Last night a friend (also a Vietnam veteran) and I went to
the Redmond, Washington VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) post. For both of us it was the first time we had
stepped into a veterans oriented facility. I have been a member of the VFW since 2010,
having joined when I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes which was presumably
caused by exposure to Agent Orange while I was in Phu Hiep in 1968-1970. I asked for their help because the VFW offers
service officers who help you navigate the maze of VA bureaucracy when applying
for the benefits that are due us as veterans.
Both the VFW and the Disabled American Veterans were very helpful in
getting special monthly compensation for my two Agent Orange related illnesses.
Anyway, last night we had a great time talking with a few
other vets of our era and even met a 92-year-old World War II sergeant named
John who seemed like he was in his 70s; he heads up the local Troop Support
program with amazing vitality and enthusiasm!
Each month there are volunteers who collect new items at two local Fred
Meyer stores (part of the Kroger chain) and then package them to send to our
troops at the front lines overseas. To
date this particular post (#2995) has sent over 17,500 five pound “care”
packages! I immediately gave John my
card and asked him to count me in! My
friend Steve did the same!
Another thing that the post Commander told us was that they
are actively seeking out our newest veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, a group
that, like us Vietnam guys, has begun to have sometimes fallen through the
cracks (but for very different reasons) since their return to civilian
life. That was a very exciting thing to
hear!
Steve and I plan on making visits to this post and
volunteering a regular part of our retirement routine!
