Chippewa VFW Post 1038

Post Offices Held: Chaplain, Jr. Vice, Sr. Vice, Post Cmdr. (for six consecutive years) and since 2009 I have been the Post QM.

District 9 Offices Held: Inspector, Jr. Vice, Sr. Vice and Commander (for four terms) and I am the District 9 Commander again this year as well.

Department Offices Held: State Inspector for six years, membership co-chair, deputy chief of staff and chief of staff.

I have been chairman of various VFW programs at the Post and District level and have been on the Department Finance Committee, Building Committee and several others.

Military Service: Served in the US Navy from 1972 to 1974 and the Navy Reserves from 1974 to 1976.  I was trained as a FTG (Fire Control Technician– Gun) and worked on the MK 56 fire control radar system aboard USS Dubuque LPD-8.

I served in the territorial waters of Vietnam from November 1972 to July 1973 and returned to the US in August 1973.  I was in territorial waters at the end of the Vietnam War and was part of the naval force that swept mines in Hiaphong Harbor, North Vietnam immediately after the end of the war.  I finished my active duty service in Long Beach, CA.

There are many VFW programs that I enjoy being involved with but VFW Buddy Poppy is probably my favorite. I actually enjoy the poppy distribution part at local stores because you can meet all kinds of different people, many of whom are veterans and they will chat for a while about their service. Several times little girls would make a donation and then give me a hug as they thanked me for my service.  Now that made me feel great!

My training in the Navy was in electronics so I thought I might go into television and radio repair work – good thing I didn’t!  Instead, I used up every nickel of my GI Bill benefits and managed to get a college education.  I graduated from UW Madison College of Agriculture in 1979 with a BS Degree in Soil Science and have actually used my college training almost every day since I graduated.

My wife of 42 years has become active in the VFW Auxiliary and now we get to talk shop a lot.  She is President of the Post 1038 Auxiliary and enjoys attending state and national conventions.  So, we have made the VFW part of our family that we share with our two sons and five grand children who all live close by here in the Chippewa Falls area.