This is a recurring column that highlights new VFW Post 3063 members. Comrade Justin Fitch joined the post in November 2019.
What motivated you to join the VFW? I was referred to the VFW by an existing member who told me about the charitable work the organization does, that appealed to me so I wanted to become a member.
What is your military background? During my time in the military I served as an infantryman in the 75th Ranger Regiment. I deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Hometown, civilian job, education, family, hobbies, or anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself? I was born and raised here in Seattle. I enjoy hiking, climbing, and spending time with my dog.
What do you hope to achieve being a member of the VFW? I would like to get more involved in some of the volunteer work that the organization does.
December is the end of a year, but this year also marks the end of a decade. Turning this corner reminded me of the end of decades past. For people my age these are vivid memories. For young people, they are history.
At the end of 2009, we saw 17,00 more troops sent to Afghanistan, the end of the Great Recession and the death of Michael Jackson.
Twenty years ago, at the turn of the century there was the Y2K scare, the beginning of the euro and a U.S. President impeached. Thirty years ago, the fall of the Berlin Wall was the big news.
In 1979 there was the big gas shortage, the Hood Canal floating bridge that didn’t, and the Seattle Supersonics winning the NBA Championship. 1969 was the year of the first moon landing and “…One giant leap for mankind”.
Sixty years ago, in 1959, I joined the Army and started on the path that led to Ballard Eagleson Post. The winter of ‘49-’50 resulted in many low temperature records still on the books.
The years pass quickly and can only be lived once. We need to remember to make the most of our time as the years flit by.
Speaking of, members of our post have been busy doing things for others to help our post fulfil its mission. We don’t have a canteen or clubroom so we do things for our community and fellow veterans instead.
Recently we visited and revisited the VA Hospital to talk with patients and distribute special snacks and drinks. Our Honor Guard was central to the recent celebration of Wreaths Around America at Lake View Cemetery. Some of our members served at the Seattle Standdown. We selected winners and gave prizes in the VFW Youth Programs Voice of Democracy, Patriot’s Pen and Youth Essay contests. Our Teacher of the Year was also selected as the winner at District 2 and now goes to the judging at the state level.
Our roving ambassador, Allen Schwerer, who now lives in Eastern Washington, donates time and money to VFW causes in that area. One of our local members spoke at a meeting of the Mercer Girls Chapter of the DAR during a ceremony honoring Vietnam veterans.
Around the Post Home, our Commander, Joe Tiffany, volunteered to procure and install a new (much superior) sound system. Other officers gave of their time to perform their duties during meetings and outside the post. Many members fly the flag to honor our country and its veterans.
Looking forward to the second half of our VFW year, we are still well short of our membership goal. We value your membership, please take a minute to make sure your dues are current.
Welcome to the new “roaring twenties” and may the coming year be kind to you and yours.
One man’s annual tribute to our veterans inspired a legion of volunteers who gave rise to the Wreaths Across America of today.
By Joe Fitzgerald, Post 3063 Color/Honor Guard Captain
Merrill Worcester owner of Worcester Wreath Company in Harrington Maine was a 12 year old paper boy for the Bangor Daily News, when he won a trip to Washington, D.C and to Arlington National Cemetery, which left an indelible impression on him that followed him throughout his life and successful business career.
In 1992 his wreath company found that they had a surplus of wreaths left over from the holidays. Remembering his boyhood experience at Arlington he realized he had an opportunity to honor our country’s veterans. With the help from Maine Senator Olympia Snowe, arrangements were made for his wreaths to be placed at Arlington National Cemetery in one of the older sections of the cemetery that had been receiving fewer visitors with each passing year.
As plans were under way, a number of other organizations stepped up to help, including a trucking company as well as local volunteers, and the American Legion and VFW posts who helped with decorating and laying the wreaths that included a special ceremony and wreath placed at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The annual event went on quietly for several years until 2005 when a photo of the stones at Arlington adorned with the wreaths and covered in snow circulated around the internet.
Suddenly, the project received national attention. Thousands of requests poured in from all over the country from people wanting to help with Arlington, to emulate the Arlington project at their own National and State cemeteries, or to simply share their stories and thank Merrill for honoring our nation’s heroes.
It soon became obvious that the interest in honoring our fallen veterans was bigger than Arlington and bigger than this one company.
In 2007, the Worcester family along with veterans and other groups who had been helping with this annual ceremony — formed Wreaths Across America — a non profit organization formed to continue expanding this effort.
Their mission: REMEMBER…. our fallen U.S.veterans, HONOR……… those who serve, TEACH……….. our children the value of freedom.
In 2008, the U.S. Congress unanimously voted Dec. 13 as Wreaths Across America day with the actual ceremony to be conducted each year on either the 2nd or 3rd Saturday in December. The number of participating locations had grown to over 300 involving hundreds of volunteers laying more than 105,000 wreaths!
Today, there are now more than 2,100 WAA ceremonies conducted across America and Puerto Rico, at sea and abroad assisted by various firms, civic organizations, and thousands of volunteers who lay several hundred thousand Wreaths.
Note: Dec 19, 2020, there will be more than 230,000 remembrance wreaths laid at Arlington National Cemetery alone!
BALLARD EAGELSON Post 3063 and the WAA
December 2015, several members our post joined with members of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) to conduct the Wreaths Across America ceremony at Lake View Cemetery in the Capital Hill area of Seattle.
This ceremony occurs at the base of the cemetery’s U.S. Flag pole situated on a knoll where 7 stands are mounted in a semi-circle to hold a special WAA remembrance wreath for each of the 5 branches of the U.S. Military, the Merchant Marines, and for all MIA/POW. This ceremony begins at 1200 noon at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C. with all 1600 locations around the world simultaneously conducting the same ceremony at the same time.
December 2016 Post 3063 formed an Honor Guard Rifle team. This was the first year we conducted a three gun rifle salute as part of the ceremony at Lake View cemetery.
December 2017 – The Honor Guard was expanded to include a Color Guard as well, and a bugler to play taps at the ceremonies conclusion. Also added to the WAA ceremony is a two person Honor Guard salute as each Wreath is brought forward and posted on its respective stand.
The Ballard Eagleson Post 3063 Color/Honor Guard conducts various memorial and flag ceremonies throughout the year. With each new year comes additional requests for our participation and as such we are in constant need of additional members to join us and be a part of this rewarding experience. Anyone interested in becoming a member of this team can contact either me, or our Post Quartermaster Harold Rodenberger.
Honor guard members salute the SAR rep who placed the POW/MIA wreath during the ceremony.Pam Wolfe, an Army veteran and current employee at Merrill Gardens Senior Living, played Taps after the honor guard performed a three-volley salute.Post 3063 Honor Guard members (left to right): Harold Rodenberger, Bryce White, Bill Griffith, Dan Stokke and Joe Fitzgerald.
Quartermaster Rodenberger and Adjutant Teeter presented certificates and prizes yesterday to Hamilton International Middle School students who submitted essays for the Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest. We also presented the Teacher of the Year to Dan Waldschmidt, an 8th grade teacher at Hamilton.
Thank you to Dan and his students for participating and supporting the VFW!
