Just a few random pictures that Fred Apgar shot during the parade. Looking at the photo on the right doesn’t give justice to the number of people lining the streets. The official estimate was 8,000 to 10,000 and I think almost everyone thanked the veterans as we marched by during the 1 mile parade route.
I hope you have all had a chance to view the Patriotic Art Winners 2012. The students art work was from all over the United States. The professionalism and their stories attached were very moving. The art work was moving and did draw feelings from the viewers. What a talented and honorable group of young adults we have. It shows the young still have pride in our country and what future talent we have.
If you haven’t visited Veterans Park in Lynnwood, you should. Post 1040 has done a great job in having a nice little park that recognizes veterans. It’s on 44th a block north of 196th. To assist in paying for it, they have memorial bricks that cost $30, a real steal. I have purchased four bricks, one each for my parents, both WWII veterans and my bother and me, Vietnam veterans. I know a number of our other members have done so as well. If you are interested in purchasing one for yourself or a family member, contact Frank Martinez at [email protected] and he will get you a form. Hopefully, someday, Edmonds will recognize its veterans as graciously as Lynnwood does. Until then, help 1040 maintain their park.
The following was written by CAPTAIN Jerry Coffee, USN. I knew Jerry when he was attached to the Staff of CINCPAC and after he had been a ‘guest’ at the Hanoi Hilton. I met him through my brother who is also a Naval Aviator and retired Navy Captain. My brother first met Jerry during a WESTPAC cruise during Vietnam.
CAPTAIN Jerry Coffee, USN (Ret) [a Vietnam POW] wrote:
One night during a bombing raid on Hanoi , I peeked out of my cell and watched a flight of four F-105s during their bombing run. As they pulled up, it was obvious that lead was badly hit. Trailing smoke, he broke from the formation and I watched the damaged bird until it disappeared from sight. I presumed the worst. As I lay there in my cell reflecting on the image, I composed a toast to the unfortunate pilot and all the others who had gone before him.
On New Year’s Eve 1968, Captain Tom Storey and I were in the Stardust section of Hoa Lo (wa-low) Prison. I whispered the toast under the door to Tom. Tom was enthralled, and despite the risk of terrible punishment, insisted that I repeat it several more times until he had it committed to memory. He then promised me that when the time came, and they were again free men, he would give the toast at the first Dining-In he attended. For you civilians, a Dining-In is a dreary formal affair with drinks, dinner, and forced joviality and comradeship where officers get to dress up like the head waiters in “The Merry Widow” — that’s the American version; I’ve heard that the Brits, who created the damn things, have a rollicking good time. Tom’s first assignment following release in 1973 was to the U.S. Air Force Academy. During that same year the Academy hosted the Annual Conference for General Officers and Those Associated Dining-In. The jovial clinking of glasses accompanied all the traditional speeches and toasts. Then it was Tom’s turn. Remembering his promise so many years earlier, he proposed Jerry’s “One More Roll.” When he was finished there was total silence.
We toast our hearty comrades who have fallen from the sky, and were gently caught by Gods own hands to be with him on high.
To dwell among the soaring clouds they have known so well before, from victory roll to tail chase at heavens very door.
And as we fly among them there, we’re sure to hear their plea: Take care, my friend, watch your six, and do one more roll for me.
A toast to all our comrades — POWs, missing in action, living or dead, whatever their duty, whatever their war, whatever their uniform. Bless them all.
May we never forget the sacrifices made to preserve our freedom! It is not the politicians who make the sacrifices but our military – Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard – in every generation. May God Bless and keep them!!
There is a word that has been appearing in the news lately with greater and greater frequency. That word is “sequestration”. It refers to an across the board cut to the Defense Department budget. The law, which was established by the Budget Control Act, will take effect on January 1, 2013 and will cut an additional $55 billion a year in expenditures for the next ten years. That would equate to an additional $550 billion in cuts in addition to the $487 billion already being implemented. Most leading experts in Department of Defense matters predict that these cuts will have disastrous consequences for our active duty personnel, veterans, and national security.
While our nation is in the midst of one of the most complex security environments in recent memory, sequestration would severely diminish our nation’s military capability. An additional 100,000 soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen will be separated from service. These reductions would result in:
Our smallest ground force since 1940,
A fleet of fewer than 230 ships, the smallest Navy since 1915, and
The smallest tactical fighter force in the history of the Air Force.
Precisely at the time when our nation is making dramatic advances in military technology, we are now faced with the prospect of both a reduced military presence and capability. Only Congress can act to reverse the provisions of the Budget Control Act, and I urge you to express your feelings to your elected representatives in the Senate and House of Representatives.
Many of us are also members of the American Legion Post 66. The Post has now officially vacated its former Post home at 6th and Dayton following the sale of the property. For the immediate future, the Legion will meet at the Senior Center in the Library Room (the former meeting room of our Post) at 6PM on the third Monday of the month with the exception of July when there is no meeting. For those of you who are not members, consider joining the Legion. All of the officers of the Legion are members of our Post so you will feel right at home when you attend the meeting.
The Edmonds Chamber of Commerce, the VFW, and the American Legion invite you to march in the City of Edmonds Annual Fourth of July Parade honoring service men and women returning from deployments in support of the Global War on Terror-ism, such as Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. If you have earned the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal or the Afghanistan Campaign Medal or the Iraq Campaign Medal, we want to honor you for your service by inviting you and your family to participate in patriotic fun and fireworks on the 4th of July in Edmonds. After the parade, the American Legion and our Post will be hosting a BBQ for Post members and any veterans who wish to march with us in the parade. It will be held at Shelter #2 at the Edmonds City Park on 3rd Ave. S. Of course, the families are also invited. In the evening, there will be special reserved seating area for military families for the concert and fire-works show. For more information and details, and to register to participate, contact Master Chief Koenig at [email protected] or by phone at 425-232-6244. To register, submit the following information:
I don’t know how many of you were in school after returning from Nam, but I never saw an ad like this in the U of W Daily in 1969. As a veteran you kept a low profile and just found other veterans to hang around with. So contrast that era with this one and how Edmonds Community College welcomes their veterans. This is an ad that was developed by Michelle Graves, a member of the ECC College Relations staff and is posted online at http://www.communitywarvets.org. Post member Troy Montgomery is pictured above and, as many of you know, Post 8870 was instrumental in assisting the fund raising for the Boots to Book monument. When I was sent the link to the poster, I immediately asked for permission to show it in our newsletter as I want the Post to know that ECC is treating our veterans the way they should be treated. By dedicating resources of both dollars and labor to assist veterans in making the transition to becoming “student veterans”, the college is reaching out to its veteran population and welcoming them home. We tip our hats to them and hope that each and every veteran out there takes advantage of the GI Bill and the various programs that ECC provides to them.
I asked Al Boyett, Post Surgeon, to provide some examples of what qualifies for the Community and Hospital Reports. As most of you know who attend the meetings, Al passes around a clipboard with sheet where you indicate what you have done in the past month in the way of community service. Here are a few ideas, but the list could fill a book. Just make a note to yourself when you’re involved in assisting a vet, etc. to make sure you put the time done when the checklist gets to you. In fact, I just realized I never put my time down in preparing this newsletter which is distributed to a great deal of individuals outside of the VFW to let them know what we do.
So that gives you an idea of what qualifies. If you have any questions, contact Al ([email protected]) or just write it down and Al will toss it if it doesn’t qualify. For those of you who can’t make it to a meeting, drop Al an email with your information and he will include it in his reporting to Department.
District One Commander Ron Haley presided over the installation of the Post’s new officers for 2012-2013. Fred Apgar, the new Commander, led his officers during their oath of office. The list of new officers can be found at the “Officers” tab at the Post’s website. We have new faces on the staff this year and we look forward to their ideas and energy as we move forward into the 2012-13 VFW year.
I would like to take this time to thank Valerie Ehlers for this past year of her presidency, for all her hard work and loyalty to the Ladies Aux club, and to the men of the VFW.
I would also like to thank all of the Veterans that have served our country and given their lives to en-sure that our freedom continues. I will do what I can to support the VFW and their families.
My 89 year old father is a WWII Veteran in the Pacific Islands, and Past President, for five years, of Poulsbo/Kingston Post 2463. Every memorial day for the last 10 years my dad and I have placed flags on the Veterans graves at 4 cemeteries in Poulsbo. He had done this for many years prior to my helping him. It is with respect and honor that I do this with my father.
What this Ladies club needs is a shot in the arm with new members. I will bring in many and I would like all of you veterans to ask again your spouse or family members to join the Ladies Aux. We then can sup-port your club activities. Tell them we need new blood and new ideas and new friends.