Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States The Trumpet November - December 2014 (Volume 68, No. 3) A Bi-Monthly Publication of Post No. 2562, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Incorporated 11316 Fern Street, Wheaton, MD 20902 From the COMMANDER The level of our success is limited only by our imagination and no act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted. Aesop Dear Comrades, We will hold a special election for a new Quartermaster at our next business meeting on November 19. If all goes well, we will elect and install Jeff Kale as our new Quartermaster at that meeting. As you know, the Quartermaster position is critical to the longevity of our post. Please make plans to attend and vote at this very important meeting. At the last District 2 meeting, a motion to join District 17 in Prince Georges County passed. The effective date is TBA. The Department of Maryland Council of Administrators will meet at our Post on Sunday, November 2, from Noon to 3 PM. Regular VFW members are invited to attend. Lunch will be served after the meeting. This year, Veterans Day is on Tuesday, November 11. Our regular ceremony will be held at Wheaton Veterans Park at 11AM. This is a joint event with AL Post 268. All members, family and friends are encouraged to attend. A light lunch will be served at Post 2562 after the ceremony. Mark your calendars for the Army/Navy football game at 3 PM on Saturday, December 13. A good time is always had by all, some more than others. Bring a dish if you have a favorite that you would like to share. Last but not least, THANK YOU to all of the shoppers, cooks, servers, ticket sellers, prize donors, hall setter-uppers and the clean up crew. We all came together to make our crab feast one of the most successful in many memories. The total attendance was just shy of 160 feasters. I guess I can finally stop sweating the load about not selling enough tickets. Let s all have a safe and happy winter and holiday season. See you at the Post, Kevin Pollock, Post Commander Post Phone: 301 933-1588 Fax: 301 942-1316 Address: 11316 Fern St., Wheaton, MD 20902 E-mail: vfwpost2562@comcast.net Web Site: www.vfwpost2562.com Hours: Monday - Thursday: 11 AM to 10:30 PM Bartender can extend to as late as 1:30 AM Friday: 11 AM to 1:30 AM Bartender can close at midnight Saturday: 10 AM to 1:30 AM Bartender can close at midnight Sunday: 10 AM to 10:30 PM Bartender can close at 7:30 PM
Ladies Auxiliary NO LADIES AUXILIARY COLUMN WAS SUBMITTED FOR THIS EDITION. Biography of Veterans Day Guest Speaker Sergeant Major Daniel J. Bullis is a Viet Nam veteran who served 31 years on active duty in the United States Army Medical Department. During his career, he served in numerous leadership positions, cumulating with his selection as the first Sergeant Major, Army Medical Department /Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Surgeon General, U.S. Army and Corps Chief of the Army Medical Department Hospital Corps. Dan was also appointed as the first Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army Medical Department Regiment. In these positions, he was responsible for providing advice concerning the health, welfare and training of 90,000 enlisted medical personnel in both active and reserve components. Shortly after his retirement, Sergeant Major Bullis joined the DOD Deployment Health Clinical Center as the Chief of Staff, where he continues to serve. Dan is also the Vice President, Patient and Family Services with the Walter Reed Society and the Vice Chairman of the Montgomery County Commission on Veteran s Affairs. In addition, Dan is the Commander of American Legion Post 41, Silver Spring, MD, and a member of VFW Post 350 and the Disabled American Veterans. kwbvfw2562@aol.com
Men s Auxiliary Greetings, I hope everyone has had a great summer! The leaves are changing and soon winter will be upon us. The Men's Auxiliary has been busy. Our pub nights continue on every 2nd and 4th Wednesday with delicious dishes prepared by Johnny Webber. In addition, there will be a Spaghetti dinner and steak night. Check your calendar for dates and menus. On Sunday, December 14th we will be having a Men's Auxiliary Christmas Brunch from 11 to 1. This event will help with our Christmas charities. Bar Bingo will be starting on Friday, November 7, at 7 PM. Be there and join in the fun! The Men's Auxiliary sponsored the reconditioning of the pool table, it looks beautiful. Come on by and shoot a few games. As always, your participation is important to keep things going. Please come to the meetings, help out when you can and support our functions. Sincerely, Terence B. Foley President Men's Auxiliary In Flanders Fields "In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly. Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved, and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields..." This is an excerpt from the poem written by World War I Colonel John McCrae, a surgeon with Canada's First Brigade Artillery. It expressed McCrae's grief over the "row on row" of graves of soldiers who had died on Flanders' battlefields, located in a region of western Belgium and northern France. The poem presented a striking image of the bright red flowers blooming among the rows of white crosses and became a rallying cry to all who fought in the First World War. The first printed version of it reportedly was in December 1915, in the British magazine Punch. The poppy was adopted as the official memorial flower of the VFW at its national convention in Seattle, Wash., in August 1922, following the first nationwide distribution of poppies ever conducted by any veterans organization. It was around the same time that the VFW registered the name "Buddy Poppy" with the U.S. Patent Office. The term "Buddy" was coined by the poppy makers as a tribute to their comrades who did not come home from the war or who were scarred and crippled for life. The VFW celebrated the 92nd anniversary of the Buddy Poppy as its official flower in 2014 The poppy itself survives as a perpetual tribute to those who have given their lives for the nation's freedom. Bill Golding, Chaplain
Sunday Monday November 2014 Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Colliders 8 to 12 8 9 10 11 MEN S AUX 12 HAPPY BIRTHDAY PUB NIGHT 16 17 18 19 13 POST HOME COMM MTG BAR BINGO 14 20 21 15 SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS 5:30 7:30 Hard Place & The Rock 8 to 12 22 23 24 25 SPECIAL ELECTION POST BUS. 26 27 28 29 30 LADIES AUX PUB NIGHT
December 2014 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Colliders 8 to 12 13 14 MEN S AUXILIARY CHRISTMAS BRUNCH 11 AM 1 PM MEN S AUX PUB NIGHT 15 16 17 21 22 23 POST BUSINESS 24 POST HOME COMM MTG 18 19 25 26 20 STEAK NIGHT 5:30 7:30 Blinkie s Karaoke 8 to 12 27 LADIES AUX PUB NIGHT 28 29 30 31 END OF WWII
Be a Recruiter er Do you know a veteran who is eligible to join the VFW, but has not done so? Please talk to them about joining, explain why you belong, and point out the benefits of membership. Some of the reasons they should sign up are explained below. As the largest combat veterans organization around, VFW membership spans the globe. We re an elite group of combat warriors who continue watching each other s backs long after the fight is over. Camaraderie Friendship People who get you You ll find it all here. We support our brothers and sisters on the front lines and here at home. There s a sense of pride in knowing you re continuing a tradition of comradeship and advocacy that s more than 110 years old. While Vietnam veterans represent the largest number of VFW members, more than half of new members are age 39 and younger. VFW has 7,400+ Posts in the U.S. and around the world. Female veterans are one of the fastest growing groups of VFW membership. Veterans have always watched out for each other. When veterans of the Spanish-American War returned home in 1899, there was no medical care or veterans pension. The wounded, the sick and their struggling families were left to fend for themselves. A visionary band of veterans formed what would later become the VFW. We exist to protect and defend those who have sacrificed for this nation. You ve earned that. We strategically put our legislative muscle to work on The Hill every day. Standing up for your rights Fighting to protect funding for critical veterans programs Mobilizing grassroots support to create a citizenry of informed, engaged veterans advocates Getting the job done...for you. VFW service officers are stationed across the country and on major military bases to help with the VA claims process. We re working harder than ever to create seamless transitions for new veterans and demand justice for veterans of past conflicts. VFW programs are in place to provide meaningful assistance at every stage of your military or civilian life. Assistance securing emergency financial grants Free phone time for deployed service members and hospitalized veterans Help finding jobs through www.vetjobs.com VFW service officers help nearly 100,000 veterans claim more than $2 billion in VA benefits annually. Explore job and career opportunities on vetjobs.com, a VFW-sponsored job board created just for military members, veterans and their spouses. VFW s Facebook community is 240,000+ strong. Check it out, join the conversation and discover how our fastgrowing group of patriotic friends can benefit you. VFW never stops evolving to meet the needs of our members. We listen and deliver. So if you re looking to expand your network...make new friends... and make a difference, you re in the right place.
-------SPECIAL ELECTION------- All Members: Please attend our Regular Membership Meeting on Wednesday, November 19. We will be voting on and installing a new Quartermaster. This is a very important Post position. -------THANKSGIVING THANKSGIVING------- Spend Thanksgiving with your VFW family! Kim and John will, once again, be hosting Thanksgiving dinner at Post 2562. Donations of food, money, or (most importantly) help will be gladly accepted. ARMY/NAVY FOOTBALL GAME SATURDAY, 12/13/14 FESTIVITIES BEGIN AT 1: 3O PM KICKOFF AT 3:00 PM Come watch the game with us at VFW Post 2562! There will be: Pull tabs aplenty, Friendly bar service, A 50/50. VETERANS DAY CEREMONY TUESDAY, 11 AM, 11 NOVEMBER, 2014 WHEATON VETERANS PARK REFRESHMENTS TO FOLLOW AT THE POST COME OUT AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR OUR VETERANS This will be a pot luck event, so please bring a dish to share with others. See the bartenders in advance to join game pools.
IN GOD WE TRUST Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States VFW Silver Spring Memorial Post 2562 11316 Fern Street Wheaton, MD 20902 Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 3817 Wheaton, MD 20902 Return Address Requested WE HONOR AND SUPPORT ALL WHO HAVE OR ARE SERVING IN THE ARMY, NAVY, MARINES, AIR FORCE AND COAST GUARD Men s auxiliary Christmas brunch 14 december 2014 from 11 am to 2 pm The men s auxiliary will be cookin in the kitchen. There will be all your brunch favorites, including eggs-to-order. (try one of mike s omelets!) There will also be a 50/50 and, of course, the bar will be open. Please come out and help the men s auxiliary fund their Christmas charities.