April is election month for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. We will elect our Post officers and trustees for the coming year at our monthly meeting on April 18 at 6 p.m. All members are encouraged to attend; a pizza dinner will be provided.
May will be a busy month for us at the Landry-Sic Post 9544; we are preparing to decorate each of the nearly seven hundred veterans’ graves in Suffield cemeteries with new flags and fresh geraniums grown by the Suffield Regional Agriscience Program. This is truly a community effort led by our Service Officer Jim Hunter.
A Suffield native, Jim was an infantry soldier serving a one-year tour of duty in Vietnam as a member of the famed 1st Cavalry Division, United States Army. He returned home from the war and raised two sons and had a successful thirty-year career with Milton-Bradley. Jim joined Post 9544 in 1969 and has held nearly every elected and appointed position at the Post; to include multiple terms as commander, senior vice commander, junior vice commander, and quartermaster numerous times, as well as commander of the 3rd District here in Connecticut.
This year will mark fifty-five years of membership for Jim. He is a devoted advocate for veterans and has worked tirelessly to sustain the Landry-Sic Post 9544 through many lean times. Currently serving as a Trustee and our Service Officer, Jim leads the annual effort to place flags and flowers on the graves of every veteran in Suffield cemeteries to honor their service and sacrifice to our great nation. If you want to join Jim and other veterans and be a part of this noble endeavor; please stop by the Post or call or text Jim at 860-818-2026.
The Memorial Day Parade will be on May 27 this year. Each year the number of veterans marching in the town’s Memorial Day parade dwindles. Those of us marching past the crowds along the parade route see many of the familiar blue ball caps with the gold stitching worn by veterans identifying their war service, and branch of service.
Any and all veterans are welcome and encouraged to join the ranks to march or ride in a classic car in the parade. Any veteran wanting to be a part of the parade to honor our brothers and sisters who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation’s safety and security and for the cause of freedom around the globe, please call the Post (860-758-5174) or send an email to suffieldvfw9544@gmail.com.
Following the ceremony at the Veterans War Memorial, the Post will host a reception with light snacks, sandwiches and beverages; all are welcome to attend.
As a reminder to high school students, the May 1 deadline for the VFW Post 9544 Scholarship Essay Contest is fast approaching. Applications and the hand-written essays should be submitted to the Post by May 1. Applications can be picked up at the Post, or requested by email to: suffield vfw9544@gmail.com
If you know of a veteran in need; please call or email the Post.