POST & AUXILIARY MEETINGS 3RD Thursday, both 7 p.m. Benson VFW Post 2503 SEPTEMBER 2017 www.vfwpost2503.org Honor Guard Meeting 2nd Thursday every month 7:00 pm POST 2503 OFFICERS 2017-2018 Commander: Ricky Johnson Sr. Vice Commander: Duke Humphrey Jr. Vice Commander: Ross Winn Quartermaster: Ryan Sudbeck Chaplain: Dennis Kerr Surgeon: Terrence White Judge Advocate: Tom Penke Officer of the Day: Bill Fead Adjutant: Tom Penke Guard: Ron Karn AUXILIARY OFFICERS 2017-2018 President: Lynn Krause Sr. Vice President: Pat Dembowski Jr. Vice President: Judy Erb Treasurer: Sue Stark Secretary: Pat Dembowski Chaplain: Nora Van Cleave Conductress: Jan Brown Guard: Jan Davis Patriotic Instructor: Geri Brown From the Commander Greetings! August has been a busy month for all our volunteers. And we are still in need of volunteers to become Honor Guard members. Any VFW Post 2503 member who would like to join the Post Honor and Color Guard, please contact Tom Penke at 402-330-6860. Kudos to the Honor Guard for attending the funeral of Marilyn Podany, wife of fellow Honor Guard member Bob Podany. The Hamburger Nights on Wednesdays are still doing well, thanks to the hard work of the Post s Volunteer of the Month and new VFW Post 2503 Kitchen Manager, Linda Humphrey, and by the outstanding work of our kitchen volunteers. Rave reviews are still coming in about Kathy and Dan Raabe s Thursday Taco Night. However, the Post is still in need of kitchen volunteers for Hamburger Night and Taco Night. Also a big THANK YOU goes out to our wonderful Post 2503 Auxiliary membership who purchased the new ten foot curtain for the kitchen window in the north dining room. VFW Post 2503 has received three VFW State Awards for selling poppies, and for participation in Voice of Democracy and Patriot s Pen. Finally, we are going to see some improvements around the Post soon. Please sign-up for our September 30th Post workday at the canteen bar. And our F-84F Thunderstreak Jet out front is going to be re-painted and get new decals. Ricky L. Johnson, Commander ATTENTION! Carpenters, Brush Cutters, Painters, and Folks with just a generous amount of Elbow Grease! Please turn out for VFW POST 2503 Clean Up Day Saturday, 10A.M. September 30th NO HUSKER GAME ACTION NEEDED! Volunteers are needed for the kitchen crews to assist in the kitchen and the dining room for a few hours each month. To volunteer please contact Tom Penke at 402-330-6860 From the Auxiliary President Hello Auxiliary Members, We are getting dues paid, which is great! We still have some members who have moved and not given us their new address. If a member of your family gets the newsletter via E-mail and you haven t received a dues reminder yet we may not have your address change. Please let us know by dropping a note in either the Auxiliary Treasurer or the President s box at the Post with a note on your address change. Concerning paying dues, our Auxiliary cannot take debit or charge cards when paying your dues. We are again having our annual Craft Fair, along with a bake sale and a lunch. If you would like to have a table, drop a note in the President s box at the Post, and I will get the information to the chairpersons. The date for the Craft Fair is Saturday, November 18, 2017 from 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. Contact Geri at 402-943-9067 or Linda Humphrey at lindaldh1@cox.net for more information. Lady VFW Members, the Auxiliary now welcomes your spouses to join our Auxiliary. We are no longer the Ladies Auxiliary, but the VFW Auxiliary, so gentlemen you too can be a member of this great organization that honors our Veterans. At our last meeting we had a guest from an organization called JAVE- LAN. This organization provides service dogs enabling life and independence for Veterans. If you know of a Veteran in need and like more information, the website is www.javelan.,com., or contact bob.dean@!javelan.com. To donate or request a service dog call 402-850-3420. Lynn Krause President Zeta Anderson Auxiliary
LADIES OF THE AFTERNOON The Post 2503 Sewing Ladies always welcome new members to create items to be distributed to the Eastern Nebraska Veterans Home, the VA Hospital, Lutheran Family Service, and other nursing homes and hospitals. Assistance is welcomed for various sewing projects: Lap Robes, Bibs, Fleece Cancer Hats, and Neck pillows. Donations of cotton cloth materials are appreciated as well as financial assistance to support the purchase of needed sewing materials. Please contact Nora Van Cleve at 402-571-5213 to join in on the fun. It really is! Linda Humphrey is the Post 2503 Volunteer of the Month Linda has been volunteering in the Post Kitchen every Hamburger Night since February, planning menus, scheduling the kitchen crews, cooking the meals, and cleaning up afterwards. Without all of her dedication to VFW Post 2503, the Hamburger Nights could not have come off as well as they have. Linda is also a lifetime VFW Auxiliary member. Congratulations on a job well done. ARE FOLDING CHAIRS TAKING UP NEEDED SPACE IN YOUR HOME? VFW POST 2503 has the answer to your problem: DONATE YOUR PROBLEM FOLDING CHAIRS TO THE POST It s easy! Just call Tom Penke at 402-330-6860 Problem Solved TACO THURSDAY IS BACK! NEW RECIPE STILL ONLY $2.50 PER TACO September 14 5:30 PM More from the Auxiliary President Get ready for our annual AUXILIARY CRAFT SHOW! Saturday November 18, 2017 9 A.M. to 3 P.M. For more information please contact Geri at 402-943-9067 OR Linda at lindaldh1@cox.net ANNOUNCEMENT Please place any paper suggestions for the Newsletter in the Post Newsletter Box on the south wall on the canteen bar-top or in the Suggestion Box by the front door. For those with email access, please email suggestions to the Newsletter Editor at editorvfwpost2503@gmail.com ADDRESS or EMAIL CHANGE LATELY? If so, please send the new information to VFW Post 2503 by letter or email to editorvfwpost 2503@ gmail.com titled Attn: Post Membership or Attn: Auxiliary Membership. Please provide full name and new address and new email.
HONOR GUARD Thank you to all the dedicated Honor Guard members for their participation. We are still looking for more members for the Honor Guard. All Post members should be signed up with the VA. This is a benefit we have all earned. If you need information on how to sign up, ask one of the Honor Guard members. We will help you. Thank You for your service. Ricky Johnson Honor Guard Captain THOMAS H. PENKE Attorney at Law Practice Limited to Estate Planning and Probate 12020 Shamrock Plaza Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68154 402-330-6860 PENKELAW@GMAIL.COM
Memorial? Yes No Thank you for your warm and generous donation, VFW Post 2503 Buddy Poppy Chairman Telephone Number Your Name: Name to be displayed on Poppy Card: It is time again for the annual sale of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Buddy Poppies. Although you may not be able to help with the sale of Buddy Poppies, we are sure you would like to contribute to this worthy cause. Donations received from the sale of Buddy Poppies are used to help needy veterans and their families. LABOR DAY SEPTEMBER 4th PLEASE FLY YOUR FLAG AUXILIARY MEMBERS! If you have any news regarding an Auxiliary member s illness or death, please notify the Auxiliary Chaplain, Nora Van Cleave at 402-571-5213. Thank you. AUXILIARY MEMBERS! As the Hospital Chairwoman for 2017-2018, I need the following information by meeting night each month: Volunteer Hours at the VA Hospital, Non-VA Hospitals, the Open Door Mission, Victory House, and other places. Dollar Amounts of donated money or donated items; e.g., store-bought cookies. Please call me prior to meeting night to provide any of the above information at 402-391- 2292. Or better yet, get involved ATTEND A MEETING! Connie Dohse Ross Hospital Chairwoman TAKE THE NEXT STEP UP YOUR LADDER OF COMMITMENT..... JOIN THE HONOR GUARD Call Tom Penke at 402-330-6860 Like to Play Poker? Post 2503 hosts a group of people, men and women, who play every Tuesday from 4:30 9:30 pm. Please call Mary Ryder, (402) 614-5111 (Cell ) or (402)-332-6086 (Home)
From the Chaplain : Brothers and Sisters, A little over a month ago, I could not attend the meeting as Chaplain. And I learned that I had better have a few friends trained up. In case something ever comes up again, it would be nice to have a backup. With my random work schedule, that certainly is possible. If reading the role of Chaplain feels like something you feel called to do, please let me know. The reading is not difficult, but with a little practice, you can make it very nice. A big Thank You to our friend Brian Vercoe for stepping in! I think a lot about the post and our mission to serve veterans. One way to think about American life, and that of our veterans, is sports. The way I figure it, our actual time in the military is like football. And our time after the service is like baseball. In football, (in the military) the other team (the enemy) wants to take our freedom ball away. We have to take it home! If the other team takes our freedom ball away, that would be a disaster! In baseball, we return home, and there is no guarantee that the freedom ball will work in our favor. Then the workplace, your boss, and the market give you opportunities. The freedom ball now has to be shared with those who want to compete against you. They pitch to you when they have to, and it is up to you to make the most of it. When your opportunity comes and goes you are out! When you make the most of it, there is a point in the bank. When I played baseball as a kid, I returned to the dugout when I struck out. I waited my turn again to be at bat. I was not out for the rest of the game. These days it seems we have turned regular life into a more cruel and hateful sport. When someone loses a job, they have to lose their health insurance, too. When a marriage or a business fails, we make sure that someone loses the home and savings. When veterans with PTSD are not discharged perfectly honorably, we punish them too! (of all people, right?) As a society, it is easier to stir up a crowd to punish someone, when God is quietly asking us to serve each other. Our time in the service was like football, and we brought our freedom ball home. God is watching what we do with the freedom ball, now that we have to share it. In faith, Dennis Kerr Post Chaplain SAVE THE DATE SEPTEMBER 16th Check-in at 12:30p.m. 4TH Annual VFW Post 2503 HORSE SHOE TOURNAMENT VFW Post 2503 SANDFLEAS Volleyball Team is still playing on Monday nights through September at Tanner s Bar & Grill on 90th Street. Come on out! Setting the Record Straight on Robert E. Lee Robert E Lee was married to George Washington's granddaughter. He worked with Grant during the Mexican-American war and became a decorated war hero defending this country Lee believed slavery was a great evil and his wife broke the law by teaching slaves to read and write. After the civil war he worked With Andrew Johnson's program of reconstruction. Lee became very popular with the northern states and the Barracks at West Point were named in his honor in 1962. He was a great man who served this country his entire life in some form or other. His memorial is now being called blight. No American military veteran should be treated as such. People keep yelling, "You can't change history!" Sadly you can. This is no better than book burnings. ISIS tried rewriting history by destroying historical artifacts. Is that really who we want to emulate? As they tear down this "blight," keep these few historical facts in your mind. No military veteran and highly decorated war hero should ever be treated as such. This is not Iraq and that is not a statue of Sadam. IN ADDITION: Lee was also very torn about the prospect of the South leaving the Union. His wife's grandfather George Washington was a huge influence on him. He believed that ultimately, states rights trumped the federal government and chose to lead the Southern army. His estate, Arlington, near Washington DC was his home and while away fighting the war, the federal government demanded that Lee himself pay his taxes in person. He sent his wife but the money was not accepted from a woman. When he could not pay the taxes, the government began burying dead Union soldiers on his land. The government is still burying people there today. It is now called Arlington National Cemetery. I suppose the next step will be for the "PC Police" to call for the destruction and removal of Arlington National Cemetery. by Thomas Penke AMVETS, also known as American Veterans, is the largest and oldest veterans service organization that is open to and fights for all veterans and their families. AMVETS Mission Statement: To enhance and safeguard the entitlements for all American Veterans who have served honorably and to improve the quality of life for them, their families, and the communities where they live through leadership, advocacy and services. AMVETS is looking for new members. To join, please contact Commander Beverly Butcher At 402-250-2159
SEPTEMBER 2017 Gold Star Mother's Day 6 Broasted Chicken Or BBQ Riblets Crew Jerry Becker Broasted Chicken Salisbury Steak Crew 172nd Trans 20 Chicken Fried Steak or Stuffed Peppers Crew Shirley 27 Broasted Chicken Shrimp Basket Crew Pat Petersen National POW/MIA Recognition Day 2017 16
From Your Honor Guard Captain Ricky Johnson MILITARY RITES: July, 2017 Military Members Deceased Cemetery # Hours 07/02/2017 David Weaver Post 7 21 07/03/2017 Stephen Kuhry Calvary 11 33 07/10/2017 Jack Mills Omaha National 10 30 07/11/2017 Darryl Gatherite Evergreen 8 24 07/14/2017 Gerald Dahir Omaha National 12 36 07/15/2017 Paul Haws Hillcrest 5 15 07/19/2017 James Cosgrove Omaha National 12 36 07/24/2017 Edward Nielsen New Cassell 7 21 07/25/2017 William Alexander Omaha National 8 24 07/28/2017 *Thomas Miller Morning Star 10 30 07/31/2017 Richard Severson Omaha National 10 30 07/31/2017 Alfred Schiemann Omaha National 10 30 *Post Member SEE INSIDE FOR: Donating Folding Chairs Horse Shoe Tournament Post Maintenance Day! Month Total: 12 Funerals, 120 Member Participation, 330 Hours July 2017 All of our brave brothers and sisters who have passed before us TAKE THE NEXT STEP UP YOUR LADDER OF COMMITMENT..... JOIN THE HONOR GUARD Call Tom Penke at 402-330-6860 Name V.F.W. Post 2503 8904 Military Road Omaha, NE 68134 Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage PAID Permit #610 Omaha, NE ROOM RENTALS Please keep in mind that the Post is available for your meeting/party plans, Monday through Friday during the day. Contact Geri Brown at 402-943-9067 to reserve your date. Spread the word to your friends and family. The Post looks great decorated for weddings, birthdays, and graduation parties, too. NOTICE: All articles should be in the Newsletter Box, IN WRITING, at the Post no later than September 23rd, for the October newsletter. If articles are not submitted by the deadline, they will have to wait for the next newsletter. Thank you. CANTEEN HOURS Monday Closed Tuesday thru Thursday 4:00 pm 10:00 pm Friday 4:00 pm 10:00 pm Saturday Noon 10:00 pm Sunday Noon 8:00 pm PHONE: 402-571-8397 The Post is selling Memorial Bricks around the memorial walk and flag. Memorial Bricks are being sold by Post 2503 to be put around the outside of the Memorial flag pole. These bricks will cost $60.00 each. They will be for VFW, Auxiliary, AMVET & Auxiliary members, their families, and people they sponsor. They will be memorials for living or deceased people. They will be ordered once a year on April 1st, for installation by Memorial Day each year. Max 16 spaces per line, 3 lines, and cost $60.00 per brick. Phone # WORDS ON BRICK Line 1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 Line 2 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 Line 3 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 Checks Only No Cash Return this form to the Post