Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
VFW post facing ‘Taps’
Dwindling membership may force Bella Vista Post 9063 to disband
Members of Bella Vista Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9063 have one more chance to save the chapter.
At a meeting last week, only four local members attended, along with representatives of the district and the state organization. Without a quorum present to dissolve the post, State Quartermaster Frank Lee called the state commander and asked for one more chance.
If people can be found to fill the offices, the post can continue.
In Bella Vista, the VFW was started by World War II veterans, district Commander Frank Lee explained. Many of those members are simply too old to keep the post going. It’s time, he says, for younger veterans to take over.
The VFW differs from the American Legion because members of the VFW were in combat, Lee explained.
“We’re the elite,” he says, smiling.
Down the road from where the VFW was meeting at Mercy Medical Center, the American Legion seems to be prospering.
“It’s because they have a building with a bar in it,” member Brain Leitch says. Yet, while they have hundreds of members on their books, only about 25 attend post meetings, Lee says. Some veterans are members of both organizations.
Post 9063 used to have a building. It was located next to the Wall of Honor, across the parking lot from Lake Bella Vista. The land was leased from Cooper Communities, and Cooper helped them clean out the building after three floods, Lee says. But after one last flood, the building was filled with black mold and could not be saved. It was torn down and the land reverted to Cooper.
The VFW post started the local Bella Vista Honor Guard. George Brannon, one of the founding members of the post, has been a member of the Honor Guard for more than 20 years. The Honor Guard has attended hundreds of funerals, and members still play “Taps” and provide rifle salutes. The Honor Guard moved to the American Legion post in recent years.
For a while the VFW post met at Cooper Elementary School, but the school district changed its policy and asked the veterans to pay rent for the school, so they started looking elsewhere.
The VFW does community service, Lee says. They run youth programs and provide scholarships.
“This is an opportunity for a young veteran to build the post the way they want it,” he says. In some places, two or three young veterans invite their friends in and they can reunite with their service buddies on a regular basis.
There’s a minimum of 11 veterans needed to keep the post open. Each of them would hold an office — ranging from commander to trustee.
To become a member of the VFW, a person must be an American citizen with an Honorable Discharge or a General Discharge under honorable conditions and must be able to show service in a war, campaign or expedition on foreign soil or in hostile waters. They need to show their DD 214 (discharge papers) or certain medals or military pay statement that shows hostile fire pay or imminent danger pay. For help finding the documentation, the county’s Veterans Service Officer Patrick Johnson may be able to help, Lee says. He can be reached at (479) 464-6123.
The next and possibly final meeting of Post 9063 of the VFW will be on Oct. 26 in the community room at Mercy Medical Center.