Tag Archive: Vietnam Veteran

VFW Post 8870 Mourns the Passing of our Dear Friend and Comrade Jim Traner

Jim Traner, Vietnam combat veteran, Past Edmonds VFW Post 8870 and VFW District1 Commander and an extremely valued member of our Post, as well as the entire VFW Department of Washington, died of a sudden heart attack Saturday, morning while out fishing.

Jim will be greatly missed by our Post and all of us who depended on him for his friendship and to keep us on course financially and organizationally.

There will be two memorial services for Jim.

August 20, 2023  12:00 pm
Edmonds Waterfront Center
220 Railroad Avenue
Edmonds, WA

August 29, 2023 1:00 pm
Tahoma National Cemetery
18600 SE 240th St
Kent, WA 98042

Obituary from Beck’s Tribute Center: https://becksfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/321517/James-Traner/obituary.html#tribute-start

Vietnam Retrospective

The following is an excerpt from a lengthy article written in response to a college student who asked for personal narratives addressing the question: “What is a Vietnam Veteran?”

“Mostly–and this I believe with all my heart–mostly, we wish we had not been so alone. Some of us went with units; but many, probably most of us, were civilians one day, jerked up out of “the world,” shaved, barked at, insulted, humiliated, de-egoized and taught to kill, to fix radios, to drive trucks. We went, put in our time, and were equally ungraciously plucked out of the morass and placed back in the real world. But now we smoked dope, shot skag, or drank heavily. Our wives or husbands seemed distant and strange. Our friends wanted to know if we shot anybody.

And life went on, had been going on, as if we hadn’t been there, as if Vietnam was a topic of political conversation or college protest or news copy, not a matter of life and death for tens of thousands.“

Copyright © 1996 Dan Mouer, All Rights Reserved

New Member Steve Brown

Steve is shown being welcomed into the Post by Commander Terry Crabtree. A Vietnam veteran, Steve was a MAT team advisor embedded with the “ruff-puffs” in II Corp. 1970-1971.

NL0517_Steve-BrownSteve told us: “ I was in the Army for five and a half years and made Captain when I left Viet Nam in April, 1971. Finished up in Baumholder, Germany after eighteen more months as Company commander with the 268 Armor BN. I’ve worked the aviation Industry for nearly forty years-Currently own my own machine shop and am still working-part time with my son. Been married for 44 years and have a son, daughter and teenage granddaughter. My wife was also in the military (1Lt) when we got married after I came home from Nam. We’ve lived peacefully in Mill Creek for the past 30 years. “  

It Happened at the December Post Meeting

It was a busy, if efficient December Post meeting, with a fascinating speaker in the person of Col. Bill Reeder and presentations as shown below, following which a sizable contingent retired to the Edmonds City Council Meeting in support of the Edmonds Veterans Plaza vote, details of which are covered on another post. We should all be very proud of our active and dedicated membership.

Representatives of VFW (Terry Crabtree) and American Legion (Jim Collins) present checks to Mike Reagan to support Mike’s Fallen Heroes Project. Mike has drawn portraits of well over 4,000 of our fallen comrades to date.

December Post Meeting

Sarah Browne presented a check from Spaulding Ski Bus in memory of Jim Harkness. Jim’s wife Dorothy has long been part of the ski bus project and the Post long a beneficiary.

December Post Meeting

Our December Speaker, Bill Reeder, author of Through the Valley, in which he related his experience as a POW held captive in jungle prison camps as well as the “Plantation” and the “Hanoi Hilton”. At left, Bill receives a drawing of his Cobra attack helicopter from our resident artist, Mike Reagan.

December Post Meeting

Mike Reagan presented a portrait of Ken Hicks to his daughter, Melissa Hicks at the December Post Staff Meeting. Ken, a Vietnam Veteran, passed away in July. (Ken and your editor were inducted into the post at the same meeting)

December Post Meeting

 

Jim McCann Presents Quilt to John Shelton

Jim McCann Presents Quilt to John Shelton

Jim met Deb Patterson at a local craft store while getting Veteran poster materials for his 50th High school reunion. She gave him a discount coupon and asked if he knew a wounded Vietnam Veteran. Thinking of John Shelton, Jim told her about VFW post 8870 and that we have a Sniper Marine in our Post who was combat injured in Vietnam. Ms. Patterson asked Jim to follow her home in her wheel chair where she presented him with a Quilt that she and a friend (who has passed away) had made to be given to a wounded vet and asked him to present it to John. At right is a photo of that presentation at our September Post Meeting.

Ms. Patterson is planning to make additional quilts and intends to stay in touch for further presentations to our Purple Heart members.