As
you all know Gary Walderman has overseen the operation of Heros Cafe, the
monthly breakfast gathering in Lynnwood. At the August meeting, Walderman
came to present details of a new Edmonds Veterans Gathering to be held at
the Edmonds Food Bank, located at the Edmonds United Methodist Church, 828
Caspers Street
The
first of these monthly events will take place on October 24 from noon to 4
PM.
Veterans
services information will be available on the subjects of VA benefits,
including education and employment opportunities.
This
program is meant to offer community based support available through Civic
sources, Veterans Service Officers and commercial sources and offer a
fellowship opportunity to local veterans.
Orders
are now being taken for a new group of pavers which will be installed in
the area around the information Kiosk.
A
production order will be placed shortly, so if you wish to honor a veteran
in this way, get your order in as soon as possible.
The
order form is reproduced below. Send your order by mail to VFW Post 8870,
PO Box 701, Edmonds, WA 98020, with your check made out to the Post. You
can also bring your order and check to the Post meeting and hand it
to Jim Traner.
Please note that his particular round of orders is
for pavers only.
VFW
District 1 will be recruiting at Bob’s Corn maze in Snohomish on the 28th of
September, so bring your friends and comrades. Sign up and enjoy a day at
the maze.
The
Heroic Men and Ships of World War II’s Most Decorated Navy Destroyer
Squadron. By Wukovits, John F.
This
book tells the story of the first of the new Fletcher-class destroyers that
joined the Pacific fleet in fall of 1942. They held the line against the Japanese
fleet until America’s shipyards produced the new ships that would
eventually defeat the Japanese Navy. These first three ships would later
be formed into Destroyer Squadron 21 (Desron 21), which became the battle
hardened US Naval squadron of World War II.
The
USS O’Bannon (DD 450), the USS Nicholas (DD 449), and the USS Fletcher
(DD 445) arrived in the Pacific theater in September 1942 and were
immediately put to work escorting ships, patrolling against enemy submarines,
bombarding enemy positions on Guadalcanal, and shooting down enemy planes.
There was a severe shortage of destroyers and they were in constant demand
and were working and fighting almost non-stop. Other new destroyers arrived in
1943 and were also put to work immediately. Over time, some were sunk, others
were damaged, but they were constantly in service.
When Admiral William Halsey selected Desron 21 to lead his victorious ships into Tokyo Bay to accept the Japanese surrender, he chose the most battle-hardened US naval squadron of the war. But it was not the squadron of ships that had accumulated such an inspiring résumé; it was the people serving aboard them who won the battles. This is the story of Desron 21’s heroic sailors whose battle history is the stuff of legend. Through diaries, personal interviews with survivors, and letters written to and by the crew during the war, John Wukovits brings to life the human story of the squadron and its men who bested the Japanese in the Pacific and helped take the war to Tokyo. – King County Library Review.
It’s
time to get ready to do our November Veterans Day Poppy Drive. This is
extremely important for our Post, as it is how we raise funds to do all
the good work that we do!
With
that said, please mark your calendars to help out on November 8th and 9th
at our usual locations. You will be able to sign up online or at the Post
meetings in September and October. Spouses and friends are welcome to help
out also. Shifts will be in four hour increments. Please note that if you sign
up online, don’t sign up at the meetings. Make sure to include your
contact phone number, as you may be asked to help out at a different store
than the one you signed up for, if necessary.
If
you are the Chair or a member of committee of any of the following projects for
the current VFW year, please be aware of these deadlines, beyond which
your entries will not be valid.
Teacher of the Year October 31: Nominations to Post November 15: Entries to District Chair December 15: Entries to Department
Voice of Democracy, Patriot’s Pen & Youth Essay October 31: Entries to Post November 15: Entries to District Chair December 15: Entries to Department
Scout of the Year March 1: Nominations to Post March 15: Entries to District Chair April 1: Entries to Department
Safety Awards – Law Enforcement, Fire Fighter, EMT of the Year. November 15: Nominations to Post December 15: Nominations to District Chair January 1: Nominations to Department
Community Service Awards December 31: J.A.S.O.N. Award Cut-off April 15: Post Special Project Entries
I
think it is important that we recognize September as Suicide prevention month. We
know that we have several comrades out there who need help and support. For
anyone who needs help please reach out!
We
understand that you may not want to reach out to someone personally, but maybe
you are willing to reach out on line or maybe at our kiosk. You can go to
our kiosk which is located in front of Edmonds city hall.
Map of France and Spain, with German/Swiss Frontier offset at
Starting
in 1941, an increasing number of British Airmen found themselves as the
involuntary guests of the Third Reich, and the Crown was casting about for
ways and to facilitate their escape…
Now,
obviously, one of the most helpful aids to that end is a useful and
accurate map, showing among other things the locations of ‘safe houses’
where a POW on-the-lam could go for food and shelter.
Paper
maps had some real drawbacks — they make a lot of noise when you open and
fold them, they wear out rapidly, and if they get wet, they turn into
mush, but Someone in MI-6 (similar to America’s OSS) got the idea of
printing escape maps on silk. It’s durable, can be scrunched-up into tiny
wads, and unfolded as many times as needed, and is quiet.
At
that time, there was only one manufacturer in Great Britain that had
perfected the technology of printing on silk, and that was John
Waddington, Ltd. Coincidentally, Waddington was also the U.K Licensee for
the popular American board game, Monopoly. As it happened, ‘games and
pastimes’ was a category of item qualified for insertion into ‘CARE’
packages’, dispatched by the International Red Cross to prisoners of war.
Under
the strictest secrecy in a securely guarded and inaccessible old workshop on
the grounds of Waddington’s, a they began mass-producing escape maps,
keyed to each region where POW camps were located. These maps could be
folded so small as to fit inside a Monopoly playing piece.The clever workmen at Waddington’s
also managed to add a playing token containing a magnetic compass, a two-part
metal file that could easily be screwed together and useful amounts of
high-denomination German, Italian and French currency, hidden within the
piles of Monopoly money.
British
and American crews were advised how to identify a ‘rigged’ Monopoly set by
means of a tiny red dot, rigged to look like an ordinary printing glitch,
located in the corner of the ‘Free Parking Square’.
Of
the estimated 35,000 Allied POWs who successfully escaped, an estimated
one-third were aided by the rigged Monopoly sets. The story wasn’t
declassified until 2007, when the surviving craftsmen from Waddington’s, as well
as the firm itself, were finally honoured in a public ceremony.
Located on Bell St, adjacent to the Edmonds Public Safety Bldg. In the late afternoon, or early evening, there is a good chance you will find Mike Reagan present.
Commander Doug White Visited on the occasion of our July
Post meeting to present the Post with The 2018-19 All-State Post Award (see
certificate on page 2) and other certificates recognizing 8870’s
stellar performance for the past VFW year. In addition to the All-State
certificate, Commander White presented the post with certificates
representing awards in categories of 100% + Membership, Buddy Poppies, Heroes
in the Ballpark, Patriots Pen, Scouting, Teacher of the Year, Veteran
& Military Support, Voice of Democracy andYouth Activities. We were
also recognized for nominating our Post Law Enforcement Officer of the
year, Mukilteo Police Detective Nicole Stone, the winner of the Department
of Washington award in that category! A Big Well Done, to the entire post
for an outstanding year!
2017-19 Commander Mike Denton and
Quartermaster Dennis Peterson each accept the “Whtite Cover” from District
1 Commander Doug White on behalf of the Post, in recognition of the
Presentation of the All-State Award to our post.
Prior to our July Post meeting, Commander White sent out this message to all of the District 1 Posts, congratulating all for the District’s achievement in the past VFW Year:
“Congratulations to every District 1 Post and Member for
all of your hard work in the past 12 months. Due to your efforts in the
community the District 1 team was recognized at our Department Convention
with the following.
District 1 All-State District Team Captain Post 921 All-State Post Post 1040 All-State Post Post 1561 All-State Post Post 2554 All-State Post Post 7511 All-State Post Post 8870 All-State Post Post 9417 All-State Post
Department of WA Firefighter of the Year via Post 921 Department of WA Police Officer of the Year via Post 8870 Department of WA 2nd place Scout of the Year via Post 7511
Thank you for everything you do in our communities. Doug”
Certificates for individual categories will be posted on
the Post website under “Award Wall”
