Newsletter Articles

Mike will be speaking about the Fallen Heroes Project at 3rd Place Books on November 2nd at 7:00PM.  First, for those of you who don’t visit book stores, 3rd Place Books is great.  In addition to a small restaurant, you can browse for new or used books.  In addition, there is a stage where Mike will make his presentation.  I am asking that all of you who can make it to do so.  And bring a friend.  It is important to spread the word to our fellow citizens about Mike’s project and how important it is to the family of our fallen heroes.

If you didn’t see it, it’s gone.  However, I thought I would share with you a fascinating exhibit that came to town.  I had a chance to run down to Boeing Field to the Museum of Flight on a recent Sunday afternoon.  I had read an article that an exhibit about WWI was being held on the tarmac in front of the museum.  Although small (held in a very large semi-truck that could be moved from location to location), the exhibit was excellent.  Somehow in a very few words and pictures, the introductory film unraveled the tangle of politics and alliances that brought about the first world war and clearly explained how an assignation in a small country would lead to millions dying.  While it exhibited the usual uniforms, etc. it concentrated on the small items that soldiers carried and also how the wounded were treated, as well as the dead.  For instance, following the war, the government sent Gold Star mothers to Europe to visit their son’s graves.  WWI is becoming a forgotten war.  It is a shame.  What the soldiers had to endure and casualties that were incurred were horrific.  An entire generation of young men died.  While the US brought home a number of their KIA’s (the Brits didn’t), one of the cemeteries US soldiers are buried in is Flanders Field.   A thought to remember when you are handing out Poppies in a few days.

Our November meeting falls on Veterans Day and the Edmonds Senior Center will be closed.  We have moved the meeting to the American Legion Post 66 Hall on 6th and Dayton in Edmonds.  Lunch will be served.

Email or call Bob Crawford if you can help out on 11/4-5 at [email protected] or 206-909-4893.

As Post Commander, I attended the convention in San Antonio.   This is the third convention I’ve attended and I am finally getting a pulse on the National VFW organization.  While there are a lot of speeches (this year sounded like I was attending the Republican Party Convention with Rick Perry and Mitt Romney making partisan speeches), there is only one agenda item that concerns you directly as a member of VFW, the proposed amendments to National By-Laws, and Manual of Procedure.  There are a couple of amendments that I would like to pass on that were brought to the floor for vote after much discussion.  The first was changing the timing of member dues.  Dues are currently based on calendar year with the bills going out in July in order for everyone to be paid up by December.  Now, dues will be for a full 12 months based on the actual month the member paid.  The Quartermaster now will have members with memberships expiring throughout the year.  I felt this was an awkward way to track dues, but it was passed.  Another change affecting Posts are that Post Officers will now be elected in May.  With the National Convention being moved to July and Department’s convention in June, this is going to put the time squeeze on Posts that meet late in the month so installation of officers may now take place at the same meeting of the voting.  One of the most controversial proposed amendments which did not pass was to have a study of allowing males to join the Ladies Auxiliary (which would become the Auxiliary).  The men allowed to join would be the spouses or sons of female VFW members.  As of now, only female family members of male VFW members are allowed to join the Ladies Auxiliary.  While voted down this year, this is an amendment that will continue to come up in the future.  The final proposed amendment I wanted to discuss came from the Washington Department and District One was to have VFW support the reinstatement of the draft to minimize the multiple deployments now being required of our service members.  A Senior Vice Commander from Hawaii opposed the resolution saying that draftees made poor service members.  I will have to remember to tell that to the draftees who were on my track in Nam, particularly the MBA from NYU.  Also, nothing was mentioned about the sky-rocketing suicide rate which is the result of multiple deployments.

The Washington Department of Veterans Affairs is sponsoring a raffle in conjunction with the Washington State Lottery.  The proceeds will go to provide financial assistance to soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan through the Veterans Innovations Program.  Tickets are $10 and the proceeds of every ticket sold directly benefits soldiers and their families.  I would normally not support gambling in this newsletter,   however, since I never win anything, I look at my $10 ticket as a contribution to help out our young soldiers returning home.

We have had a number of new members in the recent months, so I thought I would pass along some of the protocol that will make those of you unfamiliar with VFW feel a tad more comfortable while attending meetings.  Hopefully, this doesn’t come across as being dogmatic, but only as observing the traditions of those veterans who have come before us.  As VFW is an organization comprised of veterans, its structure is loosely based on military protocol.  First, during meals, caps will not be worn.  Actually, my mother taught me that one.  During prayers by the chaplain, members will remove their caps only if the chaplain removes his.  If the chaplain remains covered, so should the members.  If uncovered during a prayer, the hat should be placed on the extended closed fingers of the right hand in such a way that the Cross of Malta is exposed and over the heart.  Only official hats may be worn in a meeting.  If you forget your VFW cap, the Quartermaster may have a spare you can borrow, or you may simply remained uncovered for the meeting.  As far as gavel code is concerned, two raps means stand and one rap means sit.  Pretty straight forward.  The military salute shall be given in all ceremonials or meetings when a member wishes to address the commander or presiding officer.  I hope that this quick lesson in protocol is taken in the correct vein, to make a new member feel more comfortable and integrate more quickly into the VFW.

We are currently looking for teachers for our annual Teacher of the Year award.  If you know anyone that teaches in grades 1-5, 6-8, or 9-12 and teaches patriotism and would be a good VFW Post candidate, please let Fred Apgar know.  The teacher doesn’t have to be from our area as long as we are the only Post who sponsors them.