FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ANYONES MEMORY, THE OFFICERS MEETING FOR THIS COMING WEDNESDAY, WHICH IS HELD ON THE 2^ND WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH, WILL BE NOT HELD.  BY ORDER OF THE COMMANDING OFFICER, CRAIG DOUGHERTY.

WHY YOU MAY ASK?

BECAUSE , WEDNESDAY IS FEBRUARY THE 14^TH,  VALENTINE’S DAY

ALL POST OFFICERS ARE INSTRUCTED TO SPEND TIME WITH THEIR LOVED ONE , WHISPERING SWEET NOTHINGS IN THEIR EAR, COMPLIMENTING THEM EVEN WHEN DOING NOTHING AND IN GENERAL BEING WARM & AFFECTIONATE.

AS FOR THE MEMBERSHIP, YOU MIGHT AS WELL JOIN IN ON THE FUN TOO J

THE NORMAL POST 6785 MONTHLY MEETING WILL BE HELD AS USUAL, ON THE 3^RD WEDNESDAY OF FEBRUARY , THE 21^ST, AT THE ARMY RESERVE CENTER AT 7PM, LOCATED ON THE CORNER OF 192^ND AVE SO AND 148^TH STREET SOUTH, ACROSS FROM SOOS CREEK WATER DISTRICT HEADQUARTERS.

ALL POST OFFICERS WILL SEND THE COMMANDER A REPLY TO THIS EMAIL WITH THEIR PRELIMINARY REPORTS FOR THE 21^ST……

REMINDER:  VFW DISTRICT 11 MEETING , SKY WAY POST , 1PM, FEBRUARY 24^TH !!!

COMMANDER CRAIG DOUGHERTY

ALL AMERICAN POST 6785-KENT MERIDIAN POST

Here’s an article from the Military Times about the VA re-opening the ID card process:

https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2018/01/30/va-reopens-id-card-applications-after-a-two-month-pause/

VFW Disaster Assistance Tops $680,000

VFW swiftly rose to assist service members and veterans affected by string of natural disasters

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (January 26, 2018) – The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is proud to announce that its VFW Unmet Needs program provided a total of $684,000 in disaster assistance grants to help more than 2,050 military and veteran families recover from last year’s string of natural disasters.

The relief funds aided more than 1,063 families after Hurricane Harvey, 925 families after Hurricanes Maria and Irma, and more than 40 families after the California wildfires.

In addition to the monetary support provided by the VFW national organization, many local VFW members quickly joined relief efforts in their own devastated communities. When members of VFW Post 4709 in Conroe, Texas, discovered their Red Cross couldn’t reach several emergency shelters, they prepared and shipped out three meals a day for nearly 2,000 people.

Shortly after Hurricane Maria swept through Puerto Rico, VFW Post 754 Commander Gamalier Rosa departed his hometown of Shutesbury, Mass., for the storm-stricken island armed with Unmet Needs relief funds that purchased several generators to aid local veterans in cleanup efforts and to help restore some power.

Members of Puerto Rico VFW Post 12064 helped distribute water and nearly 1,000 meals to struggling veterans, as well as helped others with debris removal, to receive health care, find temporary housing, and by connecting them with the correct government agencies to help get them back on their feet faster.

“Too many veterans still don’t have access to power or water,” said Post 12064 Senior Vice Commander Jose Santos-Alvarez. “It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, if we see you and you need help, we’re going to help,” he said of the Post’s dedication in their neighborhoods and communities.

The VFW projects that by the end of its fiscal year, nearly 2,400 grants will be distributed, surpassing $786,000 in disaster aid.

The VFW’s most recent assistance continues a long-standing commitment to supporting veterans, service members and their families in the wake of natural disasters. In 2012, the VFW provided more than $120,000 for Hurricane Sandy victims on the East Coast, distributed over $60,000 in 2013 for Moore, Okla., tornado and Colorado flood relief, and in 2016 provided $25,000 to Louisiana for flood relief.

“The VFW is extremely proud of the fact we can provide a lifeline for so many military and veteran families, especially during an already trying time in their lives,” said VFW National Commander Keith Harman. “This program really showcases what we do, and have always done to support America’s service members.”

ABOUT THE VFW: The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is the nation’s largest and oldest major war veterans’ organization. Founded in 1899 and chartered by Congress in 1936, the VFW is comprised entirely of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, Guard and Reserve forces. With nearly 1.7 million VFW and Auxiliary members located in nearly 6,400 Posts worldwide, the nonprofit veterans’ service organization is proud to proclaim “NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS” than the VFW, which is dedicated to veterans’ service, legislative advocacy, and military and community service programs. For more information or to join, visit our website at www.vfw.org.

VFW Contact: Randi Law, Communications Manager rlaw@vfw.org.

Post Work Party – Cleaning the facilities

Date:              February 25^th, 2018  –  Sunday

Time:              9:00am (that’s 0900)

Details:          Work will include moving all the furniture out of the area, sweeping down the floors, mopping down the floors, drying them (A couple of big fans would be nice if anyone has them?), and finally waxing and polishing them with a floor buffer I will rent and have at the center.

So, come on out and enjoy a work party with your Post Comrades.

Our first event of the new year!

WA State Patriotic Day. Sign up sheet is online.

https://www.tacomachamber.org/events/details/washington-state-patriotic-day-2018-9978

Here are the home games scheduled to see the Cheerleaders use our VFW Post 6785 sponsored pyramid blocks.

Sept 22, 2017

October 6, 2017

Oct 13, 2017

https://sites.google.com/auburn.wednet.edu/amhsfootball/home

Call out to volunteers who would like to support
The Fall Puget Sound Honor Flight events

Departure:
Date: Saturday September 23
Time: 5:30 am meet at the USO or at door 25 on ticketing level, across from Alaska Airlines check in.

Event: Puget Sound Honor Flight is sending Veterans who served in WW II, Korean War, and now Vietnam, to Washington DC to see all the memorials along with their guardians/volunteers.

What we do: USO volunteers meet and greet the vets curbside, on the departure deck, hold up signs out at the curb, then escort the veteran to the Alaska Airlines check in point which is right inside Door 25.  We also ‘troll’ for vets inside the airport, as sometimes they do get lost trying to find the correct ticket counter.

The veteran participants are supposed to check in no later than 0700 am.
If you want to go thru security to help escort them to the departure gate: remember to bring your picture ID so Alaska Air can give you a pass to get to the gate.

Pretty awesome experience to be part of the departure from the gate.
Scheduled departure to Baltimore, per my info, is 0955 am.

Return:
Date: Monday September
Time: 6:00 pm: be at the USO to help with set up in the atrium about 7:00 pm: be at the USO for to pick up a flag or two , if you only want to do the welcome home ceremony.
Event: Puget Sound Honor Flight return of all those who left on Saturday morning.
What we do: 6 pm Set up consists of carting tables, chairs, our big military flags, any PSHF gear they left on Saturday down to the atrium (baggage claim level) and set it up however they want it.
We will also provide our carts for PSHF to unload their gear curbside, under skybridge 1, and get it to the atrium.

Then we wait for the arrival of the flight from Dulles,(this time ETA 8:30 pm.
Flexibility is a good quality to have.

The flight can be anywhere from 45 minutes early to 1 hour late.
About ½ hour after landing, vets will come thru the airport on their way to the welcome home celebration in the atrium.
We are ‘way pointers’, flag waver, greeters . . . all the way to the atrium.

Of special note: all parking passes will be issued at the END of the event, NOT in advance.

Nicolas Hanis and his parents, 2d place Washington State VFW Scout of the Year.

Post Scout chair, Scott Eliason, Scout team member, Alan B’Hymer, and Post commander, Craig Dougherty. Good luck at BYU Idaho, Nick.

As mentioned by the Ben Cummins, the District 3 commander at our meeting last night, all the video from the VFW National Convention is available online for your viewing pleasure.
Here is a quick link to the Videos.

https://www.vfw.org/convention