New Member

April Post Meeting 

Speaker Jeretta Scott
Jeretta Scott

Speaker 

Jeretta Scott 

At our April Post meeting our speaker was of OEI, an organization that seeks out veterans with hearing loss, who may qualify for a no cost “caption” telephone for their home. (One of these devices is shown here). Scott explained that the program is paid by government using revenues from a tax levied on communications companies. 

Caption Telephone

As the photo illustrates, the device puts the conversation up on on the screen in large type, to allow the user to more easily and accurately follow the conversation. 

Veterans interested in this service can contact Scott by phone at 206-910-9594, or via email: [email protected]. More information is also available on their website: https://oeius.org/ 


April Post Business Meeting Report 

New Members: Shannon Yates & Joe Gray were introduced and proposed as members by Membership Chair Jim Traner. Both were approved by vote of the membership and we are pleased to welcome them to the Post. 

April Post Business Meeting Report

We will hold election of officers for the 2023/24 VFW year at our May meeting. The members nominated for the elective positions are: 

Commander – Duane Bowman 
Sr Vice Commander – Rose Gilliland 
Jr Vice Commander – Carl Kurfess 
Quartermaster – Jim Traner 
Chaplain – Dan Doyle 
3-Year Trustee – Kerry Watkins

Post Service Officer Alden Gilliland has been quite busy assisting veterans was various issues regarding veterans programs. Gilliland feels that we need to look at increasing the Service officer’s budget, in order to be able to help more of our comrades. We discussed providing some money to the Everett Naval Base so that they can give gift cards to those in need as part of this increased effort. 

Seventeen applications have been received for the four scholarships that we have available this year. After review the chosen students will be invited to attend the May Post meeting to receive their award. 

VFW Auxiliary assisted our Post with the beach cleanup on May 6. They will also hold a Buddy Poppy event on May 25 at the Edmonds Waterfront center. 

The following were approved by the membership as delegates for the Department Convention in Spokane: Jim Traner, Duane Bowman, Dan Doyle, Mike Denton, Rose Gilliland & Alden Gilliland. 

Calvin Barnard, Mike Denton & Duane Bowman will work on the details for the proposed raffle of a Mike Reagan portrait of a celebrity, signed by the subject. The bulk of this effort will happen from late summer with the drawing of the winning ticket at the Christmas party in December. 

We have a Memorial Day ceremony at the Edmonds Memorial Cemetery at 11 AM and at the Edmonds Veterans Plaza at 1:30 PM. Volunteers will be needed for both services. 

February Post Meeting 

February Speaker 

Dennis Gibb - Scout Helo pilot in Vietnam

Dennis Gibb – Scout Helo pilot in Vietnam

Gibb, who also joined our post ranks at this meeting, spoke first about his experience as a scout helicopter pilot in Vietnam. Although most combat aircraft in Vietnam aimed for altitudes and speeds that helped them avoid anti-aircraft weapons, U.S. Army crews of the lighter scout helicopters flew low and drew fire – to set up shots for artillery, or the Bell AH-1G Cobras circling above. These hunter-killer missions, among the most hazardous of the Vietnam War, tested the resolve of the OH-6 pilots and the aerial observers sitting beside them. Their survival depended on well-honed instincts and razor-sharp reflexes, along with plenty of luck. After many such missions, Gibb received injuries which ended his service and still impact him today. 

Dennis Gibb - Scout Helo pilot in Vietnam

After a long career in the financial services, he now works at Edmonds College, helping formerly incarcerated veterans to reestablish their lives following release. He presently works with some 40 such vets at the College who are furthering their education. This new career is a reformation of sorts, following some mistakes for which he is paying restitution to this day. 

New Members Sworn In 

New Members Sworn In

Craig Dougherty Department of WA Sr. Vice Commander. (at left) Adminstered the oath to two new members, (LtoR) Bryon Wada and Dennis Gibb. Both were introduced and proposed for membership by Membership Chair Jim Traner and approved by voice vote of the assembled members. 

New Members Sworn In
New Members Sworn In

Mike Reagan presented a portrait of Harlow “Bud” Hart to Craig Dougherty

Harlow was a very close personal friend of Craig. 

Mike Reagan presented a portrait of Harlow “Bud” Hart to Craig Dougherty.
Mike Reagan presented a portrait of Harlow “Bud” Hart to Craig Dougherty.

New VFW Membership Badge Introduced

New VFW Membership Badge Introduced

If you have read your September issue of VFW Magazine, you will have seen the article introducing the new membership badge, shown at left. This badge is a “throwback” to earlier badges worn by members in the 1920s and 30s and was developed by Department of Illinois Commander Bobby Welch, a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer and Iraq War Veteran. Welch worked on the design under the direction of current Commander-In-Chief Mathew M. “Fritz” Mihelcic. 

While the membership badge looks like a military medal awarded to troops,Welch stressed that the badges are not meant to be given as an award. “All members of VFW are authorized to wear this badge” Welch said. “If you are a VFW member, you are entitled to and deserving of wearing this badge. 

Shown with the badge in this image at left is the Life Member bar, also available as Legacy, Gold Legacy, Silver Legacy and Bronze Life bars. 

The new badges are available to members through the VFW online store

Members in the News

Norm Goldstein appears in Times Article. 

Members in the News

We were pleasantly surprised to find Norm Goldstein (at right) appearing in a photo in the Seattle times sports section recently. The article reported on the passing of Gary Seefried, noted Seattle basketball coach, of Covid. The photo was taken at Basketball Legends Dinner attended by both men. 

Norm is a Navy veteran of WWII and retired as Vice principal of Mountlake Terrace H.S. in 1980 after a long career teaching and coaching basketball, there and at Ballard H.S. 

New Members Inducted

Four new members were sworn into the post at the June Meeting, all are Navy veterans: 

Dean Flagg 
Brad Hintz 
Scott Johnson 
Nathan Wortinger
 

Let’s all extend a warm welcome to these veterans as they join our ranks. More information will be published on these comrades as it is received. We are expecting to welcome some additional members at the July Post meeting and look forward to an opportunity to meet with all of our comrades once again.

Meet New Member Dick Harsin

 Meet New Member Dick Harsin
Harsin takes the oath as OOD Jim Collins looks on

Dick served on active duty with the Navy from 1969 through 1980, and was a “Blue Water” Sailor during Vietnam. Dick served as a supply officer (Lieut.) on the USS Sperry (sub tender) and on USS Vesuvius (ammunition ship). He spent 383 days off the coast of Vietnam providing ammunition to ships from destroyers to aircraft carriers. Later, Dick was inventory control officer at NAS Whidbey Island; Supply Officer and Comptroller at NAS Agana Guam and finally DOD disposal officer at Defense Logistics Command Ogden Utah. 

In 1980 Dick started his CPA business which he sold in 1995. Since 1995 he has worked in wealth management, financial planning and tax strategy planning. 

Dick and wife Nancy have been married for 45 years and have two daughters one living in Lake Forest Park the other living in Anchorage. They have seven grandkids ranging in age between 10 and 24. 

Over the years Dick has been heavily involved in child abuse prevention programs and has served on various national boards. He is the minor league coordinator for Pacific Little League and also for more than 18 years served as manager of a minor league team (ages nine through 11) for Pacific Little League. Dick is, along with several other members of our Post, also a member of the Rotary Club of Edmonds, Daybreakers. 

New Member – Mike Meyer

New Member - Mike Meyer

Mike Meyer, an Army veteran who flew Cobra helicopters in Vietnam was inducted into the Post at the November meeting. He was introduced to the Post by his near neighbor, Jr. Vice Commander Duane Bowman. After leaving the service, Mike worked in construction management. He is married and has one daughter. Mike was welcomed in picture at left by Officer of the Day Jim Collins as his sponsor, Duane Bowman and the rest of the membership look on. Mike jumped right in to volunteer on the Buddy Poppy drive for Veterans Day. 

New Post Member Directory Proposed

Post 8870 commander Rose Gilliland has announced her intention to prepare a Post photo directory of the membership and has arranged with a photographer, Kurt Nickle, to attend our meetings and take photos of the members. If the following candid shots from the July meeting are any indication, it would appear the we will have some high quality portrait work. 

We will have our photographer on hand at future meetings to shoot individual portraits for our Post Directory. If you are not a regular attendee, we urge you to make an appearance to have your photo taken, so that you can be included in the directory. 

New Member Herb Bender

New Member Herb Bender

Members of the post welcomed our newest member, Herb Bender who was inducted at the January Post meeting. Herb was sponsored by member Jay Hansen. 

Herb, at left in this photo, is a Navy Veteran who served in Vietnam, is currently a resident of Mukilteo and retired from Boeing. During his eight years in the Navy, his rating was Radarman with a terminal rate of E-5. 

Herb’s service put him aboard a wide variety of ships, from aircraft carrier (USS Oriskany) an assault cargo ship and a guided missile destroyer, including a 30 day TAD to the brown water Navy in Vietnam aboard a river patrol boat. 

Welcome aboard, Herb! 

New Member: Jay Hansen

New Member: Jay Hansen

Jay Hansen was voted into membership and sworn in at the January Post meeting by Commander Mike Denton

Jay retired as a Lt. Colonel from the USAF. Among his other stations and duty assignments, Jay served in helicopters out of Danang during the Vietnam War.

Notable among Jay’s activities is membership in the Mill Creek Chorale, where he sings low bass with Commander Denton. Jay resides in Mukilteo.