adelay@craigdailypress. com
In honor of Veterans Day on Friday, Nov. 11, several members of the local Overseas Veterans Station 4265 and American Legion Post 62 gathered in uniform on Thursday, Nov. 10 to make an appearance at several in Moffat County.
Service members were entertained through youth, said Mark Whick, VFW mayor.
He explained that this meant a lot to students who spent time learning army songs and playing for the veterans band. One of the schools even had a trumpeter who played “Taps,” which is deeply significant because, in an active fighting zone, it meant a time to prevent fighting so that foot soldiers could simply retrieve their dead.
As they piled up after the visits, VFW members who served in active fighting zones and members of the American Legion reflected on their time of service and their time of service since then.
“We are a true network service organization that happens to be all veterans,” Whick said, adding that the organization included members of the American Legion, who took the same oath to serve and are now civilians serving in the network.
“A veteran is a veteran,” said Ed Wilkinson, a member of the U. S. Legion. U. S. and Moffat County Veterans Services officer.
Wilkinson said there are about 800 veterans in Moffat County and there are only two World War II veterans left in the area. In addition, the Office of Veterans Services can help any veteran, not just those with a war tape, to join fitness or benefits.
“Look at the average age of our members,” Wilkinson said. We want younger blood. “
Amid declining membership, Craig VFW still welcomes new members while the organization remains active on the network and makes innovations at the local post office, thanks to donations from local businesses.
VFW Navy Seabees member Gilbert Meats, left, speaks with American Legion member Albert Shepherd at Craig VFW on Nov. 10, 2022. Amber Delay/Craig Press
From left to right, Michael Lausin, Jesse Larsen, Mark Whick and David Ethos gather to look at one of the rifles used at the honor guard funeral. Amber Delay/Craig Press
Front row, from right, Albert Shepherd, Douglas Wellman, sharing stories about their time in services, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, with Michael Lausin in the background on service material. Amber Delay/Craig Press
From left to right, VFW Commander Amber Suits, Gilbert Meats, Michael Lausin and Albert Shepherd on Thursday, November 10 at Craig VFW Post 4265. Amber Delay/Craig Press
Michael Whick, center, and Douglas Wellman, right, chat with new VFW Jesse Larsen and David Ethos on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, in Craig’s VFW post. Amber Delay/Craig Press
Douglas Wellman, left, speaks with VFW commander Amber Suits on Thursday, Nov. 10 at Craig VFW. Amber Delay/Craig Press
A service cross in VFW Post 4265 with a Vietnam helmet, rifle and soldier’s boots, which were used in the fight to prove the location of fallen soldiers. Amber Delay/Craig Press
From left to right, David Ethos, Jesse Larsen, Mark Whick, Amber Suits, Albert Shepherd, Michael Lausin, Gilbert Meats and Douglas Wellman in front of the VFW flag on Thursday, November 10, 2022. Amber Delay/Craig Press
Mark Whick holds up the framed description of the Table of Missing Men, which is reserved to honor fallen comrades-in-arms. Amber Delay/Craig Press
Craig’s newly completed and striped Craig VFW parking lot in October 2021, an assignment HP Striping donated and labor. Courtesy photo
Craig VFW now has around 80 members, with the two most recent, David Ethos and Jesse Larsen, recently joining. Ethos and Larsen have been new to Craig for the past three years and have served in Iraq.
Whick said VFW started with many more members, yet they have more military funeral honors in those days than they swear to new members. VFW Post 4265 was originally established in July 1945, and the position almost disappeared two years ago because there weren’t enough members to fill. officer posts.
“That’s why we need to keep coming into the community,” said Amber Suits, one of VFW’s youngest members.
Suits assumed the role of commander, making her the first female commander in that position.
“A lot of young veterans say they don’t like the way things are going,” Suits said. “And I ask them, ‘How are you going to replace this if you don’t join?’
It takes 14 corps of army workers to render the military’s funeral honors, so this is a domain in which VFW and the American Legion combine to make this happen.
VFW stores the use of its construction with other equipment and events on the network. Suits said the publication is also helping with beer gardens at events, and that it would like to see a replica of VFW network barbecues.
The American Legion organizes bingo every Sunday and donates thousands of dollars a year to networking organizations with the proceeds.
The VFW car park won mandatory maintenance at the beginning of autumn with donated fabrics and labor. Whick said the task was coordinated by Harvey Preston II and Randy Meyring of HP Striping.
“It saved us a lot of pain,” Whick said, adding that, over the years, VFW won fabric donations for innovations and flocked on its own, so it meant a lot that HP Striping is completing the project.
According to Whick, HP Striping filled the seams, added one end and even got to make the stripes, which included a big thank you on the red, white and blue paint of the VFW parking lot.
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