Raffle Prize Gifted to Former Vietnam POW

War spoon
From Comrade Bill Griffith:
“…at lunch I presented to Bill Wilson the spoon I won at our Post 3063 fundraiser. The spoon was made from aluminum that fell from the sky over Laos. Bill contributed to this collection until his F111 was shot down over Hanoi and he spent the rest of the war in prison. Thanks go to Russ Seelig for bringing this spoon home from Laos and donating it to the raffle. Bill Wilson really enjoyed getting it.” Read more about Bill Wilson’s story here.

 

 

Ballard 19 Author Publishes New Book About Local OIF Hero

Valor in IraqThe Post 3063 Adjutant received a tip from local writer of the “The Ballard 19”, Jerry Smith, that he recently published a book called “Valor in Iraq.” It documents the story of a 2003 Ballard High School graduate, Daniel Chavez, who died fighting for his country in Iraq.

 

Here’s a link to an article about the book, which is available on Amazon.

 

All proceeds go to the Daniel Chavez Scholarship at Ballard High School.

 

Comrade Rodenberger Awarded State’s Veteran of the Year

We’re proud to announce that Quartermaster Harold Rodenberger was named the VFW Department of Washington’s Veteran of the Year at the 2019 State Conference!Vet of the Year

 

Congratulations Comrade Rodenberger, it’s so well deserved!

 

Here’s a congratulatory message from the District 2 Commander, Carl”Chris”Christophersen:

 

Comrades,

 

Harold Rodenberger was honored at the June 2019 VFW Department of Washington (State) Convention that was just concluded in Vancouver, WA. Harold and 3 of his fellow Ballard-Eagleson VFW Post 3063 members were in attendance (the “3 Joes”) — the 2019-20 Commander Joe Tiffany, 2019-20 Sr Vice Commander Joe Fitzgerald and 2019-20 Service Officer Joe Cassis. Harold is the long-standing Quartermaster for Ballard Eagleson VFW Post 3063.

 

The following accolades were read aloud (at the Convention Banquet) to all the attendees of the State Convention — those attendees were all from VFW District #2 (all the VFW Posts and all the VFW Post Auxiliaries). They heard the following as it was read aloud:

 

“Jr Vice Commander (1983-84)
Sr Vice Commander (1984-85)
Post Commander (1985-86) & (2004-08) [ 5-time Post Commander ]
Post Adjutant (1986-2004)
Post Quartermaster (2013-Present)
VFW District #2 Adjutant (2016-18)
VFW District #2 Jr Vice Commander (2018-19)
Newly Elected & Installed VFW District #2 Sr Vice Commander (2019-2020)
All-State Quartermaster (2016-18)
National Aide-de-Camp 2017-18)
VFW Commander-in-Chief’s Award for recruiting 25 new members
Awarded the Ballard Elks Community Service Plaque
Acknowledged by the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT)
Volunteered in the Post 3063 office twice a week, every week
Coordinated 4 shredding events @ VFW Post 3063 (2016-19) — inviting other VFW Posts
Coordinated 3 USA Flag retirement ceremonies @ VFW Post 3063 (2016-18) — inviting other VFW Post
Participated in 3 Honor Guard Ceremonies @ VFW Post 3063
Participated in 6 Color Guard Ceremonies @ VFW Post 3063
Made 25 visits to local nursing/retirement homes in 2018
Was a major force behind reviving the VFW Post 3063 newsletter in 2015
Reestablished regular office hours for VFW Post 3063 for the first time since 1991
Distributed Buddy Poppies on Memorial Day and Veterans Day every year since the Founding of VFW in 1889
Donated blood (his own) 6 times in 2018”

 

At the conclusion of the above reading, there was a presentation of the 2019 Veteran of the Year, for the VFW Department of Washington, to Harold Rodenberger.

 

 

Cheers,

Carl”Chris”Christophersen

Post Commander

Blackburn-Aurora VFW Post 3348;

District Commander

VFW District #2

Department of Washington

Group Travels to DC, Visits Memorials

You may remember the March Irish Stew Fundraiser spearheaded by Comrade Leo Potts, who had the goal of sending a group of veterans to Washington, D.C. to view war memorials.

 

After months of fundraising and logistical planning, he reached his goal when a group of nine VFW Post 3063 members, one DAV member, and a few spouses departed on their trip May 17.

 

Over the course of the trip, the group visited various war memorials, to include the Korean War Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, and the Marine Corps War Memorial. They also enjoyed a Potomac River Cruise.

 

According to Comrade Potts, the trip was a resounding success and he hopes to make is an annual occurrence.

 

DC Group
VFW Post 3063 members, spouses, and a DAV member and his partner embark on their trip to Washington, D.C. May 17, 2019.

 

National Commander Visits Seattle

The VFW National Commander, BJ Lawrence, met with District 2 members during a visit to Rainier VFW Post 2289 April 27. Pictured here from left to right is Quartermaster Harold Rodenberger, Sr Vice Commander Joe Tiffany, National Commander Lawrence, and State Commander Linda Fairbank.

 

National Commander Visits