Benson VFW Post 2503n.b5z.net/i/u/10066284/f/VFW_August_2014.pdfportantly is now much safer for all....
Transcript of Benson VFW Post 2503n.b5z.net/i/u/10066284/f/VFW_August_2014.pdfportantly is now much safer for all....
Benson VFW Post 2503
August 2014 www.VFWPost2503.org
402-571-8397
From the Commander Dear Comrades and Ladies,
There have been several events this
past month and unfortunately not all
were good! Top of the list was the
vandalizing of our A/C units, causing
damage estimated to be around
$64,000! That is a lot of damage for a
few dollar’s worth of copper. Our
insurance is $500 deductible, so as-
suming all goes well, that will save
our "bacon". US Mechanical re-
placed two 7.5 ton units within a day
or two allowing us to stay open for
business. As to the rest of the units
we are still waiting for the insurance
company's approval to proceed. We
have made several attempts to contact
the adjuster and have had no response
from him as of yet. In other news,
we are still looking and interviewing
for an accountant/tax expert on a part
time basis. Other good news is the
parking lot repaving job has been
completed and but for a few minor
flaws it looks very nice and more im-
portantly is now much safer for all.
Also, this Saturday June 12th is our
Horseshoes Tournament and picnic.
Ryan Sudbeck has worked very hard
to prepare for this event and we hope
to see all of you at the picnic enjoy-
ing the day’s events and of course
each other’s company. I would like
(Continued on page 3)
From the Auxiliary
President The 8th Annual VFW Auxiliary
Craft Show is scheduled for Satur-
day, October 18 from 9:00am to
4:00pm. There will be a bake sale
and raffles as well as a lunch being
served.
For an application or questions con-
tact Linda Humphrey at 402-571-
4178 or email [email protected].
As in the past we are looking for-
ward to a great turnout. If you are
interested in helping out with this
event please contact Linda.
The ladies sewing group is looking
for any members that may be in-
terested in coming in on Thursday
to assist in sewing. They do a va-
riety of things, from pinning to
cutting to sewing. Please contact
Nora Van Cleave at 402-571-5213
or come on in on Thursdays at
1:00pm. There are several ladies
that also meet on Thursdays who
cut and crochet mats out of plastic
bags. Each of the mats is made up
of at least 2000 plastic bags. The
name of their group is “It MAT-
ters”. If interested in helping out
please come to the post on Thurs-
days at 1:00pm and join the la-
dies.
If you would like to attend the Aux-
(Continued on page 3)
POST 2503 OFFICERS 2014-2015 Commander: Robert Brown
Sr. Vice Commander: Fred VanPeer Jr. Vice Commander: Sharon Cooper
Quartermaster: Bob Bragg Chaplain: Dennis Kerr
Surgeon: Terrence White Judge Advocate: John Gass
Officer of the Day: Appointment Pending Adjutant: Ron Dupell
Guard: Bill Fread Service Officer: Ron Dupell
AUXILIARY OFFICERS 2014-2015
President: Kathy ‘Tiger’ Thielen
Sr. Vice President: Royce Dent
Jr. Vice President: Shirley Duis
Treasurer: Ruth Gerst
Secretary: Pat Dembowski
Chaplain: Marcia Jones
Conductress: Luanne Rosso
Guard: Lindy Devereaux
Patriotic Instructor:
Post and Auxiliary
Meetings
1st Thursday
every month
6:30 pm
Honor Guard
Meeting
2nd Thursday
every month
7:00 pm
30th Nebraska Viet Nam Veterans
Reunion August 14-17 2014
In Norfolk, NE www.VetsReunion.com
Thirsty Thursdays
& Tacos
August 14th
5-7pm
Post Breakfast
August 17th
Basket Night
August 22nd
5:30—7:00 pm
Bob Fields entertaining
from 8:00—11:00 pm
on August 14th and 28th
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POST BREAKFAST
AUGUST 17th
8:30 am to Noon
$6.00
It is time ag
ain fo
r the an
nual sale o
f the V
eterans o
f Fo
reign
Wars B
udd
y P
op
pies. A
ltho
ugh
you m
ay n
ot b
e able to
help
with
the sale o
f Bud
dy P
op
pies, w
e are sure y
ou w
ou
ld lik
e to co
n-
tribute to
this w
orth
y cau
se. Donatio
ns receiv
ed fro
m th
e sale of B
ud
dy P
op
pies are u
sed to
help
need
y v
eterans an
d th
eir families.
Nam
e to b
e disp
layed
on P
oppy C
ard:
___________________________________
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Your N
ame: _
______________________
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Telep
hone N
um
ber_
__________________
____
__
____
Mem
orial? Y
es___ N
o___
Than
k y
ou fo
r your w
arm an
d g
enero
us d
onatio
n, V
FW
Po
st 25
03
Bud
dy P
op
py C
hairm
an
This year we took a break from sell-
ing fireworks, and as we re-group
and think about how to apply next
year, I am thinking how proud I
would feel if the VFW found an
American made source of fireworks
to sell. Eventually somebody else
will come up with the idea, and beat
us to the punch, unless we set the
example first. And, how great it
would be if we veterans - who stand
up for freedom abroad, could also
find a way to stand up for freedom
here at home! I understand that I
don't even know if we can find a
domestic source anymore, but I
think it would be a worthy effort.
And if we can find one, and get ap-
proved, maybe we can start a really
nice trend.
Sincerely,
Dennis Kerr, Post 2503 Chaplain
Honor Guard Captain
Post 2503 is fortunate to have a very
active Honor Guard. We were
proud to have 13 members of the
Honor Guard participating in the
Ralston 4th of July Parade. We
were joined by a contingent of the
Ladies Auxiliary. Thank you all.
Chuck Wolf,
Honor Guard Captain
Cootie Corner
3rd Thursday, 7:30 pm, Cootie
Meeting at Post 2503
3rd Monday, 6:30 pm, Bingo at
ENVH
Seam Squirrel Gary Steckelberg
Cootie President
Dorothy Steckelberg
Summer is here, and the Blondo Bin-
go Hall is the perfect place to be. Join
your friends for Bingo. The A/C is
on. Bring your friends on Wednes-
days at 7 pm and on Saturdays at
1 pm. You can support the Post by
playing Bingo and the same Pickles
you play at the Post.
Chaplain’s Message
I love fireworks. There is a lot of
good advice available about keeping
your body safe. Keep a bucket of
water and sand, and a fire extinguish-
er nearby. Wear cotton clothing, as it
is less flammable, and will not melt
to the skin. And children should al-
ways be supervised.
However, as Chaplain I think of
keeping our souls safe also. Many of
the fireworks, in our time, are pro-
duced in foreign sulfur mines and
factories where the workers do not
have the freedom of religion. When
we celebrate freedom with these fire-
works, it feels like trying to
“celebrate a wedding anniversary,
alone at a singles bar.” Neither of
these situations can be safe and
healthy for the soul.
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to remind all of you that we are in
need of volunteers for a number of
projects. Some of which do not re-
quire a lot of time and others that are
more involved. Whatever your time
constraints or skill levels are, we can
use your help! Also a reminder to
keep recruiting as your number one
goal. You have my sincere thanks
R. L. Brown, Commander
Auxiliary—Homeless
Sleeping Mats Thank you everyone working on the
plastic mats for the homeless. Please
consider joining us on Thursday after-
noons from 1—3 pm., or cut and link
at home and drop them off at the Post
at your convenience Shirley Duis
Flag Star Cards
Three years ago when I started mak-
ing flag star cards, I had no idea how
far reaching they would go, and how
they would be valued. The last sever-
al months have been eye opening.
In December 2013, I received an e-
mail from a veteran in South Carolina
asking where he could get the enve-
lopes, so he could make the cards
himself. He had attended a reunion a
few months earlier and had been giv-
en a card. I did some investigating
and found that our Post Commander
had brought them to the reunion.
In January 2014, I was contacted by
Mr Jim Meier. He had gotten a card
from All Flags, etc. The owner, Scott
Kesick, has them available for his
customers. Jim is a motivational
speaker and asked for 100 cards to
give to people who were attending a
conference at which he was scheduled
to talk. After the conference I re-
ceived two requests for more star
cards. Jim was also involved in or-
ganizing a dinner and a program for
(Continued from page 1)
(Continued on page 4)
iliary meetings which are held the
first Thursday of the month and be a
part of this fantastic group, however
do not have transportation to the
Post we can arrange to pick you up.
The meeting starts at 6:30pm.
Please don’t hesitate to call me or
let another Auxiliary member know.
I am looking forward to another
fantastic year. Come join us!
Let’s all continue to move forward
and be proud of our accomplish-
ments!
Please keep all our Troops, families
and Veterans in your prayers.
Sincerely,
President, Kathy ‘Tiger’ Thielen
From the Kitchen
Winners for the free meal were
Mary Vankat, Lois Peyton, Dave
Thompson, Ruth Cafferty and Larry
Leonard. Congratulations and
thanks for supporting the Post.
One Wednesday of each month the
Post will be providing a dessert to
celebrate all birthdays for that
month. A special way to say
THANK YOU and HAPPY
BIRTHDAY! We will celebrate all
birthdays in August on the 27th..
Please come to the Post, enjoy a
great meal and have a piece of cake
on us.
Please plan to join us at the Post for
Basket Night on Friday, August 22.
We will be serving Wing, Shrimp,
Chicken Strip and Fish Baskets.
Drink prices are discounted from
5:00 to 7:00pm.
Also, on August 14, Thirsty Thurs-
day we will be serving Tacos, Tor-
tilla chips with salsa or Cinnamon
Sugar Chips. Breakfast will be
served on Sunday, August 17.
THANK YOU TO ALL THE VOL-
UNTEERS. YOU DO A FANTAS-
TIC JOB!
If there is a food item you would
like to see on the menu let me
(Continued from page 1) know. I am open to suggestions.
The Post is looking for volunteers to
help out on the nights food is served.
There are plenty different things you
can do from writing tickets to serv-
ing food. Everyone is welcome.
We have fun. You may call me at
402-572-0651 or the Post at 402-571
-8397 or leave a note at the bar.
Keep in mind on HAMBURGER
NIGHT that hamburgers, chicken
sandwiches and fish will always be
served. The menu on the calendar is
the SPECIAL for that day.
Please remember to fill out a ticket
for a chance to win a free meal.
Thank you for all your support. To-
gether we do make a difference.
Please thank our Veterans and keep
our members, families and Troops in
your thoughts and prayers.
Sincerely,
Kathy ‘Tiger’ Thielen and the Crews
Information from the
Quartermaster
I am beginning to get my feet on the
ground, and I’d like to thank every-
one for their help, offers of assis-
tance and advise. As the Post Com-
mander said, we are still looking for
someone with accounting experi-
ence in the tax area. The officers
have met with several candidates,
but unfortunately we have not found
the perfect fit. As our Jr Vice would
say: “The ideal candidate would
already know our financial program,
and be able to clone themselves and
work from home and the Post at the
same time.” What we are finding, is
a talented pool of candidates who
are still employed full time, and
would have to fit us in around their
job. It’s the familiar conundrum:
We at least initially need unlimited
access and service but we have lim-
ited funds. Your officers are still
working on this, and if you have any
ideas, share them with us.
Bob Bragg, Quartermaster
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Gold Star families. I found out
later that he was the principle
speaker. I happily supplied 300
cards for the dinner. Later I re-
ceived a thank you e-mail from Pat
Mracek, President of the Nebraska
Gold Star Mothers.
March brought an e-mail from a
Viet Nam veteran living in Minne-
sota. He asked to trade 450 stars
for 400 prepared cards. He and his
wife will be going to three military
reunions this year. Their first one
was in April and later I have re-
ceived one request for 100 cards
and another for 50.
I have been told that 150 flag star
cards were taken to Normandy for
the 70th Anniversary of D-Day. I
also have a request for 500 cards to
be taken to the Nebraksa Viet Nam
Veterans reunion in August.
If you haven’t seen it, there is now
a box on the table as you come in
to the Post home, filled with the
flag star cards. I will keep it filled,
so take as many as you can give
away. Don’t hesitate to ask if you
need a large quantity.
Next month I will tell you how two
cards were worth $170. Robert Ekdahl
402-496-0688
Auxiliary Chaplain’s News
Auxiliary Sisters: Please inform
Auxiliary Chaplain Marcia Jones
402-926-2648 of any ill or de-
ceased Auxiliary member.
Any Auxiliary member IN GOOD
STANDING, may request that the
Auxiliary Chaplain have a memori-
al service upon their passing.
Please inform your families so the
Auxiliary Chaplain or Auxiliary
President may make these arrange-
ments.
JOIN US ON:
AUGUST 22nd FOR
SHRIMP/CHICKEN
STRIP/FISH/
CHICKEN WING
BASKETS WITH
FRIES
$6.50
5:30—7:00 PM
Come early for
Happy Hour
Buddy Poppies
The Buddy Poppy “season”
began on Veteran’s Day. Our
Post has been generous as al-
ways. Thank you to all who
participate, your care and com-
passion for our fellow veterans
and their families is abundant-
ly evident, as are your dona-
tions. A response form is on
page 2. Cut it out and send it to
me at the Post.
Bob Fenton, Chairman
Coming Soon!!
Craft Show
18 October
More information
to follow.
Point of Contact
is
Linda Humphrey
402-571-4178
5
A
ug
us
t 20
14
Hot B
eef Sandw
ich/M
ashed Potatoes/G
ravy/G
reen Beans or C
hili Dog
S
oup – Chili
Crew
—S
hirley Schaefer
Th
e Beer o
f the
Mo
nth
for A
ug
ust is
Sam
uel A
dam
s
Spaghetti/S
alad/Bread or
Pork T
enderloin S
oup – Broccoli C
heese
Crew
—P
at Petersen
Chicken F
ried Chicken/
Mashed P
otatoes/Gravy/
Corn or C
hicken Strip B
asket S
oup – Cream
of Potato
Cabin C
rew
Hum
dingers
Chicken and N
oodles over M
ashed Potatoes/
Peas or Italian sausage or
Brat w
ith Sauerkraut
Soup – V
egetable Beef
Crew
— Jan D
avis
6
V.F.W. Post 2503
8904 Military Road
Omaha, NE 68134
Address Service Requested Non-Profit Org
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit #610
Omaha, NE
See Inside Bob Fields Appearing Basket Night Happy Hours Thirsty Thursday Post Breakfast NE Viet Nam Veterans Reunion
14-17 August, Norfolk
From Your Honor Guard Captain Chuck Wolf
MILITARY RITES: June 2014
Military Members
Deceased Cemetery Members 06/04/14 Robert Patterson Evergreen 5
06/09/14 Henry Supenski St Mary Magdalene 7
06/10/14 Wenfred Knoffler Forest Lawn 8
06/13/14 James Brown Forest Lawn 7
06/14/14 John Merryweather Calvary 11
06/14/14 Ed Hammell Hillcrest 10
06/16/14 Edward Chadwell Hillcrest 7
06/17/14 Lewis Cimino St Margaret Mary 9
06/19/14 Leslie Don Reed Rockbrook Methodist 9
06/20/14 Terrance Lessig Hillcrest 7
06/20/14 Gregory Spung Shepard Chapel 1
06/23/14 Joseph Corritore Heafey Chapel 9
06/23/14 Dwayne Workman Graceland 8
06/23/14 Norman Dixon Calvary 8
06/24/14 Gary Young Mt Hope 4
06/27/14 Fredrick Johnson Sr Hillcrest 10
06/28/14 Carl Bertch Bramen Chapel 6
06/30/14 Peter J Jeffery Calvary 5
Funerals 18 Members 131 Hours 393
Post Member *
June 2014
In memory of our unknown
comrades
NOTICE: All articles should be in the Newsletter Box, IN WRIT-ING, at the Post no later than August 9th. If ar ticles are not sub-mitted by the deadline, they will have to wait for the next newsletter. We try to have the newsletter to the printers by the Friday following the meetings. If changes need to be made after the meetings, articles can be amended. When your article is late, the Newsletter is late to all our members. Please use a full sheet of paper. Little pieces of paper can get lost. Thank you
CLUB HOURS
Monday Closed
Tuesday thru Thursday 3:00 pm—10:00 pm
Friday 3:00 pm—10:00 pm
Saturday Noon—11:00 pm
Sunday Noon—8:00 pm
PHONE: 402-571-8397
The Post is selling Memorial Bricks
around the memorial walk and flag.
Bob Fenton, Chairman
Memorial Bricks are being sold by
Post 2503 to be put around the outside
Name _______________________________________________ Please Print
Phone # ________________________________________ WORDS ON BRICK
Line 1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 Line 2 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 Line 3 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1
Checks Only—No Cash Return this form to the Post
of the Memorial flag pole. These bricks will cost $60.00 each.
They will be for VFW, Auxiliary, AMVET & Auxiliary members,
their families and people they sponsor. They will be memorials for
living or deceased people. They will be ordered once a year on
April 1st, for installation by Memorial Day each year. Max 16 spac-
es per line, 3 lines, cost $60.00 per brick.
7