakes in this tribute I would be glad to correct them or if Mr. Chapman or his family would like any photos or comment added, I would be more than happy to do so.

Amos B. Chapman
Amos grew up in Toppenish, WA but also lived in Seattle and graduated from Franklin HS. He joined the US Navy in May, 1943, just a couple months before turning 18. He served aboard the USS Killen (DD-593) in the Pacific as a Fire Controller. The Killen was a new destroyer built in Bremerton. It provided convoy escort, shore bombardment and antiaircraft screen. It participated in action in the Surigao Strait. The Killen was attacked by 9 Japanese Aircraft off of Leyte and was heavily damaged by a bomb, killing 15 crewmen. Amos resides in Edmonds. Amos retired from the US Postal Service Seattle. He has 3 daughters, 7 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.

We appreciate receiving stories about our members. The report that Mr. Vera send with his email was quite extensive and far too lengthy to be included in this newsletter. The fact that someone took the time to learn the history of a ship and its crew is remarkable. Amos and the crew of the USS Killen have our deepest thanks for their service.

Amos B Chapman, USS Killen DD-593

Letter from Your Editor

In addition to the Veteran Organizations that I belong to (VFW, American Legion, VVA, and the 11th Armored Cavalry Veterans of Vietnam and Cambodia), I also belong to Rotary. In days past, attendance of weekly Rotary meetings was mandatory and missing more than a few was grounds for termination. That requirement is long gone, but I recall one older Rotarian, Babe Buckland who some of you may have known, who had perfect attendance for decades, how many I don’t recall. One day he was fishing out of Port Angeles and in the middle of a tremendous bite, he pulled up and left to attend the local Rotary meeting. As he told it, the salmon were chewing the keel off his boat. Upon hearing that, I made it a point to miss one meeting a year to make sure I didn’t get addicted to a perfect attendance record knowing I’d never leave a hot bite.

I find myself somewhat in the same dilemma that Babe was in as I changed the number of years and issues on the header page of this newsletter. I have put this newsletter out for 12 years without missing an issue although I will be a day late this month. Since 13 is an unlucky number when it comes to newsletters (I just made that up), I’d like to step aside and let someone else put something together so I’m looking for volunteers (a bad thing when dealing with wily veterans). I began this newsletter because I think keeping all your members informed, particularly those who can’t make meetings or have moved out of the area, is critical to having a cohesive Post. As District Commander, I was able to implement a District newsletter as well as having several Posts begin their own newsletter. I can still be involved in the formatting but I would appreciate a few reporters doing the hard work. A good newsletter is done by committee anyway. You know where to find me.

Newsletter, VFW

Buddy Poppies

My blatant plea for assistance went unheeded last month so I won’t try it this month. However, twice a year we raise in the proximity of $11-$12,000 which are the funds we use to support our veteran and current service member communities. Unlike a lot of requests you receive, our funds stay in our community for the most part and virtually all of it stays in our state. So if you can’t find the time to assist us in our Poppy distribution, consider drop-ping a check made payable to:

VFW Post 8870
PO Box 701
Edmonds, WA 98020
Remember that your donation is tax deductible and, better, not a single penny of our Relief Fund is used for administrative expenses with the exception of the purchase of Poppies which are made by veterans here in Washington State. We’d love to have your company when we distribute Poppies but your generous donation will be equally appreciated.

buddy poppies, Tax Deductible Donation, vfw post #8870

Veterans Day

On November 11th at 11AM, we will have our first Veterans Day ceremony at our new Veterans Plaza at 5th and Bell. Depending on the weather (although it never rains in November in Edmonds), we may have to put up some shelters for the speakers and honored guests. In addition, if Memorial Day at the cemetery is any indication, we will also have to put up chairs for our elderly citizens to use. Therefore, we will have a work party detail at 0930 to get things organized. Since this is our first attempt at this, the more hands we get to help, the quicker we can adjourn to the coffee shop before returning at 11AM. The agenda is still somewhat fluid, but Commander Jim Blossey will MC the event, Mayor Dave Earling will say a few words, and Mike Reagan, Post member and founder of the Fallen Heroes Portrait Foundation will be the keynote speaker. Our own Chris Edwards will play Taps to close the ceremony. Following the ceremony, we will need some hands to help us pack up everything. At that time, we will adjourn to the Edmonds Cemetery where there will be a tour of the notable veterans interred there. Hopefully, we can have a major showing of our VFW members so please wear your covers to the ceremony. This is our day at our Park so please make an effort to be there.

Chris Edwards, Commander Jim Blossey, Edmonds Cemetery, Edmonds Veterans Plaza, Fallen Heroes Portrait Foundation, Mayor Dave Earling, Mike Reagan, November 11th, Veterans Day, Work Party

No Posting of Flags at the Cemetery

We were originally scheduled to post flags at the cemetery for Veterans Day. The events at the cemetery have been cancelled and we will not be placing the flag. However, our work party at Veterans Plaza at 0930 is still on. See you there.

Veterans Day, Veterans Plaza, Work Party

Mike Reagan to Speak at 3rd Place Books

Mike Reagan will speaking at 3rd Place Books on November 13th at 7PM. As most of you know, Mike is a member of our Post and has drawn over 4,000 portraits of service members who have lost their lives in either Iraq or Afghanistan. We strongly support the Fallen Heroes Project and Mike.

3rd Place Books, Fallen Heroes Project, Mike Reagan, War in Afghanistan Veterans, War in Iraq Veterans

VFW Trivia

Military Trivia, News, Newsletter Articles

Most VFW members simply attend their Post meeting and remain fairly oblivious to the hierarchy of VFW which is fine since our involvement is primarily in our local community. However, each Post is a member of a District. Post 8870 is a member of District 1 and Washington state has 16 Districts in total.
An oddity is that there is a District 17 but no District 8. The Districts are there simply to assist the Posts in their tasks. At the state level, the VFW organization is described as a “Department” and the District Commanders together with the Department line officers form a group known as the “Council of Administration” whose job it is to govern the state organization. Beyond the state level, you have a National organization made up of the various Department Commanders and line officers elected at the National Convention. Like the military, you work within your chain of command so a Post member who has a grievance about a Post Commander would first approach his Judge Advocate who in turn refers the issue to the District Commander. That’s a very quick description of the organizational chart.

Council of Administration, Department, Hierarchy of VFW, VFW National, VFW Trivia, VFW Washington District 1

JBLM Honors Vietnam Vets

Most of you missed it but for those Vietnam vets who did attend, it was an event you’ll never forget. All of the service branches were present and they were excellent hosts. Plus, it was just great being around so many veterans who served in Vietnam. General Barry McCaffrey was the keynote speaker and a veteran of Vietnam, serving three tours and the recipient of two Silver Stars, three Purple Hearts, and two Distinguished Service Crosses. I’m not sure you can find a better advocate of the Vietnam veteran than General McCaffrey. Personally, it was interesting going back to a place I had gone through Basic Training. The reception getting off the bus was a bit better this time.