Post 7327, Springfield, Virginia Volume 14-12 By Post Commander Joe “Hoss” Byrnes SERVING VETERANS, THEIR FAMILIES and the COMMUNITY December 2015 Our Business is Taking Care of Veterans The Camaraderie Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States Greetings from the Commander’s Office. It has been a really busy month and there is much to report. November was fun! That is the best way I can explain it. We en- joyed joining the Springfield Amer- ican Legion Post 176 for their An- nual Veterans Day Service. I’d like to congratulate the Young Marines on the formation of their new unit at the Legion and the great job they did as the color guard for the event. If you know of any children who are looking to join them, feel free to drop me a note. Chaplin Yancey’s perfor- mance was outstanding. I promise next year we will have the words of all of the service songs (at least the Navy). I would also like to thank Comrades Kelch and Lobrecht for sharing how to best take advantage of the multiple free and discounted opportunities available on Veterans Day. If you do not take advantage of at least one of them, you are miss- ing out. We had our second Commander’s Call at the Post on November 14th. I have to say that was a lot of pasta. For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, please contact me and make sure your email is updated. We are having monthly functions at the Post for our members and the local veterans. The most recent one was our Spaghetti Social, which included great fun, food, and foot- ball. The next event will be on December 12. We are host- ing the 116th Annual Meeting of the ARMY Cadets & NAVY Midshipmen, please stop by for some food and drink, kickoff is at 1500. We had a few other activities at the Post this past month. The same day of the social we had about eight members from the Post and Auxiliary update their CPR and AED cer- tification. This training was to educate our members on the proper way to preform CPR and how to use the defibrillator at the Post. It is my understanding that it will be installed (Continued on page 2) Busy Serving Veterans and Our Community in November Buddy Poppy Distribution Joint Veterans Day Service Adopt-A-Family Thanksgiving Baskets See page 7 for more pictures.
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Post 7327, Spr ingf ie ld , Virginia
Volume 14-12
By Post Commander Joe “Hoss” Byrnes
SERVING VETERANS, THEIR FAMILIES and the COMMUNITY
December 2015
Our Business is Taking Care of Veterans
The Camaraderie
Veterans of Fore ign Wars of the United States
Greetings from the Commander’s
Office. It has been a really busy
month and there is much to report.
November was fun! That is the
best way I can explain it. We en-
joyed joining the Springfield Amer-
ican Legion Post 176 for their An-
nual Veterans Day Service. I’d like to congratulate the
Young Marines on the formation of their new unit at the
Legion and the great job they did as the color guard for the
event. If you know of any children who are looking to join
them, feel free to drop me a note. Chaplin Yancey’s perfor-
mance was outstanding. I promise next year we will have
the words of all of the service songs (at least the Navy). I
would also like to thank Comrades Kelch and Lobrecht for
sharing how to best take advantage of the multiple free and
discounted opportunities available on Veterans Day. If you
do not take advantage of at least one of them, you are miss-
ing out.
We had our second Commander’s Call at the Post on
November 14th. I have to say that was a lot of pasta. For
those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about,
please contact me and make sure your email is updated. We
are having monthly functions at the Post for our members
and the local veterans. The most recent one was our
Spaghetti Social, which included great fun, food, and foot-
ball. The next event will be on December 12. We are host-
ing the 116th Annual Meeting of the ARMY Cadets &
NAVY Midshipmen, please stop by for some food and
drink, kickoff is at 1500.
We had a few other activities at the Post this past month.
The same day of the social we had about eight members
from the Post and Auxiliary update their CPR and AED cer-
tification. This training was to educate our members on the
proper way to preform CPR and how to use the defibrillator
at the Post. It is my understanding that it will be installed
(Continued on page 2)
Busy Serving Veterans and
Our Community in November
Buddy Poppy Distribution
Joint Veterans Day Service
Adopt-A-Family Thanksgiving Baskets
See page 7 for more pictures.
Page 2
The Camaraderie
Commander’s Commentary—continued from page 1
just inside the canteen, across from our meeting room. The next function was the packing of the Adopt-A-
Family food boxes. The Auxiliary and a few comrades were in late Wednesday night filling containers for
about twenty needy families. I want to thank everyone one on the joint committee for all of their time, espe-
cially Linda Bond and Marcia Lohr for co-chairing. The boxes were delivered on Saturday the 21st in time for
them to enjoy a pretty good sized Thanksgiving dinner. These same twenty families will be getting Christmas
dinner and the seventy or so children will be getting gifts from our Angel Tree on Dec 19. Please be sure to
have your wrapped gift to the Post by December 5th. I would also like to thank District Commander Kelch for
holding his 10th District School of Instruction on the 21st as well. It is nice to see other Post members’ visit
and see all of the recent upgrades to our Post Home.
Now on to the house keeping section of this article- I am happy to say that our Americanism programs were
a rounding success this year in that our “Voice of Democracy” entry won first place for District 10 and the
“Patriot’s Pen” programs submittals were well over one-hundred. The Americanism committee of Gary Kelch
VFW Members, Family, and Friends Buy, Sell, or Lease a home with me, Alice Gehl and 10% of my proceeds from each completed transaction will be donated to the building fund at VFW Post 7327.
I am a Life Member of Post 7327 Auxiliary.
Alice E. Gehl, Realtor, Weichert, Realtors, Burke Office Email: [email protected] Cell: 571-426-4073
Licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia
December 2015
Page 5
Service Officer's Corner Francis W. Konieczny, Post Service Officer
Cleaning Up Wreaths Across America (WAA) at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC)
We will need your help at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) to pick up the wreaths that will be laid
against the tombstones on 12 December 2015. The scheduled clean-up date has been designated as January
23, 2016. There is no snow/rain alternative. This is the only date. Rain, Snow or Sleet.
As of this time, this is the information we have:
ANC administration encourages the use of METRO (Blue Line Station / Arlington National Ceme-
tery). There's no general parking at the cemetery. Please be advised that only vehicles with Permanent ANC
Family Gravesite Passes and those with valid Handicap Permits will be allowed vehicle entry through the
Welcome Center Entrance and may park in the ANC Welcome Center Parking Lot (0800-1500).
Pedestrian gates will open at 0800 and are located as follows: Clockwise from the North, the Ord-Weitzel
Gate (near the Iwo Jima Memorial and Rosslyn Metro); the Main Cemetery and the Welcome Center Gates
(nearest Arlington Cemetery Metro); the South Maintenance Complex Gate (nearest Pentagon and Pentagon
City Metro), and the Fort Myer Old Post Chapel Gate.
This is a family oriented event and we encourage families of all ages to participate.
There is no formal sign-up or registration required. Just show up at the designated time and place.
At 0830, there will be a short Volunteer Instructional Briefing at the McClellan Arch Gate located just off
Eisenhower Drive between Section 33 and 12, on McClellan Drive. Wreath clean-up will start at approxi-
mately 0845.
Volunteers are asked to pick up ONLY those WAA wreaths placed in December leaving
any other wreaths or decorations in place. There will be dumpsters placed throughout the cemetery to dispose of the wreaths. We have a very
limited number of dumpsters available so we ask the volunteers to pack the wreaths as tight as possible in the
dumpsters and to stay available at least until 1:00pm, if possible, to help with any extra wreath disposal need-
ed as some dumpsters will be emptied and brought back to locations to be refilled.
We have found it helpful if you bring a stick, pole, rope, rake or something equivalent to support car-
rying multiple wreaths to the dumpsters. Please dress for the weather and wear gloves and water-proof foot-
wear.
Keep checking on the Wreaths Across America web page at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org and on
the Arlington Wreath’s Facebook pages at www.facebook.com/ArlingtonWreaths and
www.facebook.com/WAAHQ for further details of the clean-up.
If you have any questions, please call Wreaths Across America at 877-385-9504. Thank you for your
continued support!
Page 6
The Camaraderie
Auxiliary Membership News Treasurer Linda Byrnes
Our 2016 membership status-to-date is 153 paid (7 not renewed) against 161 on 6/30…no change
from last month. NOTE: Annual members who are not yet dues-paid for 2016, your 2015 membership card
is valid only through December.
Please be on the lookout for new members…if you know or meet someone who is interested in join-
ing and need a current application form, please contact me or another Membership Committee member
(Linda Bond, Alice Merrill, Valerie Murrell, Diana Regan). General membership information is available at
www.vfwauxiliary.org.
Comrades, Sisters and Brother, Christmas is coming soon! At a loss for a gift idea? An Auxiliary
membership would be a memorable gift in honor of a loved one, and that new member’s honoree might even
be YOU! With one meeting left to elect new members for 100% by December 3l, please ask soonest if
they’ll accept your gift of membership and submit their application.
I welcome your 2016 dues payments and any membership questions at 8209 Terra Grande Avenue,
Springfield, 22153, cell: 703-732-7539.
Nov. 29-Dec. 5 is Winter Preparedness Week Virginia forecast includes colder, wetter winter
Winter will soon be here and that means cold temperatures and the chance of snow and ice.
When inclement weather strikes our area, be sure to remember to “Get Where You Need to Be Before the Weather Gets Bad.”
By staying off the roads, not out in the weather (SNOW) – you will help road crews have a clear path to clean the streets and allow public safety responders the ability to more easily navigate treacherous roads.
Download the Ready Virginia app. Free app for iPhone® and Android™ features:
Location-specific weather watches and warnings issued by the NWS. A customizable family emergency plan that can be eas-ily shared. A checklist for gathering emergency supplies. “I’m Safe!” notification that allows users to quickly send a text message to let family and friends know they are safe.
Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management www.fairfaxcounty.gov/oem
December 2015
Page 7
Buddy Poppy Distribution
November
Commander’s
Call
Pasta Dinner
Web Site:
www.post7327
.org
Post Hours of Operation
Monday / Tuesday – Closed (except for meetings)
Wednesday / Thursday–10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Friday – 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Saturday / Sunday – 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
The Post may be open other than these hours as events require and personnel are available.
Upcoming Events and Activities
December 7—Pearl Harbor Day
December 8—VA Hospital Visit, 6:00pm
December 9—Auxiliary Membership Meeting, 7pm
December 12—Wreaths Across America, Arlington & Alexandria National Cemeteries, 8am
December 12—Commander’s Call, Army-Navy Game, Kickoff 3:00
December 13—National Guard Birthday
December 19—Adopt-A-Family Christmas Party
December 22 —Post General Membership Meeting, 7:30pm
Come early to meetings and join us for drinks and camaraderie!
BINGO - EVERY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY evening beginning at 7:00 pm at