News – Page 59 – Ballard Eagleson Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3063

Fundraiser update

By Russ Seelig

We are exactly 2 weeks from the Spaghetti Feed and Raffle and I wanted to give you all a quick update on where we are prior to our final meeting. We currently have about 35 raffle prizes in hand with additional promised. My experience has been that not all that are promised materialize and some that we never hear about beforehand show up at the event. Nevertheless we are running behind where we have been in the past few years both in quantity and dollar value.

Our goal is to raise about $5,000 to add to our charitable contributions budget. We make a profit of about $10/ticket, and if we sell the 150 tickets we normally sell that is a profit of about $1,500, leaving $3,500 to secure from the about 125 participants we have had in the past, or about $30 per person. In other words we need additional quality prizes that we hope people will want to put numerous tickets in. I do not know how many tickets have been sold to date, but I have distributed about 100 and an unknown number have been sold via the internet.

The following is a condensed list of the prizes we currently have:

Restaurant Gift Certificates: Alcove Dining Room, Olive and the Grape, Dick’s Drive-In, Uli’s Famous Sausage, Ballard Mandarin

Admission Tickets: Mariners, Ride the Ducks, Everett Aquasox, Argosy Cruises, MoPop, Museum of Flight

Other larger ticket items: Artwork, Instant Pot, Handmade Afghan, Tattoos, Salmon Fishing Trip, MacDonald’s Happy Meal display

Other items: Interesting items that are hard to categorize.

Please come to the meeting with the proceeds from the tickets you have sold. If you haven’t sold any please call your friends and neighbors and give them a chance to come and have some fun. Please bring any raffle prizes you have gotten. Contact me at 206-423-1150 if you have any questions.

AARP Provides Anti-Fraud Info During Business Meeting

AARP Presentation — AARP brought representatives to the Aug. 15 social who provided a presentation about elder fraud and gave out free materials to post membership.

In Memoriam: Remembering Bob Drew

By Harold Rodenberger

I never had a chance to speak with Bob Drew. He was an old man when he joined our post. Those who did meet him were impressed with his quiet demeanor and presence of mind. Many of those who knew Bob weren’t aware of his background. He was just another old man who didn’t ask for any special attention or help. He was part of The Greatest Generation and like a lot of old people in our society, he flew under the radar living a quiet life in his old age.

But, when he was younger, what a full life he led! Bob Drew

During WWII he was a fighter pilot flying P-38’s and P-51’s in the Pacific Theater. After the war he joined the California National Guard and went to work for Douglas Aircraft as a test pilot, flying the Navy AD Skyraider and F4D Skyray. Working with Douglas until 1962 he flew all manner of fighters, single and multi-engine military and commercial aircraft and anything else that took off. During his test pilot days he flew with future astronauts Alan Shepard and Deke Slayton and other famous test pilots. Since he was attracted to speed, he also flew Formula One pylon racers from 1953 to 1993.

In 2000, Bob became a docent for the Museum of Flight. If you happened to have him as a guide while visiting the museum you were in for great guided tour since he had flown many of the planes on display. You can read an article on Bob’s days at the Museum in our May 2017 newsletter.

We draped our charter to remember Bob at our meeting held on July 11, 2019, and it remained draped in his honor for thirty days.

Robert E. Drew, WWII fighter pilot, supersonic test pilot, friend of astronauts, Formula One Pylon Racer, museum docent and member of our post, has made his last flight.

National Convention Wrap-up

By Harold Rodenberger

The Veterans of Foreign Wars held its 120th National Convention in Orlando, Florida this year. Elected representatives from posts and departments attend these national conventions each year and when in session, the convention is the governing body of our organization.

Quartermaster Rodenberger, center, stands with other Washington delegates at the 2019 VFW Convention in Orlando.

Three members from our post attended this year; Sr Vice Joe Tiffany, representing Commander Pete Krawitz; Jr Vice Joe Fitzgerald and Quartermaster Harold Rodenberger. We participated in the business sessions, attended special classes of interest to post leadership, caucused with other representatives from our state and voted on proposed changes to our VFW Bylaws and Ritual.

In other sessions, awards are presented to special dignitaries, winners of the VFW Youth programs such as Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy are presented with their scholarship checks, All-American Commanders are given their awards and various speakers pass their wisdom to our eager ears. This year Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Robert Wilkie, updated the convention on news of interest from their departments.

To wrap up the convention on Wednesday, we elected and installed national officers for the ensuing year. It is always a busy four days and necessary for the continued functioning of our organization.