Vfw

As a Marine combat veteran of the wars since 1990, and someone now in his 40s, your article on the struggles of the VFW and American Legion to raise membership from the current generation of war veterans struck a chord with me ("A changing of the guard?" May 30). There are a number of broad demographic and generational reasons why the younger veterans are not joining these organizations in large numbers, but one comment from the older veterans you interviewed was telling. They said their main mission was to help veterans "get their benefits" from the VA. These organizations and their volunteers play a critical role in that important process, but they have also defined themselves as such for decades, while just in the past 10 years other organizations like Wounded Warrior Project and Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, as well as many other non-profits across the nation, have organized and raised significant funds with low overhead to serve veterans' needs beyond what the Veterans Administration is able or willing to provide.

Keller Curtis of Fallston and his father, Richard Tibbetts of Bel Air, participated in the first "Wall Washing" of the year April 13 at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., to pay respect to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. The event was sponsored through New Day USA, a Maryland-based mortgage lender that is the exclusive lender for the VFW. They help veterans with their housing needs.

Franklin A. Burchill, a retired Baltimore County public school custodian and school bus attendant who was active in VFW affairs and walked the trail of World War II's infamous Bataan Death March -- which his brother survived -- died of liver cancer May 12 at Sinai Hospital. The Owings Mills resident was 70. Mr. Burchill was born and raised in Frackville, Pa. He served with an Army artillery unit in Germany from 1953 to 1959, then was a construction worker until becoming a custodian in 1979.

The Ladies Auxiliary to the VFW Post 8185 entertained the Perry Point veterans on Sunday, April 14 at the post home at 520 Susquehanna River Road. Kathy Heaton and her crew provided a scrumptious meal followed by music provided by DJ Bob Cross. The ladies entertain the veterans on the second Sunday of every month from April through December. The new Bainbridge Museum at 6 S. Main Street (the Bank Building) will open for the season on Saturday, April 20, from 1 to 5 p.m. Fitness instructor Cindi Lamb Wiley, has two "Fun Buns" classes running, one in North East at Victoria Park senior apartments on Tuesday mornings at 11 a.m., and the other at the VFW Post 8185 in Port Deposit on Monday evenings at 6 p.m. The sessions in North East are free and the classes at Port's VFW encourage a $2 donation to the VFW each week.

Lindsay McCaskill, a senior at Hammond High School, has won first runner-up in the Veterans of Foreign Wars State Buddy Poppy Queen Contest held Feb. 5 in Cecil County.Lindsay represented the Yingling-Ridgely Post and Ladies Auxiliary of VFW Post No. 7472.To qualify, Lindsay answered questions on the VFW "Buddy Poppy" flower that is made by veterans in veterans hospitals.The Ellicott City post has purchased the Buddy Poppies to usas decorations or sell on Veterans Day and Memorial Day weekends.

The junior girls unit sponsored by Yingling-Ridgely Post and Ladies Auxiliary No. 7472 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars was recently instituted and installed by Auxiliary President Patricia Sprinkel.The junior girls unit is a group of girls, ages 6 to 16, who assist the VFW post and its ladies auxiliary in volunteer services for the community.The group made favors for patients at the Baltimore Veterans Administration Medical Center with sugar-free candy hearts, American flag key chains, pins, VFW buddy poppies and books.

With the closing of two country dancing nightclubs in as many weeks, Robert Marcus and Betsy Singer thought they would have to find another form of exercise."

County sheriff's deputies are seeking two men in the armed robbery of an Abingdon man outside the Perryman Veterans of Foreign Wars Dec. 22.Sgt. Edward Hopkins, a spokesman for the office, said the two men held up three men who had stopped at a pay phone outside the VFW hall on Perryman Road about 11:15 p.m. The men escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash from one of the victims.Sergeant Hopkins said Richard D. Pullam, 21, of Abingdon; Paul Best, 21, of Bel Air; and Craig Previtt, 24, of Perryman had stopped to make a phone call and had returned to their car when they were approached by a man pointing a handgun at them.

This year, VFW's state commander and state Ladies Auxiliary president have designated the Grant-A-Wish Foundation as a special project.As you may know, the Grant-A-Wish Foundation acts as a fairy godmother/godfather to help cheer terminally ill children.Our local VFW is doing its part this week by holding a Bingo game at the post from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. Proceeds will be turned over to the Maryland Ladies Auxiliary, which will give the money to the Grant-A-Wish Foundation. The money will go to help Maryland children.

The menu is sour beef or pork, dumplings on the side. The televisions are turned to the evening news and, once in a while, someone drops a little money in one of the four video poker machines that line one wall.Just another night at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6506 -- for 50 years a Rosedale institution and, as one member puts it, "a place for old guys to get together and tell old war stories."But lately the Internal Revenue Service is trying to give the Rosedale post and many other veterans groups in Maryland a new identity: tax scofflaw.

District 10 VFW Ladies Auxiliary met for their quarterly dinner meeting April 2 at the VFW Post 8185, Port Deposit. Auxiliary units from Elkton, Chesapeake City, and North East joined the auxiliary unit from Post 8185 to make plans for June's convention. District President Dee Russo gave out awards from National Headquarters including a certificate to Post 8185 for participation in the President's Special Project. Election and installation of officers for 2013 followed the business meeting.

Editor: Let's thank State Delegate Rick Impallaria for his effort in Annapolis last week. Finally our veteran's organizations such as the American Legions and VFW posts will be allowed gamming. We all know that gambling is here to stay and now our veterans clubs will be able to have five machines. I would also like to thank Senators Barry Glassman and J. B. Jennings for their support in the senate. What is disappointing to me is that our other delegates voted against the bill knowing that if the veterans did not get gamming in the special session, they never would.

A strange quirk of Maryland's governance is the degree to which the state legislature needs to act on certain laws that really should be the sovereign responsibility of the counties. For example, thanks to the latest version of what has become the annual special session of the Maryland General Assembly, Harford County's veterans organizations are now permitted to operate slot machines in their post homes. It may seem like a logical bit of rider legislation to include gambling permission for these not-for-profit organizations in a statewide gambling law, but the reality is gambling for American Legion and VFW post homes has been decided on a county-by-county basis by the state legislature on many occasions in the past.

Members of the VFW Department of Maryland gathered in Ocean City for their annual convention two weeks ago, a week before last week's Maryland State Firemen's Association Convention in Ocean City. As the VFW Post 8185 folks returned to Port, the Water Witch fire company firemen and their families left for their week at the beach. At the Firemen's Convention Memorial Service Sunday, June 17, Shirley Sentman's mom, the late Dot Brown, was remembered and honored for her service to the WWFC Ladies Auxiliary.

Editor: On behalf of the VFW 8126 and auxiliaries, I would like to thank Huber Corporation for keeping the American flag flying at the overpass at Juniata Street in Havre de Grace with a light shining on same. This is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your patriotism. Helen Zengel Havre de Grace

Last month at the Port Deposit VFW Post 8185, members from the four posts in District 10 gathered to present awards to the students who placed in the two VFW-sponsored essay contests, "Patriots Pen" for middle schoolers and "Voice of Democracy" for high schoolers. Initiated by VFWs across Maryland and across the nation, the local winners in the "Voice of Democracy" were: first place was awarded to Philip Chaffee, sponsored by Elkton Post 8175; second place was won by Eric Barton, sponsored by Port Deposit Post 8185; and third place was earned by Jessica Handy, sponsored by Chesapeake City Post 7687.

For years, John G. "Jack" Scales dreamed of building a memorial at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Parkville Post 9083 to honor Baltimore County veterans who served in World War II. Before he could realize his dream, the 58-year-old Army veteran who had served in Lebanon was killed in a car accident in August on his way to work.His wife, Arlene, kept the dream alive, though, and helped unveil a brick-and-mortar memorial yesterday during an emotional Veterans Day service at the post in the 8100 block of Harford Road.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Despite repeated Republican attacks, the draft issue appears not to have seriously hurt Bill Clinton, as was illustrated yesterday when the Veterans of Foreign Wars cited more important concerns and declined to endorse President Bush.The group, which endorsed Mr. Bush in 1988, didn't endorse Mr. Clinton either, but gave him hope that the draft controversy would not overshadow other issues.While public opinion experts say it's still too early to predict the ultimate impact of the issue, voters so far seem much more concerned with the economy.

The VFW Post 8185 conducted Memorial Day Services at two locations Sunday. Post Commander D. Harvey Cunningham conducted both services, first at Harmony Chapel's cemetery on Dr. Jack Road at 10 a.m. and then at Memorial Plaza at 11 a.m. Wreaths were laid by Terry Heaton and Bruce Edwards for the VFW and by representatives of the Men's Auxiliary and the Ladies Auxiliary. The 29th Division Association provided an honor guard that performed a 21-gun salute. The Civil War group, Snow's Battery, provided a color guard for the services.

As a Marine combat veteran of the wars since 1990, and someone now in his 40s, your article on the struggles of the VFW and American Legion to raise membership from the current generation of war veterans struck a chord with me ("A changing of the guard?" May 30). There are a number of broad demographic and generational reasons why the younger veterans are not joining these organizations in large numbers, but one comment from the older veterans you interviewed was telling. They said their main mission was to help veterans "get their benefits" from the VA. These organizations and their volunteers play a critical role in that important process, but they have also defined themselves as such for decades, while just in the past 10 years other organizations like Wounded Warrior Project and Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, as well as many other non-profits across the nation, have organized and raised significant funds with low overhead to serve veterans' needs beyond what the Veterans Administration is able or willing to provide.