Author Archive: Editor

President’s Corner—Valerie Ehlers

Happy Easter! We’re doing a great job getting those breakfast bars in. Let’s bring a box of them to the April  meeting on Friday, April 13!

Remember it is “Election time” for us. If you are willing to be elected to a position but can not attend the meeting, I need to receive a written note from you indicating that you are willing to be nominated and that you will accept any position that you are elected to. Send it to me at Valerie Ehlers, 912 N 143rd St. #6, Seattle, WA 98133. Thanks.

We are electing officers for the 2012-2013 term at the April meeting. I need as many of you as possible to attend this meeting for the elections.

Scott Swain—PTSD Expert

Scott Swain PTSD ExpertAt our March 9 meeting, we were honored to have Scott Swaim address the Post about his work with veterans who have been diagnosed with PTSD.  He shared with us his experiences with veterans who suffered from this disorder and explained how symptoms such as sleeping problems, anger, difficulties at work, and loss of friendships might represent manifestations of PTSD.  Scott is an Air Force Gulf War veteran who is President of Milspec Advisory Group, a consulting agency that focuses on military and veteran issues.  He has over 20 years of clinical experience in programs dealing with mental health issues, and he has consulted for numerous governmental and private agencies on how best to serve the military, veterans and the members of their families.  Scott is a member of the VFW, AL, and DAV.

 

 

New Members

Ron Fischer

Ron Fischer

Ron Fischer is a native of Tumwater, WA and attended Seattle University. He served in the United States Navy from February, 1968 to November, 1969 with overseas duty in Vietnam from October, 1968 – November, 1969. Served as Operations Department Yeoman.  Ron is in real estate sales and resides in Edmonds. He is married with 3 children and 9 grandchildren.

 

Michael Santopolo

Michael Santopolo

Michael Santopolo is a Seattle native. He served in the US Army from September, 1966 to April, 1969. He was stationed in Korea at the DMZ from December, 1967 – April 1969. Basic training was at Fort Polk, Louisiana with other assignments at Fort Benning, Georgia, Camp Drum, New York and Fort Meade, Maryland. Michael is in the real estate business and is a contractor.  He currently resides in Edmonds and has 2 daughters and 2 grandchildren.

Honor Flight

Two Post members, Jean Whalley and Harry Miller, will be flying to Washington DC during the month of April.  The Post is assisting in this endeavor by providing $800 which will cover the cost of two “guardians” who will accompany Muriel and Harry on their journey and assist them as they tour the Capitol and the various war memorials and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  This is the second group of WWII veterans we have sent to Washington D.C.  Honor Flight was originated when a group of private pilots flew WWII veterans to view the WWII Memorial.  It quickly grew and, to date, 81,000 veterans have been flown to Washington DC.  Just as an aside, Southwest Airlines has donated thousands of free tickets.  Keep this in mind the next time you book a flight.

Eagle Scount Court of Honor

Rock Roth and Les Abel present certificates and belt buckles during a recent Court of Honor.

Chaplain’s Corner—Rock Roth

We are more than half way through Lent, the Church season during which Christians are encouraged to prepare through prayer, penance, repentance, almsgiving, and self-denial for the annual commemoration of Holy Week, marking the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events of the Passion of Christ on Good Friday, which then culminates in the celebration on Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

During Lent, many of the faithful commit to fasting or giving up certain types of luxury as a form of penitence. The Stations of the Cross, a devotional commemoration of Christ’s carrying the Cross and of His execution, are often observed. Many Roman Catholic and some Protestant churches bare their altars of candles, flowers, and other devotional offerings, while Crucifixes, religious statues, and other elaborate religious paraphernalia are often veiled in violet fabrics in observance of this event. In certain pious Catholic countries, grand processions and cultural customs are observed, and the faithful attempt to visit seven churches during Holy Week in honor of Jesus Christ heading to Mount Calvary.

According to the Synoptic gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus spent forty days fasting in the desert before the beginning of His public ministry, where He endured temptation by Satan.  Thus, Lent is described as being forty days long, though different denominations calculate the forty days differently. In many of the Christian churches, Lent is regarded as being forty days long, but the Sundays between Shrove Tuesday and Easter Sunday are not typically regarded as being part of Lent; thus, the date of Shrove Tuesday will typically be 47 days before Easter.  Christians are permitted to recognize Lent and celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord on Easter as they choose.  These religious rights are a salient and integral part of our Declaration of Independence and our Constitution.

The United States of America was founded on Christian Judeo principles.  That does not mean that our citizens must be either Christians or Jews.  The First Amendment to the Constitution states clearly that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, on prohibiting the free exercise thereof…..”  We are thereby guaranteed the freedom of religion not the freedom from religion.  Each citizen shall be afforded the right to worship – or not – as he or she believes.  I may not agree with how you choose to worship but I shall not have the right to interfere, obstruct, or prohibit how you worship.  Also, you have no right to interfere, obstruct, or prohibit how I worship.  Many within this great country of ours seem to have forgotten or never perceived this fact.

I wish each of you a very Happy Easter or Happy Hanukkah or not.

The Last Word

The Post has grown this past year if you hadn’t noticed.  We’ve added 23 new members which is over 10% of our membership of 201 members last year.  Unfortunately, during that same period, we have lost members who have passed and some who simply disappeared so we stand at around 107% of last year’s membership.  A number of the new members are Vietnam veterans like myself but we have a fair representation of veterans from every conflict from WWII to Afghanistan.  How do we get new members?  We have had a fair number of new members reach us through our website but I would say the largest percentage are friends and acquaintances to whom we have reached and invited them to join us.  I know I have and it’s interesting that a majority were simply waiting to be asked.  I hope you will all reach out to our fellow veterans that you know and extend an invitation to have them join us.  As you all know, we don’t have any secret handshakes, code words, or other clever initiation secrets.  All we ask is that the member be eligible by way of his or her service overseas and maintain allegiance to the United States of America.  Pretty darn simple.  So the next time someone says something that indicates they are an eligible veteran, extend an invitation to them to attend our next meeting.  We will pick up their lunch tab.  One other note for you “old timers” and that is reach out to the newer members and get to know them.  We don’t have any cliques in our Post and most everyone just finds a seat at a table but at the next meeting look for an empty seat next to a new member.  We can add new members but it’s up to all of us to make them feel welcomed.

St. Paddies Day Parade

Post Member Mike Reagan will be the Grand Marshall for the parade in Seattle on March 17th at 12:00AM.  Mike would like veterans to march with him to support the Fallen Heroes Project along with Gold Star families.  The parade starts at 4th and Jefferson.

Post Announces the Freedom Scholarship for local High School Students

Our Post will sponsor a new activity in our community high schools; the Freedom Scholarship program.  The scholarships, two for the Mukilteo School District and otwo for the Edmonds School District, will be awarded to a deserving senior who will be attending college or trade school in the fall semester.  The $1,000 scholarships shall be paid directly to the student’s school account to help defray tuition costs, fees, and expenses.  Criteria for awarding the scholarship will be rigorous.  The scholarships will require an essay to be submitted explaining what freedom means to the student and how our Constitution establishes and maintains a culture of freedom in our county.  The applicants will have to furnish a high school transcript from their Junior and Senior years and a resume that includes school sponsored activities they in which they were involved, leadership positions, jobs held, and service related activities in which they have volunteered.  To emphasize the price of Freedom, each scholarship will be made in the name of a local service member who died in Iraq or Afghanistan defending our freedom

Consider Including VFW Post 8870 in Your Estate Planning

If you’re like most folks, dealing with wills and estate planning is far down the list of things you like to do.  However, regardless of age, we should all have a will prepared to direct your final affairs.  If you would like to leave something to our Post, the easiest is a direct bequest naming our Post.  It could be a percentage of your estate or a residual amount after your loved ones have been taken care for.  There isn’t room here to describe all the options available in estate planning, but your legal advisor can assist you in the many different methods to assist our Post and accomplish it through strategic estate planning.

Auxiliary President’s Corner Valerie Ehlers

Hi! Unforeseen health problems caused a cancellation of our February meeting. We would like to try again for the Breakfast Bar ingathering to benefit Northshore Nourish. It is a program designed to help kids in school that don’t get breakfast at home. If a child is hungry there are no questions asked, they just go and get a breakfast bar. So, if you are coming to the March meeting, please bring a box of breakfast bars with you. If you cannot attend the meeting but would like to help, either mail in a box of breakfast bars or send a check made out to “Ladies Auxiliary VFW #8870” that we can use to purchase some breakfast bars. You can mail them to me, Valerie Ehlers, at 912 N 143rd St. #6, Seattle, WA, 98133.

Our March meeting will be held on Friday, March 9th, shortly after Noon (depending on how soon we’re done eating lunch) at the Edmonds Senior Center.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, Everyone!

Relief Fund Committee Adds New Members

The Relief Fund Committee recently lost a member, Leroy Middleton who passed in January.  As a result, the remaining members, Fred Apgar and Jim Adams, decided to add two additional members to the committee.  Jim Blossey who is a long time resident of Edmonds but fairly new to VFW and Carl Kurfess were named to the Committee.  The function of this committee is to analyze the various requests we have for funds and, after that review, recommend the expenditures from the Relief Fund to the Board and ultimately to the Post for approval.  The system has been extremely effective in allocation of our resources to those most in need and fitting the parameters of allowable expenditures from the Relief Fund.  As in the past, if you come across a worthwhile project you think the Post should support, let one of the committee members know and they will take it into consideration.