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POST &
AUXILIARY
MEETINGS
3RD Thursday,
both 7 p.m.
Benson VFW Post 2503 SEPTEMBER 2017 www.VFWPost2503.org
POST 2503 OFFICERS 2017-2018
Commander: Ricky Johnson Sr. Vice Commander: Duke Humphrey
Jr. Vice Commander: Ross Winn Quartermaster: Ryan Sudbeck
Chaplain: Dennis Kerr Surgeon: Terrence White
Judge Advocate: Tom Penke Officer of the Day: Bill Fead
Adjutant: Tom Penke Guard: Ron Karn
AUXILIARY OFFICERS 2017-2018 President: Lynn Krause
Sr. Vice President: Pat Dembowski
Jr. Vice President: Judy Erb
Treasurer: Sue Stark
Secretary: Pat Dembowski
Chaplain: Nora Van Cleave
Conductress: Jan Brown
Guard: Jan Davis
Patriotic Instructor: Geri Brown
From the Commander
Greetings!
August has been a busy month for all our volunteers.
And we are still in need of volunteers to become
Honor Guard members. Any VFW Post 2503 mem-
ber who would like to join the Post Honor and Color
Guard, please contact Tom Penke at 402-330-6860.
Kudos to the Honor Guard for attending the funeral
of Marilyn Podany, wife of fellow Honor Guard
member Bob Podany. The Hamburger Nights on
Wednesdays are still doing well, thanks to the hard
work of the Post’s Volunteer of the Month and new
VFW Post 2503 Kitchen Manager, Linda Humph-
rey, and by the outstanding work of our kitchen
volunteers. Rave reviews are still coming in about
Kathy and Dan Raabe’s Thursday Taco Night.
However, the Post is still in need of kitchen volun-
teers for Hamburger Night and Taco Night. Also a
big THANK YOU goes out to our wonderful Post
2503 Auxiliary membership who purchased the new
ten foot curtain for the kitchen window in the north
dining room. VFW Post 2503 has received three
VFW State Awards for selling poppies, and for par-
ticipation in Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen.
Finally, we are going to see some improvements
around the Post soon. Please sign-up for our
September 30th Post workday at the canteen bar.
And our F-84F Thunderstreak Jet out front is going
to be re-painted and get new decals.
Ricky L. Johnson, Commander
ATTENTION!
Carpenters, Brush Cut-
ters, Painters, and Folks
with just a generous
amount of
Elbow Grease!
Please turn out for
VFW POST 2503
Clean Up Day
Saturday, 10A.M.
September 30th —NO HUSKER GAME—
Honor Guard
Meeting
2nd Thursday
every month
7:00 pm
From the Auxiliary President
Hello Auxiliary Members,
We are getting dues paid, which is great!
We still have some members who have
moved and not given us their new address.
If a member of your family gets the news-
letter via E-mail and you haven’t received
a dues reminder yet—we may not have
your address change. Please let us know
by dropping a note in either the Auxiliary
Treasurer or the President’s box at the Post
with a note on your address change.
Concerning paying dues, our Auxiliary
cannot take debit or charge cards when
paying your dues.
We are again having our annual Craft Fair,
along with a bake sale and a lunch. If you
would like to have a table, drop a note in
the President’s box at the Post, and I will
get the information to the chairpersons.
The date for the Craft Fair is Saturday,
November 18, 2017 from 9 A.M. to 3 P.M.
Contact Geri at 402-943-9067 or Linda
Humphrey at [email protected] for more
information. Lady VFW Members, the
Auxiliary now welcomes your spouses to
join our Auxiliary. We are no longer the
Ladies Auxiliary, but the VFW Auxiliary,
so gentlemen you too can be a member of
this great organization that honors our
Veterans. At our last meeting we had a
guest from an organization called JAVE-
LAN. This organization provides service
dogs enabling life and independence for
Veterans. If you know of a Veteran in
need and like more information, the web-
site is www.javelan.,com., or contact
bob.dean@!javelan.com. To donate or
request a service dog call 402-850-3420.
Lynn Krause President
Zeta Anderson Auxiliary
ACTION
NEEDED!
Volunteers are needed for
the kitchen crews to assist
in the kitchen and the
dining room for a few
hours each month. To volunteer please contact
Tom Penke at
402-330-6860
ANNOUNCEMENT
Please place any paper
suggestions for the
Newsletter in the
Post Newsletter Box on the
south wall on the canteen
bar-top or in the Suggestion Box by the
front door. For those with email access,
please email suggestions to the Newsletter
Editor at
LADIES OF THE AFTERNOON The Post 2503 Sewing Ladies always welcome new members to
create items to be distributed to the Eastern Nebraska Veterans
Home, the VA Hospital, Lutheran Family Service, and other nursing
homes and hospitals.
Assistance is welcomed for various sewing projects: Lap
Robes, Bibs, Fleece Cancer Hats, and Neck pillows.
Donations of cotton cloth materials are appreciated as
well as financial assistance to support the purchase of
needed sewing materials.
Please contact Nora Van Cleve at 402-571-5213 to join
in on the fun. It really is!
ARE FOLDING CHAIRS TAKING UP
NEEDED SPACE IN YOUR HOME?
VFW POST 2503
has the answer to your problem:
DONATE YOUR PROBLEM
FOLDING CHAIRS TO THE POST
It’s easy! Just call Tom Penke
at
402-330-6860
Problem Solved ADDRESS or EMAIL
CHANGE LATELY?
If so, please send the new
information to VFW Post
2503 by letter or email to
editorvfwpost 2503@
gmail.com titled Attn: Post
Membership or Attn:
Auxiliary Membership.
Please provide full name and new address
and new email.
TACO THURSDAY
IS BACK!
NEW RECIPE
STILL ONLY $2.50
PER TACO
September 14
5:30 PM
More from the Auxiliary President
Get ready for
our annual
AUXILIARY
CRAFT
SHOW!
Saturday November 18, 2017
9 A.M. to 3 P.M. For more information please contact
Geri at
402-943-9067
OR
Linda at
Linda Humphrey is the Post 2503
Volunteer of the Month Linda has been volunteering in the
Post Kitchen every Hamburger
Night since February, planning
menus, scheduling the kitchen
crews, cooking the meals, and
cleaning up afterwards. Without all
of her dedication to VFW Post
2503, the Hamburger Nights could
not have come off as well as they
have. Linda is also a lifetime VFW
Auxiliary member. Congratulations
on a job well done.
THOMAS H. PENKE
Attorney at Law
Practice Limited to Estate
Planning and Probate
12020 Shamrock Plaza
Suite 200
Omaha, NE 68154
402-330-6860
Thank you to all the dedicated Honor
Guard members for their participa-
tion. We are still looking for more
members for the Honor Guard.
All Post members should be signed
up with the VA. This is a benefit we
have all earned.
If you need information on how to
sign up, ask one of the Honor Guard
members. We will help you.
Thank You for your service.
Ricky Johnson
Honor Guard Captain
HONOR GUARD
It is time a
gain
for th
e an
nu
al sa
le of th
e Vetera
ns o
f Foreig
n W
ars B
ud
dy P
op
pies. A
lthough y
ou m
ay n
ot b
e able to
help
with
the sale o
f
Budd
y P
oppies, w
e are sure y
ou w
ould
like to
contrib
ute to
this w
orth
y cau
se. Donatio
ns receiv
ed fro
m th
e sale of B
udd
y P
opp
ies are used
to h
elp n
eedy v
eterans an
d th
eir families.
Na
me to
be d
ispla
yed
on
Po
pp
y C
ard
:
__
__
__
__
__
__
__
__
__
__
___
__
__
__
___
__
__
__
__
__
________________________________
Yo
ur N
ame: _
__
__
__
__
___
__
__
__
___
__
__
__
__
__
________________________________
Telep
ho
ne N
um
ber_
__
__
__
__
__
__
___
__
__
__
__
__
___
Mem
orial? Y
es__
_ N
o_
__
Than
k y
ou
for y
ou
r warm
and
gen
erous d
onatio
n, V
FW
Post 2
503 B
uddy P
oppy C
hairm
an
AUXILIARY MEMBERS!
As the Hospital Chairwoman for 2017-2018, I need the following
information by meeting night each month: Volunteer Hours at the
VA Hospital, Non-VA Hospitals, the Open Door Mission, Victory
House, and other places. Dollar Amounts of donated money or
donated items; e.g., store-bought cookies. Please call me prior to
meeting night to provide any of the above information at 402-391-
2292. Or better yet, get involved—ATTEND A MEETING!
Connie Dohse Ross
Hospital Chairwoman
Like to Play Poker?
Post 2503 hosts a group of people, men and
women, who play every Tuesday from
4:30—9:30 pm.
Please call Mary Ryder,
(402) 614-5111 (Cell ) or
(402)-332-6086 (Home)
LABOR DAY
SEPTEMBER
4th
PLEASE FLY YOUR FLAG
AUXILIARY MEMBERS!
If you have any news regarding an Auxiliary
member’s illness or death, please notify the Auxiliary
Chaplain, Nora Van Cleave at 402-571-5213.
Thank you.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP UP YOUR LADDER OF
COMMITMENT. . . . . JOIN THE HONOR GUARD
Call Tom Penke at 402-330-6860
From the Chaplain : Brothers and Sisters, A little over a month ago, I could not attend the meeting
as Chaplain. And I learned that I had better have a few
friends trained up. In case something ever comes up
again, it would be nice to have a backup. With my ran-
dom work schedule, that certainly is possible. If reading
the role of Chaplain feels like something you feel called
to do, please let me know. The reading is not difficult, but
with a little practice, you can make it very nice. A big
Thank You to our friend Brian Vercoe for stepping in!
I think a lot about the post and our mission to serve veter-
ans. One way to think about American life, and that of
our veterans, is sports. The way I figure it, our actual time
in the military is like football. And our time after the
service is like baseball. In football, (in the military) the
other team (the enemy) wants to take our freedom ball
away. We have to take it home! If the other team takes
our freedom ball away, that would be a disaster! In base-
ball, we return home, and there is no guarantee that the
freedom ball will work in our favor. Then the workplace,
your boss, and the market give you opportunities. The
freedom ball now has to be shared with those who want
to compete against you. They pitch to you when they
have to, and it is up to you to make the most of it. When
your opportunity comes and goes… you are out! When
you make the most of it, there is a point in the bank.
When I played baseball as a kid, I returned to the dugout
when I struck out. I waited my turn again to be at bat. I
was not out for the rest of the game. These days it seems
we have turned regular life into a more cruel and hateful
sport. When someone loses a job, they have to lose their
health insurance, too. When a marriage or a business
fails, we make sure that someone loses the home and
savings. When veterans with PTSD are not discharged
perfectly honorably, we punish them too! (of all people,
right?) As a society, it is easier to stir up a crowd to pun-
ish someone, when God is quietly asking us to serve each
other. Our time in the service was like football, and we
brought our freedom ball home. God is watching what we
do with the freedom ball, now that we have to share it.
In faith,
Dennis Kerr
Post Chaplain
Setting the Record Straight on Robert E. Lee
Robert E Lee was married to George Washington's granddaughter. He
worked with Grant during the Mexican-American war and became a dec-
orated war hero defending this country Lee believed slavery was a great
evil and his wife broke the law by teaching slaves to read and write.
After the civil war he worked With Andrew Johnson's program of recon-
struction. Lee became very popular with the northern states and the Bar-
racks at West Point were named in his honor in 1962. He was a great
man who served this country his entire life in some form or other. His
memorial is now being called blight. No American military veteran
should be treated as such. People keep yelling, "You can't change
history!" Sadly you can. This is no better than book burnings. ISIS tried
rewriting history by destroying historical artifacts. Is that really who we
want to emulate? As they tear down this "blight," keep these few histori-
cal facts in your mind. No military veteran and highly decorated war hero
should ever be treated as such. This is not Iraq and that is not a statue of
Sadam.
IN ADDITION: Lee was also very torn about the prospect of the South
leaving the Union. His wife's grandfather George Washington was a huge
influence on him. He believed that ultimately, states rights trumped the
federal government and chose to lead the Southern army. His estate, Ar-
lington, near Washington DC was his home and while away fighting the
war, the federal government demanded that Lee himself pay his taxes in
person. He sent his wife but the money was not accepted from a woman.
When he could not pay the taxes, the government began burying dead
Union soldiers on his land. The government is still burying people there
today. It is now called Arlington National Cemetery. I suppose the next
step will be for the "PC Police" to call for the destruction and removal of
Arlington National Cemetery.
by Thomas Penke
AMVETS, also known as
American Veterans, is the
largest and oldest veterans
service organization that is
open to and fights for all
veterans and their families.
AMVETS Mission Statement:
To enhance and safeguard the entitlements for all American
Veterans who have served honorably and to improve the
quality of life for them, their families, and the communities
where they live through leadership, advocacy and services.
AMVETS is looking for new members.
To join, please contact
Commander Beverly Butcher
At
402-250-2159
SAVE THE DATE
SEPTEMBER 16th Check-in at 12:30p.m.
4TH Annual
VFW Post 2503
HORSE SHOE
TOURNAMENT
VFW Post 2503
SANDFLEAS Volleyball Team
is still playing on Monday nights
through September at
Tanner’s Bar & Grill on 90th Street.
Come on out!
6
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2nd
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Natio
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Reco
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2017
16
20
Chick
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ried S
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Go
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017
Non-Profit Org
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit #610
Omaha, NE
V.F.W. Post 2503
8904 Military Road
Omaha, NE 68134
NOTICE:
All articles should be in the Newsletter Box, IN WRITING, at the Post no later than September 23rd, for the October newsletter. If articles are not submitted by the deadline, they will have to wait for the next newsletter. Thank you.
From Your Honor Guard Captain
Ricky Johnson
MILITARY RITES: July, 2017
Military Members
Deceased Cemetery # Hours
07/02/2017 David Weaver Post 7 21
07/03/2017 Stephen Kuhry Calvary 11 33
07/10/2017 Jack Mills Omaha National 10 30
07/11/2017 Darryl Gatherite Evergreen 8 24
07/14/2017 Gerald Dahir Omaha National 12 36
07/15/2017 Paul Haws Hillcrest 5 15
07/19/2017 James Cosgrove Omaha National 12 36
07/24/2017 Edward Nielsen New Cassell 7 21
07/25/2017 William Alexander Omaha National 8 24
07/28/2017 *Thomas Miller Morning Star 10 30
07/31/2017 Richard Severson Omaha National 10 30
07/31/2017 Alfred Schiemann Omaha National 10 30
*Post Member
Month Total: 12 Funerals, 120 Member Participation, 330 Hours
CANTEEN HOURS
Monday Closed
Tuesday thru Thursday 4:00 pm—10:00 pm
Friday 4:00 pm—10:00 pm
Saturday Noon—10:00 pm
Sunday Noon—8:00 pm
PHONE: 402-571-8397
Name_____________________________________________ Phone # ________________________________________
WORDS ON BRICK
Line 1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 Line 2 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 Line 3 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1
Checks Only—No Cash Return this form to the Post
The Post is selling Memorial Bricks around the
memorial walk and flag. Memorial Bricks are being sold by Post 2503 to be
put around the outside of the Memorial flag pole.
These bricks will cost $60.00 each. They will be for
VFW, Auxiliary, AMVET & Auxiliary members,
their families, and people they sponsor. They will be
memorials for living or deceased people. They will
be ordered once a year on April 1st, for installation
by Memorial Day each year. Max 16 spaces per line,
3 lines, and cost $60.00 per brick.
July 2017
All of our brave brothers and sisters who
have passed before us
SEE INSIDE FOR:
Donating Folding Chairs
Horse Shoe Tournament
Post Maintenance Day!
ROOM RENTALS Please keep in mind that the Post is available for your
meeting/party plans, Monday through Friday during
the day. Contact Geri Brown at 402-943-9067 to
reserve your date. Spread the word to your friends
and family. The Post looks great decorated for
weddings, birthdays, and graduation parties, too.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP UP YOUR LADDER OF
COMMITMENT. . . . . JOIN THE HONOR GUARD
Call Tom Penke at 402-330-6860
