VFW At Work

1. 'It Means Everything to Us to Be Able to Share This Beauty'

   Sharing a shoreline with Oklahoma to the north and Texas to the south, the aptly named Lake Texoma is home to members of VFW Post 7873, who gladly share their serene outdoor space with other veterans and the public.

   Offering five RV spaces with full hookups (including water, sewer and electricity access) and access to Lake Texoma via a boat ramp, the Post hosts hundreds of campers each summer.

   The Preston, Texas, Post is near scenic Sunset Point - a picturesque location right along the lake's edge, attracting thousands of tourists each year.

   "It means everything to us to be able to share this beauty with others," said Post Quartermaster Cressenda Sittner. "We also take the time to inform tourists about VFW and our mission."

   Each October, the Post hosts "Operation Welcome Home," or "Take a Soldier Fishing Weekend." Founded by Post member Jerry Dorsey, veterans are invited to the Post for a weekend
   where they are taken out on Lake Texoma for fishing, provided meals and given the chance to relax and connect with each other.

   "J.D. coordinates with Georgetown Baptist Church and other service organizations, including the American Legion, to help feed guests during their stay," Sittner said.

   For this year's VFW Day of Service, the Post planned to gather 20-30 volunteers to clean up Preston Bend Cemetery and erect a new pavilion there.

   POLAR-PLUNGING FOR VETERANS
   For almost a decade, Post 7873 has hosted an annual "polar plunge" fundraiser at Lake Texoma. According to a report from local news station KX12, Post Auxiliary President Janis Vogelsang got the idea to begin hosting annual polar plunges from a close friend from the Northeast.

   "We had a friend here from Rochester, New York, and she participated in a polar plunge in New York," Vogelsang said. "She suggested it to us, and everyone thought it was a good idea."

   As host and organizer of the polar plunge, Vogelsang creates the pledge forms each January. On Feb. 21, 20 plungers donned their swimming suits in preparation to jump into the frigid Lake Texoma waters.

   According to Sittner, each year, four plungers in particular tally up the most donations: E.J. McManaman, Jeff Demerchant, Brad Sisemore and Carrie Sisemore.

   "After the plunge, we count up the donations and announce the top three donors," Sittner said. "Winners get bragging rights. The proceeds go to support our Post and our continued mission of supporting our veterans."

   Participants from the local community join in to help support the continued presence of VFW on Lake Texoma. Last year, the Post raised more than $7,000.

   This article is featured in the 2026 September/October issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Danny Cook, senior writer for VFW magazine.

2. 'Solid Community Teamwork'

   May 2 marked the kickoff to VFW's 5th Annual Day of Service. Taking place across the nation and around the world, VFW Day of Service showcases veterans banding together to make a difference in their communities. By combining resources, gaining media support and dedicating the entire month to service, VFW spotlights the ongoing commitment of veterans who continue to lead lives of service.

   As of May 29, 2,662 Posts around the world had completed Day of Service projects. That number will grow as more Posts submit reports for activities completed.

   In North Kingstown, Rhode Island, members of VFW Post 152 and community volunteers took the Day of Service to a new level with multiple events taking place. To get things going, Post 152 member Patrick Murray presented a proposal to the North Kingstown Town Council to formally make the first Saturday in May the town's Day of Service.

   Once the Council passed a resolution to that effect, Murray visited with other civic organizations to discuss the possibilities. From there, the Day of Service became about park clean-ups, beautifying sections of streets, donating blood and collecting food for an area pantry.

   "We tried to make this more than just the VFW doing it," Murray said. "The point of Day of Service is to be visible to the public. For next year, we will continue to get more people involved and grow the effort."

   One of the groups participating was the Plum Beach Garden Club, whose members worked the flower beds in historic Wickford Village. North Koffee provided a good location and coffee for the blood drive donors. Allies Donuts provided donuts to keep the volunteers fueled.

   Murray said he is grateful to the North Kingstown Town Council and town employees who helped make this event the official Town Day of Service. Others such as Histwick, Wickford Village Association, North Kingstown Chamber, St. Paul's, St. Bernard's and St. Francis de Sales all heavily promoted the event, Murray added.

   "We were appreciative of the Rhode Island Blood Center for being supportive and flexible as the logistics of the day evolved," he said. "We had 31 donors and hit 150 percent of our goal."

   Murray said that involving the entire community made the Day of Service more successful and collaborative. He said all Posts could do the same by going to the city council or town council several months in advance of May. (See Day of Service list of Posts on p. 54.)

   "Any Post can do exactly what we did in North Kingstown," Murray said. "What we experienced was solid community teamwork. Most importantly, everyone involved showed they care about our town."

   This article is featured in the September/October issue of VFW magazine, and was written by Janie Dyhouse, senior editor for VFW magazine.

3. 'We Hope This is an Ongoing Endeavor'

   One North Carolina VFW Post found a creative way to aid active-duty military personnel before deployment.

   Post 1142 and its Auxiliary in North Wilkesboro recently partnered with the United Service Organizations (USO), a non-profit dedicated to supporting military personnel and their families throughout the entirety of their service. The Post and Auxiliary members made it their goal to fill and donate more than 600 bags of snacks and personal hygiene items to be delivered to Marines.

   Hope Raney, wife of Post 1142 Commander Brian Raney, and Maebelle Nance, wife of Post 1142 member Tim Nance, volunteered to lead the project, which involved reaching out to nearby USO centers in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Charlotte, North Carolina.

   A total of 66 hours was spent packing each of the 618 bags, which included food items such as Slim Jims, powdered drink mixes, ramen, trail mix, gum, granola bars and instant soup. Personal hygiene items, which were packed in separate bags, included disposable razors, wet wipes, foot powder, toothbrushes, toothpaste, zip lock bags and hand sanitizer.

   According to Raney, along with the bagged donations, the Post also donated 400 containers of sunscreen.

   Raney and Maebelle saw both monetary support and volunteerism from Post members and the local North Wilkesboro community.

   "This is an important way for the VFW and Auxiliary to support those serving in the military," Raney said. "It boosts the service members' morale and lets them know that there are people who care about them and are praying for them."

   After the bags were filled, Raney and Maebelle delivered 300 donations to the Raleigh USO Center at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Sept. 1, just before the Marines departed. The Post delivered the remaining 318 bags to the Charlotte USO Center on Sept. 15.

   Raney plans to turn this donation event into a quarterly affair, with plans to make another delivery to the USO centers in December.

   "Post 1142 and its Auxiliary hope the partnership with USO is an ongoing endeavor," Raney said. "We would like to be able to continue to work with the community and possibly other Posts to donate even more in the future."

   This article is featured in the 2026 September issue of Checkpoint. If you're a VFW member and don't currently receive the VFW Checkpoint, please contact VFW magazine at magazine@vfw.org.
   

4. Purple Heart Recognition

   Members of VFW Post 10131 and its Auxiliary in Cape Canaveral, Florida, hosted a luncheon on June 7 to recognize nine Purple Heart recipients from the Brevard County community.

   The Purple Heart recipients were recognized individually and given a certificate and a Purple Heart Challenge coin, along with a meal for them and their friends and families. The event also honored three Purple Heart recipients posthumously.

   Among the honorees was Medal of Honor Recipient and Post 10131 Life member Melvin Morris, who served with the Army's 5th Special Forces Group during the Vietnam War.

   Morris received the Medal of Honor for his heroics while serving as commander of a strike force drawn from Co. D, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1st Special Forces, during combat operations against an armed enemy near Chi Lang on Sept. 17, 1969.

   That afternoon, Staff Sergeant Morris' companies encountered a large enemy minefield and were engaged by hostiles. He received radio reports that a fellow team commander was killed near an enemy bunker. Morris quickly reorganized his men into an effective assault formation, advanced forward and split off with two men to recover the fallen commander's body.

   Morris charged into enemy fire with only his men's suppressive fire for cover. Despite continuous strafing from enemy machine guns, he destroyed four bunkers with hand grenades and pressed on. Reaching the bunker near the fallen team commander, he repelled the enemy, retrieved his comrade and began the difficult trek back to friendly lines. He was wounded three times as he struggled forward, but ultimately succeeded in returning his fallen comrade to a friendly position.

   Morris was honored at the luncheon, held in conjunction with Post 10131's First Responders luncheon.

   Post 10131 hosts this drop-in luncheon once a month, and it is open to all Law Enforcement, firefighters and EMTs. First responders are provided a free lunch and an opportunity for camaraderie in the post dining room.

   This article is featured in the 2026 September issue of Checkpoint. If you're a VFW member and don't currently receive the VFW Checkpoint, please contact VFW magazine at magazine@vfw.org.
   

5. A Helping Hand

   On Saturday July 18, Frederick County, Maryland, experienced a severe storm that sent trees into homes, left thousands without power, caused a fire at the local community center, and damaged the roof of American Legion Post 11, causing flooding and leaving its members without a Post home until further notice.

   By Monday, members of VFW Post 3285 sprang into action and opened their Post to American Legion members until their own Post was repaired.

   "It was a no-brainer to immediately offer any assistance Post 3285 could provide," VFW Post 3285 Commander Darryl Warren said. "We wanted to reciprocate the generosity extended to us when we were homeless during the construction of our new Post home."

   Warren added that Post 3285 and Legion Post 11 have a long history of serving the veteran community in Frederick.

   "This is just another example of veterans helping veterans," Warren said.

   This article was submitted by Youssef Aboul-Enein, VFW Post 3285 Life member.This article is featured in the 2026 September issue of Checkpoint. If you're a VFW member and don't currently receive the VFW Checkpoint, please contact VFW magazine at magazine@vfw.org.