The house that vets built

Seems like you hear a lot about networking and making contacts these days. That’s old news as far as Cherokee County’s VFW Halls are concerned. Local posts have been providing contacts and a network to area veterans for decades.

“It’s more than just a bar,” Jacksonville Post 3984 Quarter-master Ed Steifer said. “It means something a little different to everyone, but I think most would agree it’s a place to go to be with other people who share the same experiences.”

Jacksonville U.S. Navy veteran Dale Walker agreed.

“It’s good to come out here and talk with people who know what you went through,” Walker said as he shared some laughs with a couple other VFW members at the Post last week. “The support helps, plus you get to meet people you might not get to meet normally.”

According to the Web site www.vfw.org, the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) organization was established in 1899 when Spanish-American War (1898) vets and Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902) vets organized to secure rights and benefits for their service.

“Many arrived home wounded or sick,” the Web site explains. “There was no medical care or veterans’ pension for them and they were left to care for themselves.

“In their misery, veterans banded together and formed organizations with what would become known as the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S.”

The VFW differs from the American Legion in that its members have to have seen combat.

Jacksonville’s VFW Post opened in 1945.

“We’ve still got some of our original members who still come on a regular basis,” Steifer said. “Right now, though, we’re not growing much. A lot of the younger vets are too busy with their jobs and families to join, which is understandable, but hopefully, they’ll be able to give more time at some point and join up.”

VFW Post 3406 in Rusk reestablished itself in 1993.

“There used to be one before that,” Rusk Commander Randy Balogh said. “It closed. I don’t know why.”

Balogh said he’d also like to see the next generation of veterans take a more active interest in the VFW.

“We lost seven members last year,” Balogh said. “They were all World War II vets who passed away. There aren’t as many of them around anymore. We need those younger vets to keep our program alive and functioning.”

Alto Post 3908 has been in service for at least 50 years.

“Our goals are to look out for our community as a whole and to help other veterans,” Alto Commander Britton Tilley said. “I’m a Vietnam vet and when we came home, some of us couldn’t even find jobs. We needed help.”

Cherokee County Veterans Affairs Officer David Thomason said the service these VFW posts provide to lcoal veterans is vital.

“It’s extremely important to these veterans to have people who can relate to and understand what they’re talking about,” Thomason said. “People who’ve never been in the military just don’t understand what that’s like, especially combat.”

The county’s VFW posts do more than just provide a place to hang out, too.

All three Cherokee County VFWs are active in community service projects including providing food and gift baskets to area low-income families, providing scholarships for students, placing flags on the graves of local veterans during patriotic holidays, the Buddy Poppy program, the Adopt a Nursing Home program and providing educational programs for local grade-school and high school students.

“We’ve always been extremely active in youth activities,” Steifer said. “We do a lot with the Boy Scouts, like the flag retirement ceremonies. Unfortunately we don’t have a lot for the Girl Scouts, which is a shame since we have some women members. We’re open to suggestions and ideas to expand that for them.

“We always try to be as family oriented as possible,” Steifer continued. “Of course we don’t let anyone under 21 years of age inside the hall where we serve alcohol, but the rest of the hall is always open to the public.”

The national VFW organization has been instrumental in establishing the Veterans Administra-tion, creating a GI bill for the 20th century, the development of the national cemetery system and the fight for compensation for Vietnam vets exposed to Agent Orange and for veterans diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome.

This year, VFW won a long-fought victory with the passing of a GI Bill for the 21st Century, giving expanded educational benefits to America’s active-duty service members, and members of the Guard and Reserves, fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The VFW has also fought to improve VA medical services for women veterans, helped fund the creation of the Vietnam, Korean War, World War II and Women in Military Service memorials, and in 2005 was first to contribute to building the new Disabled Veter-ans for Life Memorial, which is expected to open in 2010 in Washington D.C.

Annually, VFW members and its Auxiliary contribute more than 13 million hours of volunteerism in the community.

“We want to support our vets and support the community,” Rusk VFW Ladies Auxiliary President Kim Nickle said. “We help the community, as a way to honor our veterans. It’s our privilege.”

Nickle said the group recently sponsored a national essay contest for Rusk students.

“One essay I remember reading from a junior high student here,” Nickle recalled, “stated ‘Our vets should be honored because they give all and ask for nothing in return. Honorable men and women should be honored.’ That really stood out to me, because it really is just that simple.”

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