By: Pat Whitehall
As a guest Tuesday evening at the Lehigh Acres VFW, Post 4174, DAV meeting, I was both impressed and thankful for being there. A complimentary dinner was served first, then the meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. As with any meeting at the VFW, the Chaplain led us in prayer and we pledged allegiance to our flag. Since first grade, I have always gotten goose bumps when reciting this momentous pledge.
We had a special visitor, a young Eagle Scout who has begun a unique community service project. He has a huge respect for Veterans of the Vietnam war and has instituted the program called We Will Remember. There is a card with the name of a Floridian who served in the Vietnam conflict, telling his/her name, birthplace, birth date and the date of ultimate sacrifice. Dog tags are made for the veteran and the card requests the recipient to honor the memory by wearing it, using it as a key chain or keep it where it can be seen.
During the beginning of the meeting, the door was pushed open and a tardy, but much revered person entered. He is a Naval Veteran who served during the Second World War from 1942 to 1945. We are so proud to have him as a member of our DAV and are always amazed at how sharp he still is! And, during the lull before the meeting while enjoying the delicious repast, I was able to talk with a few other Veteran members.
It is always a great learning experience to converse with the different Veterans. So many of them come from different parts of the country and have lived in many places around the world. It is a history as well as geographic lesson that is so much more exciting than what was taught in our schools. While listening to the different tales, one can almost feel as if the experience was actually shared.
Tuesdays are the nights our different factions have their meetings and guests are welcomed, just as they are for any function in the Little Post With The Big Heart. In case you don’t know where we are, the address is 25 S. Homestead Road. The Post is open Sunday through Saturday beginning at 9:00 a.m.
Our members are really special people and it’s always a pleasure to be amongst them. It is heartwarming to see them standing so tall when reciting the Pledge and saluting our flag. The respect they have and commitment to the oath they took many years ago is so evident. Come visit us sometime. You’ll be glad you did!
