Category: Post Business

Quartermaster’s Update (October 2021)

Please note! Our meeting on 10/7/21 will be conducted on Zoom only. Zoom connect info is elsewhere in this paper and on our website.  


Our Spaghetti Feed Fundraiser will be conducted in person unless there is a change in guidance from Gov. Inslee or King County. Only vaccinated will be allowed to attend in person.


There are two events to remember this month.


First, our shredder truck date is 10/19/21. We are working with a new company this year. The truck will be in our parking lot sometime between 0900-1200 on that Tuesday. You are welcome to bring your shred papers to the post that morning and wait for the truck to arrive so you can watch the shredder gobble up your papers. Or, if you don’t need to see the actual shredding, you can bring your papers to the post during normal office hours and we will lock them in the Arms Room until shredding time. When the truck arrives, we’ll take your papers, along with ours and others, to the truck and make sure they are properly shredded. Even though the truck is less expensive, donations are requested to offset the cost.


The second, and more important, event this month is our annual Spaghetti Feed Fundraiser with raffle and online auction. This is our one big fundraiser for the year so it is important that all of our members support it by buying tickets and helping out in person, if possible.


We need prizes for the auction and raffle. If you can solicit or donate a prize, please bring it to the post so we can photograph and post it to the auction site.


Tickets are available at the office during normal office hours, and at the auction website https://www.biddingowl.com/auction/rtickets.cfm?auctionid=22225  If you are going to buy online, the easiest way is to go to our website: vfwseattle.org and click on the link in the first line to go to the ticket selling location.


We will be conducting the raffle at the post after dinner. The online auction will be via BiddingOwl at the website shown above. The online auction starts at noon on 10/21 and ends at 8 p.m. on Sunday 10/24. You are welcome to go to the site early and review items beginning as soon as we get photographs posted, hopefully 10/3/21.


In addition to coming up with prizes and selling tickets, we also need help at the hall from a couple days prior and especially on the day of the raffle. Please call Russ Seelig (206-423-1150) or myself (206-972-2135) If you are available to help.

Commander’s Corner (October 2021)

Comrades, I know this must feel a bit like Bill Murray’s Groundhog Day movie but we must keep our collective heads up and continue moving forward. This second dose of Covid-19 masking will pass too.


In the meantime, however, we must continue with the masking in accordance with the mandated state requirements. Who knows if this will be short lived or not, but erring on the side of caution, it was determined that it was best for the September Post Business Meeting to be a Zoom only meeting. The Oct. 7 business meeting will also be via Zoom ONLY. The login information will be the same as it has been all along. This return to Zoom only will be assessed from month-to-month. We will return to the in-person business meetings as soon as it is possible to do so.


Keep the heart unwrinkled and remember, “Don’t worry about a thing, ‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right!”


– Commander Joe

VFW 122nd National Convention Recap

By Harold Rodenberger, Post 3063 Quartermaster


Last year our National Convention was attended via Zoom only. This year in August, Commander Joe Fitzgerald and I went to Kansas City to attend the 122nd VFW National Convention. Because of the continuing dangers from Covid-19, it was a “business only” convention with no Health Fair, Patriotic Parade or hospitality rooms. In accordance with local guidance, effective Monday, August 2nd we all wore masks inside.


On Saturday and Sunday, Joe and I registered and then attended various classes on recruiting, local Service Officer procedures, and Veterans and Military Services. We also visited the VFW Store to order our All-American
caps.


Monday, the ceremonies included a welcome and congratulatory speech from our C-in-C Hal Roesch, and a ten-minute video presentation by President Biden. VFW National Home’s Buddy Poppy Child, 7-year-old Aurora, surprised me by giving a speech that would have been a credit to a teenager. She then was escorted by members of the National Honor Guard as she circulated around the hall collecting donations for the National Home.


Honors were given to departments, districts and posts who achieved various “Legacy Membership” status, “Triple-Crown” winners, and All-American winners at all levels. Our post was awarded All-American status for 2020-2021. 


Monday afternoon and Tuesday, we conducted important business, discussing and voting on various resolutions proposed by posts worldwide and by our national representatives. 


Some resolutions were of a “housekeeping” nature. Several dealt with the definition of “quorum” and in most cases those were approved to include electronic participation (Zoom or similar) where all participants could have simultaneous communication.


Resolutions B-20 and M-9 were approved. They deleted the entire old Article IX from the Bylaws and Manual of Procedure and substituted new sections dealing with discipline.


Resolutions R-1 and R-2 in the Commemorative Tributes Section of the Ritual, added Oct 23rd – Beirut Bombing and March 29th – National Vietnam Veterans Memorial Day.


We approved Resolution 201 “BE IT RESOLVED, that the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States does commit itself to the ideals of diversity and rejects bigotry of all kinds so as to strengthen the bonds of our great organization.”


Resolution 405 was approved to urge DOD to become more aggressive in its prevention efforts to reduce sexual assault and harassment, to provide victims with proper medical and mental health care, to aggressively investigate every reported incident and punish attackers as appropriate, to stop all retribution and retaliation, and to provide scrutiny to the military justice process.


Resolutions 407 was approved to support legislation for the full concurrent receipt of military retirement pay and VA disability compensation without offset and regardless of rating percentage.


Resolutions 408, 409 and 410 were approved, as they have been for many years, to support ROC Taiwan, Republic of Korea and the Country of Israel.


Resolution 413, which our post approved and forwarded to District 2 for their approval, was approved at District and at our state levels and approved by the convention. It urges the President of the United States and the U.S. Congress to recognize the contributions of Afghan and Iraqi Combat Interpreter Immigrants who stood shoulder to shoulder with, assisted and protected U.S. military service members, U.S. diplomats and government agents, non-governmental organizations, and media organizations during U.S. involvement in those countries. 


Resolution 414 respectfully requests the Secretary of the Navy to name a future Naval vessel after the only Philippine Medal of Honor winner, Telesforo Trinidad.


There were approximately 35 resolutions approved that dealt with Dept of VA laws, policy and procedure and laws providing rehabilitation benefits for veterans, and also resolutions pertaining to veterans’ employment, civil service and housing problems


On Tuesday, many awards were given to VFW national officers, checks were delivered by corporate sponsor representatives and the Convention elected and installed officers for the ensuing year. Supreme Commander of the Military Order of the Cootie Darin Combs presented a $43,000 check to Chief Roesch for a new snow plow at the VFW National Home in Eaton Rapids, Mich. Combs said Cootie membership increased by 105 percent this year, the largest increase since the organization began keeping records. 


If you are interested in learning more details of the business conducted by our governing body, please go to the national website (vfw.org) click on “Media and Events” followed by a click on “National Convention” where you’ll find a streaming option or you can review the press releases.

Thoughts on Afghanistan

As we approach the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the news coming out of Afghanistan in recent weeks has been tough to watch, especially for our Afghanistan veterans. Here are some poignant words from our comrade, Robert Kettle:

I remember clearly 9/11 and the summer 20 years ago at SIXTH Fleet as we worked through Intelligence reporting and all the chatter about a pending strike.  I remember clearly too the COLE bombing in Aden harbor 11 months before which had us already ramped up as we embarked on the Global War on Terror.  Ten years on I remember clearly our JCS strike group operations in the N. Arabian Sea in support of Op. ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan.  Now twenty years on I look with great sadness on the events of today in Afghanistan but also on so many waypoints along the way that led us to this point.

I reflect on the nature of the history of our involvement in the country and the history of the country itself knowing that unlike, for example, Germany there was no shared threat to bind us together not to mention other challenges in the relationship that meant at some point we would need to leave.

I reflect on lives lost both incountry and out; immediate and long delayed. Of those injured too whether seen or unseen.  Their sacrifice cannot be thought of as being in vain for it was not.

I reflect too on the people of Afghanistan and of the Great Game of an earlier time that played itself out again over the last four decades wondering with this chapter closing what will the next chapter bring.  My wondering is of sadness still.


Regarding support for our Afghan allies, Post 3063 has a track record of backing the Special Immigrant Visa program. In 2020, our post voted to endorse No One Left Behind’s proposed resolution for adoption at the VFW National Convention. We’re happy to report that it was adopted by National last summer. See more about the SIV program and No One Left Behind’s advocacy here.


Veterans who served in Afghanistan may be experiencing a range of challenging emotions related to the U.S withdrawal from the country and unfolding events. Veterans who served during other conflicts may also be feeling strong emotions as they may be reminded of their own deployment experiences. Strategies for managing ongoing distress are available here. Please take care of yourselves and also feel free to reach out to our Post 3063 Service Officer, Joseph Mesa at [email protected].

Youth Essay Entries Due October 31


Do you have a grandchild looking for some money for college? Do you know a student who is a thinker and has good opinions? Do they like to write?


The VFW has a program for them!


High school students can enter the Voice of Democracy contest. Here’s a link to the rules and entry form: https://bit.ly/2lJlE0g.


Middle school students can enter the Patriot’s Pen contest. Here’s the link to the rules and entry form: https://bit.ly/2mKrezW.


Elementary students in grades 3, 4 & 5 are encouraged to enter the special Youth Essay program run by the Washington Department, Veterans of Foreign Wars. Here’s the link to the rules and entry form: https://vfwwa.org/di/vfw/v2/default.asp?pid=79734.


Please submit entries to Quartermaster Rodenberger by Oct. 31. Good luck!