POST & AUXILIARY MEETINGS

3RD Thursday both 7 p.m.

Benson VFW Post 2503 MARCH 2018

www.VFWPost2503.org

POST 2503 OFFICERS 2017-2018

Commander: Ricky Johnson Sr. Vice Commander: Duke Humphrey

Jr. Vice Commander: Ross Winn Quartermaster: Ryan Sudbeck

Chaplain: Dennis Kerr Surgeon: Terrence White

Judge Advocate: Tom Penke Officer of the Day: Bill Fead

Adjutant: Tom Penke Guard: Ron Karm

Service Officer: Robert Brown

AUXILIARY OFFICERS 2017-2018

President: Lynn Krause

Sr. Vice President: Pat Dembowski

Jr. Vice President: Judy Erb

Treasurer: Sue Stark

Secretary: Pat Dembowski

Chaplain: Nora Van Cleave

Conductress: Jan Brown

Guard: Linda Humphrey

Patriotic Instructor: Geri Brown

From the Commander Greetings!

Thanks to new VFW Post 2503 member Larry Quillian for volun-teering to urge our members to renew their memberships. Because of Larry’s work, the Post numbers are way up. And another month of BIG thanks goes to Linda Humphrey and her crew of volunteers to make the Post 2503 kitchen successful every week. Still, more volunteers are needed. However, the Post is in need of a new Kitchen Manager. Call Tom Penke at 402-330-6860 for more information if you are interested. Hours and pay are negotiable. Volunteers are needed for the Post Visitation Team. Hospitalized Vets appreciate the visits. Contact Tim Ross at 402-391-2292. Additionally, please report your volun-teer hours from church or community service to Tim Ross at the phone number above. Everyone be sure to mail in your Maintenance Fund entries for the St. Patrick’s Day drawings for prizes: $200, $100, $75, and more. Calling all Post 2503 Members: April is Post clean-up month. Information regarding Date and Time will be forthcoming. Finally, it is my wish that all of you have a very Happy St. Patrick’s Day by attending all the activities here at VFW Post 2503!

Ricky L. Johnson, Post Commander

Honor Guard Meeting

2nd Thursday every month

7:00 pm

From the Auxiliary President

Hello Auxiliary Members

The weatherman says Spring is just around the corner;

boy I sure hope so. I don’t know about you but I am

ready for it.

With that thought in mind, elections of Officers are

also just around the corner. The Auxiliary has elec-

tions of Officers in April. Currently our membership

is at 97.34 %. That means that the majority of mem-

bers have paid their dues. With that information, we

need members to come not only to meetings, but also

to step up and take an office. If we do not have offic-

ers for the ensuing year, the Auxiliary will have to

fold. That means 97.34% will no longer have an Aux-

iliary, but those members who have paid their dues

will lose their memberships in Auxiliary 2503 and

possibly have to transfer to another Auxiliary or

become Members at Large. Our Auxiliary is the

largest in Nebraska and eighth in the Nation.

—continued on page 3—

ANNOUNCEMENT: Please place any paper

suggestions or articles for the Post News-

letter in the Post Newsletter Box on the

south wall on the canteen bar-top or in the

Suggestion Box by the front door.

For those with email access, please email

suggestions or ideas to the Newsletter Editor at

leighf@cox.net

SEWING LADIES The VFW Post 2503 Sewing Ladies always welcome new members to

create items to be distributed to the Eastern Nebraska Veterans

Home, the VA Hospital, Lutheran Family Service, and other nursing

homes and hospitals.

Assistance is welcomed for various sewing projects:

Lap Robes, Bibs, Fleece Cancer Hats, and Neck pillows.

Donations of cotton cloth materials are appreciated as

well as financial assistance to support the purchase of

needed sewing materials.

Please contact Nora Van Cleve at 402-571-5213 to join in

on the fun. It really is!

ADDRESS or EMAIL CHANGE LATELY?

If so, please send the new information to VFW

by letter to Post 2503 or by email to editor at

leighf@cox.net

Titled Attn: Post Membership or

Attn: Auxiliary Membership.

Please provide full name and new address and new email.

TACO THURSDAY

is March 8th

5:30 PM

STILL ONLY $2.50

PER TACO

What a steal

for a meal!

AMVETS is looking for new

members. To join, please contact Commander Beverly

Butcher at 402-250-2159

Thank you to all the dedicated Honor

Guard members for their participation.

We are still looking for more members

for the Honor Guard.

All Post members should be signed up

with the VA. This is a benefit we have all

earned.

If you need information on how to sign

up, ask one of the Honor Guard mem-

bers. We will help you.

Thank You for your service.

Ricky Johnson

Honor Guard Captain

HONOR GUARD

TAKE THE NEXT STEP

UP YOUR LADDER OF

COMMITMENT

JOIN THE

HONOR GUARD

Call Tom Penke

at 402-330-6860

Remember VFW Post 2503

In your will

ANNOUNCEMENT from the PICKLE COMMITTEE:

Whenever you’re at the Post, please support the Post

by dropping a dollar into the

PICKLE MACHINE.

NOT ONLY can you win $500,

BUT more importantly, you can

provide income for the Post’s

maintenance and projects.

WANTED

Dark colored (black or blue)

stocking caps for the homeless

and veterans in need.

If you crochet, get those fingers working!

Goal? 100 stocking caps!

Call Connie for information

at 402-391-2292

PIES and

CAKES and

BARS

ARE NEEDED TO BE

CUT UP AND SOLD BY THE PIECE

for the Auxiliary’s

St. Patrick’s Day Bake Sale at the Post.

Please drop off your baked goods at the Post

either on Friday, March 16, from 4 to 6 pm, or

on Saturday, March 17, from 9 to 11 am. If baking is not your specialty, please support the Auxiliary

with your cash donations. Your past and present generosity

has been and continues to be greatly appreciated.

From the Auxiliary President —continued from page 1—

We as members of Zeta Anderson have worked so

hard throughout the years fighting for Our Veterans’

rights and supporting them. As I have said before,

these Veterans when called upon to fight for us and

our country did so. Just as we took an oath when we

became members, they took an oath to defend our

country and us, so we may live free. So now it is our

turn to fight for them, let’s not let them down now.

Again I would like to remind Auxiliary chairmen that April 1st is fast approaching, so send in your reports to your Department chairmen. Please make sure your reports are sent in; let the Department chairmen know what you have accomplished this year. In closing please think about elections and what I have said. Lynn Krause

President Zeta Anderson Auxiliary

BUTTS BUTTS BUTTS

BUTTS BUTTS

PLEASE help keep

the Post grounds

clean!

Put your cigarette butts in the cans,

not on the sidewalk or parking lot.

Thank You

The Post will be serving a

corned beef dinner with

cabbage, buttered parslied

potatoes, carrots and rye

bread. Also, a corned-beef

sandwich with pickles and chips is available.

Food service begins at 11 am and ends at 7 pm.

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED TO COOK, SERVE,

AND CLEAN UP: A sign-up sheet is at the canteen

or call Linda at 402-571-4178. Any amount of time to

volunteer will be helpful.

YOU CAN HELP MAKE THIS ST. PATRICK’S DAY

AT THE POST A SUCCESS!

AUXILIARY NEWS

Your Auxiliary has been very busy over the past few

months. We put together 25 bags filled with a variety of

items for the Stand Down. We gave money to Javelan

towards buying a service dog for a Veteran. This is a

wonderful project and a great benefit to Veterans in need

with problems, such as PTSD. We adopted a Veteran at

ENVH for Christmas, buying him Christmas presents

from his list. Four auxiliary members and one post mem-

ber took stuffed animals to the children at the Respite

Center We gave the Post money to help with the painting

of the airplane. A red, white, and blue quilt, donated by

the Sewing Ladies, was given to Post member Bob Po-

dany for his bed at Christmas. He now lives at New Cas-

sel. Two Auxiliary members took stuffed animals to the

children at the Respite Center. Geri donated Renuzit

Bears to the ladies at ENVH. And Geri and Linda made

up Valentine’s Bags for the ladies at ENVH.

With less than 15 members attending meetings, it is with

THANKS to those few who do so much for our Veterans.

Please attend a meeting and see just what you can do to

help. One night a month is not asking much of you.

And you’ll sleep better at night just knowing you have

helped a Veteran in need.

CHAMPIONSHIPS AREN’T WON WITHOUT

TEAM EFFORT

Since 1899, the VFW has been serving members and the

community with an outstanding team of unselfish people.

Many of you are aware that VFW Post 2503 needs more

members.

The best place to look for new members is among our cur-

rent members. Maybe you have a family member, a neigh-

bor, a friend, a fellow church member, or co-worker you

should ask to visit VFW Post 2503 and see what we do.

Or at least direct him or her to our website to see all we do.

Team work wins championships. The beauty of our roster

is not limited to how many can join our team. The job

ahead has not diminished in spite of our many success

stories. Please take the time to call upon someone to join

VFW Post 2503.

—submitted by new member Larry Quillian—

ATTENTION! ST. PATRICK’S DAY RAFFLE:

TWO BEAUTIFUL AFGHANS FROM THE

SEWING LADIES WILL BE RAFFLED BY THE

AUXILIARY.

AND PLEASE SUPPORT THE AUXILIARY BAKE SALE

WHILE ENJOYING YOUR CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE

The Irish gave the bagpipes to the Scotts as a joke, but the Scotts

haven't seen the joke yet. —Oliver Herford

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AUXILIARY MEMBERS!

If you have any news regarding an Auxiliary

member’s illness or death, please notify the

Auxiliary Chaplain, Nora Van Cleave at

402-571-5213 OR Lynn Krause at 402-553-7562.

From the Post Chaplain

There is this one really great guy, Cork Jacobs, who attends

church with me. He is a member of the honor guard at the

American Legion. Along the way while he served in the 82nd

Airborne, he gained a strong affinity for all our service mem-

bers.

Each Sunday, you can absolutely count on him to mention our

troops, and those missing action during the open prayer section

of our worship. Time passes, and we all get older. And while

he was in a hospital, or recovering from a knee injury, he

couldn't attend church.

And whenever he wasn't there, it felt like there was something

missing. Sometimes, someone in the church will bring him up

in prayer, or simply repeat the same thing he says, but it doesn't

quite satisfy. And then, it hit me. There is this thing we say in

our VFW meeting!

"Each evening the children of our comrades, at the VFW Na-

tional Home, kneel at their bedsides in reverent prayer to al-

mighty God. Let us join them in their prayers."

So I just took it, like it was my own idea, and said, "Our friend

Cork is home recovering from knee surgery, let us pray for the

troops along with him." The reason it works so well is - we all

know that is exactly what he would say. Because we know him.

It reminds me of that line, from the theme song of a sitcom

called, Cheers. The song says, "you wanna be where every-

body knows your name".

Our little VFW on the prairie is a little bit of both. It's that can-

teen we meet at, and the place we pray for each other, where

everybody knows your name. And I don't know of any other

place exactly quite like that.

In faith

Dennis Kerr

The Post is in need of a new Kitchen Manager. See Tom

Penke for more information if you are interested

at 402-330-6860

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Non-Profit Org

U.S. Postage

PAID

Permit #610

V.F.W. Post 2503

8904 Military Road

Omaha, NE 68134

NOTICE:

All articles should be in the Newsletter Box, IN WRITING, at the Post no later than March 21st, for the April newsletter. If articles are not submitted by the deadline, they will have to wait for the next newsletter. Thank you.

From Your Honor Guard Captain Ricky Johnson

MILITARY RITES: January, 2018 Military Members Deceased Cemetery # Hours 01/08/2018 Paul Stovral Omaha National 8 24

01/10/2018 Donald Nelson Mount Hope 10 30 01/12/2018 William Kendall Crosby 9 27 01/16/2018 Anthony Premo Omaha National 11 33 01/17/2018 David Jackson Mount Hope 7 21

01/19/2018 Jerry Jilek Forest Lawn 8 24 01/20/2018 Charles McDonnell Hillcrest 7 21 01/23/2018 Lewis Sutton Mount Hope 9 27 01/24/2018 James Grigsby Omaha National 8 24

01/26/2018 Darrell Phillips Omaha National 8 24 01/29/2018 Steven Applegate Forest Lawn 8 24

*Post Member Month Total: 11 Funerals, 89 Member Participation, 279 Hours

CANTEEN HOURS

Monday Closed

Tuesday thru Thursday 4:00 pm—10:00 pm

Friday 4:00 pm—10:00 pm

Saturday Noon—10:00 pm

Sunday Noon—8:00 pm

Name_____________________________________________

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

The Post is selling Memorial Bricks around the memorial walk and flag.

Memorial Bricks are being sold by Post 2503 to be

put around the outside 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 spaces per line, 3 lines, and cost $60.00 per brick.

SEE INSIDE FOR:

ST. PATRICK’S DAY Bake Sale

Afghan Raffle

ROOM RENTALS Please keep in mind that the Post is available for your meeting/party plans, Monday through Friday during the day. Contact Geri Brown at 402-943-9067 to reserve your date. Spread the word to your friends and family. The Post looks great decorated for weddings, birthdays, and graduation parties, too.

OCCP sponsored ALL YOU CAN EAT!

CHILI FEED & HOT DOGS, TOO!

at VFW POST 2503

MARCH 4th, 2018

11:00 am to 3:00 pm

$7 for Adults

—Kids under 12 just $3

□

Please check the square above to confirm If you wish to contribute, please complete a form

that you wish to enter your name in the for each donation. Suggested donation is $5.

drawing but do not wish to make a

donation at this time. Please complete the NAME: ________________________________

following to enter your name without a

contribution. ADDRESS: _____________________________

NAME: ______________________________ CITY: _________________________________

ADDRESS: ___________________________ STATE/ZIP: _________ PHONE: ___________

STATE/ZIP: _________ PHONE: _________ AMOUNT OF DONATION: _______________

Please return this entire page to arrive at: If you wish to contribute, please complete a form

for each donation. Suggested donation is $5.

Benson VFW Post 2503 NAME: ________________________________

ATTN: Quartermaster

8904 Military Road ADDRESS: _____________________________

Omaha, NE, 68134

CITY: _________________________________

By March 14, 2018

STATE/ZIP: _________ PHONE: ___________

Ryan Sudbeck

Benson VFW Post 2503 AMOUNT OF DONATION: _______________

If you wish to contribute, please complete a form If you wish to contribute, please complete a form

for each donation. Suggested donation is $5. for each donation. Suggested donation is $5.

NAME: ________________________________ NAME: ________________________________

ADDRESS: _____________________________ ADDRESS: _____________________________

CITY: _________________________________ CITY: _________________________________

STATE/ZIP: _________ PHONE: ___________ STATE/ZIP: _________ PHONE: ___________

AMOUNT OF DONATION: _______________ AMOUNT OF DONATION: _______________