News

Why VFW?

We can’t obtain 100% membership yet VFW speaks loudly for every veteran in this country whether they are a member or not. By now, I assume that every-one is familiar with sequestration and the impact it is having on both our armed forces and our veterans. Our Commander in Chief and our Washington DC staff is working hard to fight to retain the benefits we earned. I repeat, the benefits we earned. Individually , the veteran is helpless. As a group, we wield political power and Congress only understands and listens to those that can hurt them or help them as the case may be. So if you really don’t give a rip about joining an organization for yourself, consider joining for the vet who is on a waiting list for a couple of years at the VA. It’s a small contribution of $25.

Chaplain’s Column—Rock Roth

Supreme Court Justice Antonio Scalia spoke at the inauguration of the Thomas More Society in the Diocese of Green Bay in October 2010. The Thomas More Society consists of judges, attorneys, and public officials who turn to Saint Thomas More as a mentor and model in their work as public servants, a model of integrity and courage. Judge Scalia mentioned in his address that our culture looks upon believers as “unsophisticated cretins,” foolish people who believe in Jesus Christ and the story of His Resurrection. It appears to me that history has not changed.

I am very concerned about our society and the direction it has selected, one that would restrict – eliminate – even the mention of God in the community, a Godless America. Who do we blame for this? How did we get into this position? How do we change our culture to one where God is again an integral part?
I do not have an answer; I wish I did! I do know, however, that we should blame ourselves for the position we are in, as unpopular as that may be. We seldom exhibit the courage to serve as God’s Ambassador to the world, to stand up for our beliefs. We are too interested in the other person’s feelings, being concerned that we might offend ‘someone’ if we state that we are Christians (or Jews). During this Easter Season, as we re-member the life, death, and most importantly the resurrection of Our Lord Jesus the Christ – for Christians, and Passover for the Jewish Community – I pray that God will give each of us the courage to worry less about being ‘politically correct’ and more about being morally right, and as Judge Scalia mentioned, “a model of integrity and courage.” That we might reflect God’s Glory to a needy world!

March 30 is Vietnam Veterans’ Day

While this is a bit after the fact, the Washington Legislature has deemed the 30th as Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home Day. About the only thing of significance is the POW/MIA flag is required to be flown by all public entities. Since the 30th is on a Saturday and a lot of the agencies were closed i.e. the schools, I’m not sure the average citizen even noticed. My daughters came over to my house for Easter and they are the most pro-veteran women in America and only one had seen a brief article in the newspaper that mentioned it. However, for those of us who came back on a “Freedom Bird”, it is a day for us to re-member our trip home and remember those who didn’t come back with us. Now that we have some advanced knowledge of the date, perhaps we can do a bit more in the coming year in welcoming home our brothers and sisters in a more dignified manner.

Elections at the April Meeting

Election of Post officers will be held at the Post meeting on April 12th meeting. Nominations were made at the March meeting and additional nominations can be made at the April meeting prior to election. Remember, lunch is at 11:45 and the meeting starts promptly at 12:30 at the Senior Center in Edmonds.

The District Commander’s Corner—Jim Traner

Our Annual Memorial Service was held on Saturday, March 30th remembering the Comrades and Sisters we lost this last year. Unfortunately, the bell was rung far too many times during the service as each name was read. We had a packed house at the meeting with the Department Commander, Sr. Vice, Jr. Vice, Quartermaster, and Chaplin attending. In addition, we had candidates for the Surgeon and Quartermaster position attend. I hate to see con-tested elections particularly when all the candidates are superbly qualified individuals. It’s good for VFW but certainly hard to cast a vote. I had a sample of Department’s shirt for next year and had a number of folks approach me after the meeting about order forms. I’ll bring it to our meeting along with some order forms. I want to thank Post 2100 for hosting the luncheon. After the 5th or 6th person made a raving comment about the meal, it was apparent that we would be seeing more visitors from Department in the future. I also want to thank Post 1040 for their assistance this year in providing the space for the District meetings and helping in the setup and takedown. Likewise, their Honor Guard did an excellent job at the Memorial Service. Finally, I would like to thank Post 8870 for their tremendous support this year and their help at the meetings.

The Last Word—Commander’s Column by Fred Apgar

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam Peace Accords. The Accords were signed on 27 January 1973, but it would take two more agonizingly long years before the last Americans were evacuated from Saigon as the North Vietnamese were rolling through the streets of Saigon and breaking through the gates of the American embassy. There were, of course, many legacies of the Vietnam War, but the definitive history of the Vietnam War is yet to be written.

More than forty years later, our view of the war is only slightly clearer. We will probably never be able to identify our nation’s self-interest in that conflict, nor will we ever be able to attach meaning to the over-whelming loss of blood and treasure. Unfortunately, those college professors, whose left-wing ideology crafted the anti-war sentiment at home, are using the same rhetoric to write the historical perspective of the Vietnam War. Similarly, politicians and decision-makers, whose ineptitude prolonged hostilities, project themselves as objective observers.

My perspective is that the men and women in the enlisted ranks and the junior officers did everything that was asked of them. We followed the chain of command, adhered to military discipline inasmuch as we fol-lowed orders, and committed ourselves to our assigned missions. We trusted our military leaders and civil-ian decision-makers to provide us with a mission that was in our nation’s best interest; which was their mor-al obligation to do so. In return for that, we would do our jobs and risk our lives to complete the mission.

The real failures were the Colonels and Generals. They permitted unrealistic competition between the military branches and placed daily statistics ahead of meaningful tactical and strategic operations and missions. By failing to challenge the military’s civilian leadership and our country’s political leaders, the Colonels and Generals let us down. It was their responsibility to protect us by demanding reasonable rules to prosecute the war and tasking assignments that adhered to logical and rational military doctrine. For example, strike flights were consistently fragged for the same time over target (TOT) and ingress and egress routes were rarely changed. At other times, missions were fragged for meaningless and at time, dubious, targets. A foreign pol-icy that sought to minimize the risk of antagonizing Russian and Chinese feelings gave us Rules of Engagement that clearly resulted in the unnecessary loss of American lives.

Since we were never truly committed to victory, we should have never risked defeat. That was the immorality of the Vietnam War.

Everett Post 2100 to Host Open House

Old Guard Post 2100 at 2711 Oaks Ave. in Everett will be hosting an open house on St. Paddy’s day, Sunday, March 17th.  Corned beef and cabbage will be served from 2 PM to 5 PM.  A $10 contribution is requested to cover their food costs.  This is a good opportunity for those of you who haven’t had a chance to visit another Post to do so.  Also, Post 8870’s Service Officer, Don Whedon, and Post’s 2100 Service Officer will be available to assist any veterans with VA claims or questions.

District 1 Meeting

There will be a District meeting on March 30th at 12 with a memorial service to our comrades who have passed away during the year.  We have some good comrades in our Post who are no longer with us.  Please join us in remembering them.

Mike Reagan’s Fallen Heroes Portrait Foundation Honored at Meeting

Mike Reagan’s Fallen Heroes Portrait Foundation Honored at Meeting

On Friday, Feb. 8, VFW Department of Washington line officers presented a $25,000 check on behalf of the VFW Foundation to internationally-recognized artist Michael Reagan, who has drawn the portraits of over 3,200 service members who have died serving in Iraq and Afghanistan: L-R: Fred Green, VFW Department of Washington Junior Vice Commander; Ted Streete, VFW Department of Washington Senior Vice Commander; Krist Huseby, VFW Department of Washington Commander; Michael Reagan.

The above was on the homepage of the National VFW website.  For all of you who attended the meeting (and we did have a crowd), it was a nice ceremony with Mike receiving a $25,000 (the first of three annual grants) and Mike presenting Department Commander Krist a portrait that has become his trademark, an eagle with the body of an American flag (you can see an image over Mike’s left shoulder).  Also attending the meeting was Dave Earling, Edmonds Mayor, and Sally Hintz, the NW director of Senator Marie Cantwell’s office who read a nice letter from the Senator congratulating Mike on the honor.  Ms. Hintz also commented that a poster of Mike’s fallen heroes is displayed in her Washington DC office and she rotates the posters monthly so all the fallen heroes can be recognized.  Next time we have to get our Post 8870 on the wall behind them.

Veterans Park in the Planning Stage

Edmonds, who I believe considers itself the All American town of Washington state (and it almost is), is lacking one significant thing that pulls it down a notch; there is no park out of the 22 parks listed on the Edmonds Park Departments website that commemorates veterans.  I grew up in a town that had war heroes on horses in downtown parks.  My high school had a wall with the names of the alumni who were killed in WWII.  Sure, there is a rock over at the Edmonds Historical Museum with some names on it but no real park.  The last two parks dedicated in Edmonds were named after worthy people but did not recognize veterans.  We are now in pursuit of a small patch of grass along Hwy. 104 to have a simple memorial to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.   If you are familiar with the ferry holding lanes, it is a small patch of grass adjacent to the public restrooms.  The thought is a simple inverted rifle, boots, and helmet with a flag pole for the American and POW/MIA flags and a bench facing the memorial for those who wish to sit.  Since hundreds of thousands of vehicles use the ferry each year, this would be the most viewed memorial south of the Peace Arch.

American Legion Post 66 in Edmonds will also be assisting in the project (since the membership between the two Posts are virtually the same).  Ron Clyborne who is a member of both Posts has agreed to chair the committee.  Hopefully, we can get something done in the near future (two years) on this project.

Officer Nominations

We are getting ready to present a slate of officers at the next meeting.  While anyone can make a nomination from the floor, feel free to contact our nominating committee comprised of Jim Traner, Buck Weaver, and Elizabeth Mather.