benson vfw post 2503n.b5z.net/i/u/10066284/f/vfwfebruary_2016.pdf · benson vfw post 2503 february...
Post on 21-Oct-2020
3 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
-
Benson VFW Post 2503
February 2016 www.VFWPost2503.org
402-571-8397
From the Commander Dear Comrades and Ladies:
As I write this column today on Janu-
ary 8, 2016 our new gutters are final-
ly going up. I would like to update
you on an important project. This
project is chaired by Jay Donoho and
it is a project to refurbish the F-84F
Thunderstreak that overlooks the
parking lot. The plane although it is
located at VFW Post 2503 it actually
belongs to the National Museum of
the United States Air Force in Day-
ton, Ohio. We sign a yearly lease
with the museum and with that comes
the responsibility to properly main-
tain the aircraft. Its book value is
$10,000.
Jay is heading up a fundraising effort
with the Omaha Community called
“Saving A Piece of History” to refur-
bish the aircraft so that it meets Air
Force standards.
Borrowing from Jay’s outstanding
flyer “The F-84F Thunderstreak
fighter-bomber, one of which watch-
es over VFW Post 2503 in Omaha,
Nebraska, entered service with the
US Air Force in 1955. It’s most im-
portant mission, had war occurred,
would have been to make nuclear
strikes against targets in Eastern Eu-
rope. Such attacks would have been
(Continued on page 3)
From the Auxiliary
President Membership: Whose job is it?
This is a story about unit mem-
bers Everybody, Somebody, Any-
body and Nobody.
Membership is an important job
to be done and Everybody is sure
Somebody will do it. Anybody
can do it, but Nobody did it.
Somebody got angry about that
because it is Everybody’s job.
Everybody thought Anybody
would do it, but Nobody realized
that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It
ended up that Everybody blamed
Somebody when Nobody did what
Anybody could have done. Which
“Body” will you be this year?
If you haven’t paid your annual
dues or paid your $7.00 cancer dues
if you are a lifetime member please
try and get them in. The Auxiliary
needs your membership to support
our programs for Veterans and their
families.
Send your dues to Auxiliary Treas-
urer (Ruth Gerst) at 8904 Military
Road, Omaha, NE 68134. If you
have any questions, please contact
me at 402-681-0687.
(Continued on page 3)
POST 2503 OFFICERS 2015-2016 Commander: Fred Van Peer
Sr. Vice Commander: Wayne ‘Tony ‘ Cox Jr. Vice Commander: Sharon Cooper
Quartermaster: Dan Raabe Chaplain: Dennis Kerr
Surgeon: Terrence White Judge Advocate: Randall McQueeney
Officer of the Day: Randall McQuenney Adjutant: Chuck Wolf
Guard: Bill Fead Service Officer: Robert Brown
AUXILIARY OFFICERS 2015-2016
President: Kathy ‘Tiger’ Thielen
Sr. Vice President: Karen Cox
Jr. Vice President: Shirley Duis
Treasurer: Ruth Gerst
Secretary: Pat Dembowski
Chaplain: Marcia Jones
Conductress: Jan Davis
Guard: Kathy Raabe
Patriotic Instructor: Pending
Post and Auxiliary
Meetings
1st Thursday
every month
7:00 pm
Honor Guard
Meeting
2nd Thursday
every month
7:00 pm
Voice of Democracy and
Patriots Pen Awards
4 February prior to Post
and Auxiliary Meetings
Thirsty Thursdays
& Tacos
February 11th
5-7pm
Post Breakfast
February 21st
0830—Noon
Basket Night
February 26th
5:30—7:00 pm
Please make sure you submit all
information to the newsletter
box or e-mail to the editor prior
to the suspense date on the back
page or it will not be included.
-
2
POST BREAKFAST
February 21st
0830—Noon
Chaplain’s Message
Back next month.
Dennis Kerr, Chaplain
Honor Guard Thank you to our Honor Guard for
your continuing service to the Post
and our Veterans. No one can say
that you are not dedicated when they
see you out in the recent weather.
CPT Tony ‘Chief’
Auxiliary Chaplain’s News Auxiliary Sisters: Please inform
Auxiliary Chaplain Marcia Jones 402
-926-2648 of any ill or deceased
Auxiliary member.
Marcia Jones
NOTICE I brought a box with my Dad’s WWII
items to the Post a couple of years ago,
and they seem to be missing from there.
They include: a scrapbook, newspapers,
letters to his mother, ration tickets, pho-
tos taken in, I think, France. My own
items were a flag and certificate flown in
a helicopter in Afghanistan. This certifi-
cate gave the mission and specifics on
which helicopter it was flown on and was
signed by the Commander, and a post
card signed by the Troop that we adopted
and sent care packages to. There was
also a pledge coin from the Navy with
money from Hussain’s era, and another
certificate from our adopted Troop.
Please respond if you know where these
items have gone..
Lindy Devereaux
A big thanks to everyone for support-
ing our 9th Annual VFW Craft Show.
We had many people helping to make
It is time ag
ain fo
r the an
nual sale o
f the V
eterans o
f Foreig
n W
ars Bu
dd
y P
op
pies. A
lthou
gh
you m
ay n
ot b
e able to
help
with
the sale o
f Buddy P
opp
ies, we are su
re yo
u w
ould
like to
con
-
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:
__________________________________________
___
___
___
___
___
____
__
_____
__
___
_
Your N
ame: _
_____________________________
____
__
__
___
__
__
__
__
__
_____
__
__
__
_
Telephone N
um
ber_
________________________
____
Mem
orial? Y
es___ N
o___
Than
k y
ou
for y
ou
r warm
and
gen
erou
s do
natio
n, V
FW
Post 2
503 B
udd
y P
oppy C
hairm
an
the show a success, from setting up, to
cleaning up, to working and donating
to the bake sale and raffle tables. And
of course all the crafters and custom-
ers. Thank you to the Post members
who helped in so many ways and to
the Scouts who helped all day long.
Also a BIG Thank You to Luanne
Rosso and Lodine Christiansen for
running the show. They did an out-
standing job!
Linda Humphrey
If you have something to put in the newslet-
ter, please submit before the suspense on the
back page. I have received several notes in
the newsletter box about Bob Fields after
the suspense date.
Editor
-
3
high speed, low level with little
chance of survival. The aircraft was
well suited for this mission with a
maximum speed of 695 mph at an
altitude of 46,000 feet and a combat
range of 2,410 miles with four 230-
gallon drop tanks. Depending upon
the selected target it could deliver
8,000 pounds of rockets, napalm,
bombs (including nuclear) or use its
six .50 caliber machine guns.”
“The USAF transferred all F-84F’s to
the Air National Guard in 1965 but 12
European countries were using them
well into the 1980’s. This Thunder-
streak, tail number 52-6385, was as-
signed to the 48th Fighter-Bomber
Wing in England in 1957. In 1964, it
was transferred to the Maryland Air
National Guard, retired, from service
in 1970, and placed on permanent
display in Omaha in 1971. The cost of
the aircraft when built was $769,000”.
We will keep you advised about the
progress of our fund raising efforts.
As always, again, I and the Post lead-
ership thank you for your support.
Fred Van Peer, Post Commander
(Continued from page 1)
If you would like to attend the Aux-
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 7:00pm.
Please don’t hesitate to call me or
let another Auxiliary member know.
The Auxiliary would value and ap-
preciate your participation.
If you have ideas on fundraisers or
would like to volunteer we would
appreciate it. Your input does
count.
The ladies sewing group is looking
for any members that may be inter-
ested in coming in on Thursday to
assist in sewing. They do a variety
from pinning to cutting to sewing.
Please contact Nora Van Cleave at
402-571-5213 or come on in on
Thursdays at 1:00pm.
Special thanks to all our members.
You make our Auxiliary shine!
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
Shirley Schaefer, Lowell Ruff and
Herb Hahn. 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
(Continued from page 1) month. A special way to say THANK YOU and HAPPY BIRTH-
DAY! We will celebrate all birth-
days in February on the 24th..
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, February
26. We will be serving Chicken
Wings, Shrimp, Chicken Strips and
Fish Baskets. Drink prices are dis-
counted from 5:00 to 7:00pm.
Also, on February 11, Thirsty
Thursday we will be serving Tacos,
Tortilla chips with salsa or Cinna-
mon Sugar Chips. Breakfast will be
served on Sunday, February 21.
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 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 serving
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
Monthly Craft Day—13 February@
1:30pm. Call Karen Cox@608-387-
9361 or e-mail .
For Kids and Grandkids.
5146 N. 90th St.(1-Block South 90th & Fort)
-
4
highways there is very little speeding
or passing. And I saw no road rage.
Rest areas have not only restrooms,
but many small shops.
The economy appears to be in good
condition. We saw no evide3nce of
poverty or homelessness. There is no
litter o the streets or highways. Recy-
cling is mandatory. There is a $1,000
fine if someone is caught not recy-
cling. There are no more small rice
paddies farmed by individuals. There
are now rice fields planted and har-
vested by machine. Hundreds of
thousands of green houses can be seen
throughout the countryside.
Everything has changed and the only
thing we recognized was the larger
than life statue of General Douglas
MacArthur standing on a high hill in
Incheon looking out over the harbor.
He was there when I arrived in 1960,
and is still there. Except now there is
a large park surrounding him with
trails, benches, picnic tables, a band
stand, and even an exercise area. A
few miles away there is a museum
and park dedicated to the U.N. Forces
who fought the war. An English
speaking guide gave us a tour and
emphasized the Korean’s appreciation
for all those who fought. Wherever
we went I wore my U.S. Army Re-
tired ball cap. It attracted many of the
older generation (mostly men) who
wanted to shake my hand. I felt quite
honored to represent all those who
fought in the war. I have many pic-
tures, which I would like to share with
anyone who may be interested. Just
contact me and we can set a time to
meet.
I agree with Bob P. I now know why
the war was fought and won. I wish
the politicians would have let us do
the same in Vietnam.
Bob Ekdahl
402-496-0688
P.S. I am still making flag star cards.
Contact me if you would like some to
hand out.
AUXILIARY
ANNOUNCEMENTS
We had another off site Girls Night
Out at Canvas and Cabernet for paint-
ing and fun in January. We will
schedule another event in April and
keep you posted. We will schedule
an Adult Coloring Party on a Satur-
day, early afternoon in the next
month or so.
Other ideas for couples nights out are
in the works. Two ideas are: going
to a local Murder Mystery Dinner
Theater (interactive, lots of fun and
going back to the Omaha Community
Playhouse to see Billy McGuigan in
his production of Rave On! (Buddy
Holly music). More info to come!
Absolutely Amazing
Several years ago when Bob Podany
came back from Korea after celebrating
the 50 year anniversary of signing the
Cease Fire between South and North
Korea he said, “When I was there dur-
ing the war, I didn’t know why. But
now I do.” I served three tours of duty
there between January 1960 and No-
vember 1970. When I left, there was
one four lane expressway between In-
cheon and Seoul and another going
South to Pusan. There may have been
20 to 30 high rise buildings in Seoul.
Recently my wife and I spent 3.5 weeks
in Korea. I can sum up the difference
between then and now in two words.
“Absolutely Amazing!!!” Now there
are four to eight lane expressways
crisscrossing the Nation, linking every
major city. Building rising 20 to 60
stories high are as far as you can see in
all directions for at least 50 miles. And
sticking up out of all these building is a
123 story structure that will open next
year. Seoul is now the second most
populated city in the world with over
28.5 million people.
Traffic is thick with cars, busses and trucks, but I only saw the result of one
minor accident. Drivers are very cour-
teous and obey the traffic laws. In the
city when the light turns yellow they
know to stop. Not like our drivers who
step on the accelerator because they
know a red light is coming. On the
FROM THE QUARTERMASTER
Brrrr!! Everything has sort of gone into
hibernation, after Christmas and with
the (finally) cold, wintry weather.
Many of our patrons, regardless of age,
prefer to stay inside instead of coming
up or the lucky ones get to go South.
Just know we miss seeing your smiling
faces and greeting you on a daily basis.
The Gutter Project is completed, but we
still need to watch our steps on the
property. Asphalt is extremely slippery
with any moisture present. We will
gladly escort anyone to their cars any-
time. Be safe out there!
We are stepping up advertising for our
room rentals, offering coupons in the
Valpak for discounts. We are also
advertising for business classes, bridal
showers, baby showers, and birthday
parties. Anything to generate some
good income during this slow time.
Make sure to suggest our venue to
friends and neighbors when they are
looking for a room to rent for their
events.
Dan Raabe, Post Quartermaster
ROOM RENTALS
Please keep in mind for your meeting/
Holiday party plans, that the Post is
available Monday through Friday dur-
ing the day. Contact Geri Brown at 402
-943-9067 to reserve your date. Spread
the word to your friends and family too.
Monthly Craft Day—13 February @
1:30pm. Call Karen Cox @ 608-387-
9361 or e-mail . For
Kids and Grandkids.
-
5
F
eb
rua
ry 2
01
6
3
24
Basket N
igh
t
.
-
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 Basket Night
Post Breakfast
Doo Wop/Hit Squad
Craft Day
Thirsty Thursday
Auxiliary Activities
From Your Honor Guard Captain
Wayne ‘Tony’ Cox
MILITARY RITES: December 2015
Military Members
Deceased Cemetery Members
12/02/15 James Hartung Westlawn 9
12/04/15 Francis Fidone Calvary 8
12/07/15 Willie Jackson Forest Lawn 7
12/11/15 Harold Walker Westlawn 7
12/11/15 James Carrol Westlawn 8
12/12/15 Gerald Davis Westlawn 13
12/15/15 William Watson Westlawn 9
12/16/15 Daniel Collins Heafey Chapel 9
12/16/15 Verion Allen Westlawn 7
12/18/15 Richard Donelan Calvary 6
12/18/15 Daniel Couch Calvary 8
12/22/15 Joseph August Resurrection 8
12/23/15 Duane Hiatt Resurrection 5
12/23/15 Jerry Reynolds Evergreen 5
12/28/15 James Rogers Westlawn 7
12/28/15 Kenneth Schutt Westlawn 7
12/29/15 William Koza Calvary 7
12/30/15 Carl Bortol Heritage Point 4
12/30/15 Carl Pope Heafey Chapel 9
Funerals 19 Members 143 Hours 429
* Post Member
December 2015
Our Unknown Comrades
NOTICE: All articles should be in the Newsletter Box, IN WRIT-ING, at the Post no later than February 6th. If ar ticles are not submitted by the deadline, they will have to wait for the next newslet-ter. We try to have the newsletter to the printers in the week 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—9:00 pm
Friday 3:00 pm—9:00 pm
Saturday Noon—9:00 pm
Sunday Noon—7:00 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.
top related