In This Issue. From the Auxiliary President ****** ******

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1 Volume #7 Issue #1 January 2015 Happy New Year!!! I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas, I did. There isn't really too much to update everyone on. ****** ****** In looking forward this month, John has added some different meals on Saturdays and Sundays. so please take the time to check out the calendar as I would hate for you to miss the opportunity of his specials. Our Saturday dinners we wont be preparing for too many, I'd like to see how well it catches on. So again if you see something on the Saturday menu don't wait till its gone.. With the Holidays falling as they did, our Prime Rib dinner will be served this Friday the 8th. We also will be having Benny (Mr. Grooves) here on the fourth weekend this month, in addition to the 2nd and 3rd weekend. He will also be with us this Saturday the 2nd. So come on in and have some fun! In starting off the new year our events committee has decided we should put on a "just for the heck of it" party. so mark your calendar for Saturday the 23rd. Break out some of those super 70's clothes and come in...we are having a 70's themed party, this should be picture worthy, right? In closing, if you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me. We all are doing our best to give you a happy and welcoming post. We hope you can see and appreciate our efforts. Our volunteers, members and employees make this post work. Thank you very much to each one of you from the dishwashers right up to the Commander. I appreciate all of you for what you do! Have a wonderful month. Michelle Rex Nancy from our VFW Auxiliary would like to be informed when we have Vets at Peacehealth hospital so she can check in on them while at work. She can be reached at Thank you Nancy! In This Issue From the Canteen Manager From the Auxiliary President Officers Adjutant s Report A Heroes Salute New Year Flyer AT&T Flyer From the Auxiliary President December has been a busy month for all, Jenifer did a great job helping to get the food boxes and gifts gathered thank you to all that have helped. I hope all have a fun and safe New Years Eve, I will see everyone in the new year. Canteen Menus December Calendar The Back Page Debbie Andrew

2 Officers Commander: Jim Vanderhieden Sr. Vice Commander: Glen Fisher Jr. Vice Commander: Herb Lavin Quartermaster: Terry Clark Adjutant: Bruce Maas Chaplain: Josh Cooper Service Officer: Larry Ross Scuttlebutt Editor: Nelson Copeland Canteen Manager: Michelle Rex Post Address: Vancouver VFW Post N Andresen Rd Vancouver, WA VFW Website: January General Meeting Thursday January 14 January Auxiliary Meeting Thursday January 28 National Home National home lifetime memberships only cost $35. This is a GREAT cause so please sign up today. You may have noticed the little blue house banks sitting on some of the tables at the post. These are for the National Home. Any spare change, dollar bills, 5 s or whatever you want to donate is greatly appreciated. Thank you to all who donated to this most worth while cause. Thanks to your donations, I have sent over $100 to the National Home so far.

3 This 1967 story is of an experience by young 12 year old lad in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It is about the vivid memory of a P- 51 and its pilot In the morning sun, I could not believe my eyes. There, in our little airport, sat a majestic P-51. They said it had flown in during the night from some U.S. Airport, on its way to an air show. The pilot had been tired, so he just happened to choose Kingston for his stop over. It was to take to the air very soon. I marveled at the size of the plane, dwarfing the Pipers and Canucks tied down by her. It was much larger than in the movies. She glistened in the sun like a bulwark of security from days gone by. The pilot arrived by cab, paid the driver, and then stepped into the pilot's lounge. He was an older man; his wavy hair was gray and tossed. It looked like it might have been combed, say, around the turn of the century. His flight jacket was checked, creased and worn - it smelled old and genuine. Old Glory was prominently sewn to its shoulders. He projected a quiet air of proficiency and pride devoid of arrogance. He filed a quick flight plan to Montreal (Expo-67, Air Show) then walked across the tarmac. After taking several minutes to perform his walk-around check, he returned to the flight lounge to ask if anyone would be available to stand by with fire extinguishers while he "flashed the old bird up, just to be safe." Though only 12 at the time I was allowed to stand by with an extinguisher after brief instruction on its use -- "If you see a fire, point, then pull this lever!" I later became a firefighter, but that's another story. The air around the exhaust manifolds shimmered like a mirror from fuel fumes as the huge prop started to rotate. One manifold, then another, and yet another barked -- I stepped back with the others. In moments the Packard-built Merlin engine came to life with a thunderous roar. Blue flames knifed from her manifolds with an arrogant snarl. I looked at the others' faces, there was no concern. I lowered the bell of my extinguisher. One of the guys signaled to walk back to the lounge. We did. Several minutes later we could hear the pilot doing his pre-flight run-up. He'd taxied to the end of runway 19, out of sight. All went quiet for several seconds. We ran to the second story deck to see if we could catch a glimpse of the P-51 as she started down the runway. We could not. There we stood, eyes fixed to a spot half way down 19. Then a roar ripped across the field, much louder than before. Like a furious hell spawn set loose---something mighty this way was coming. "Listen to that thing!" said the controller. In seconds the Mustang burst into our line of sight. Its tail was already off and it was moving faster than anything I'd ever seen by that point on 19. Two-thirds the way down 19 the Mustang was airborne with her gear going up. The prop tips were supersonic. We clasped our ears as the Mustang climbed hellishly fast into the circuit to be eaten up by the dog-day haze. We stood for a few moments, in stunned silence, trying to digest what we'd just seen. The radio controller rushed by me to the radio. Kingston tower calling Mustang?" He looked back to us as he waited for an acknowledgment. The radio crackled, "Go ahead, Kingston." "Roger, Mustang. Kingston tower would like to advise the circuit is clear for a low level pass." I stood in shock because the controller had just, more or less, asked the pilot to return for an impromptu air show! The controller looked at us. "What?" He asked. "I can't let that guy go without asking. I couldn't forgive myself!" The radio crackled once again, Kingston, do I have permission for a low level pass, east to west, across the field?" "Roger, Mustang, the circuit is clear for an east to west pass." "Roger, Kingston, I'm coming out of 3000 feet, stand by." We rushed back onto the second-story deck, eyes fixed toward the eastern haze. The sound was subtle at first, a high-pitched whine, a muffled screech, a distant scream. Moments later the P-51 burst through the haze. Her airframe straining against positive G s and gravity. Her wing tips spilling contrails of condensed air, proptips again supersonic. The burnished bird blasted across the eastern margin of the field shredding and tearing the air. At about 500 mph and 150 yards from where we stood she passed with the old American pilot saluting. Imagine. A salute! I felt like laughing, I felt like crying, she glistened, she screamed, the building shook, my heart pounded. Then the old pilot pulled her up and rolled, and rolled, and rolled out of sight into the broken clouds and indelibly into my memory. I've never wanted to be an American more than on that day. It was a time when many nations in the world looked to America as their big brother. A steady and even-handed beacon of security who navigated difficult political water with grace and style; not unlike the pilot who'd just flown into my memory. He was proud, not arrogant, humble, not a braggart, old and honest, projecting an aura of America at its best. That America will return one day, I know it will. Until that time, I'll just send off this story,

4 January 2016

5 Congratulations to Steven and Cindy on their wedding day. From the Adjutant Fellow Comrades As I start the New Year with the Clark Co. Veterans Advisory Board, I'll continue representing our post as a primary board member with Dale Rex being the Alternate. Dale and I will be working with community based veterans organizations to address the ongoing needs of our fellow vets. Dept. Mid-Winter Conference will be held on Jan 16-19aAt the Red Lion Hotel in Pasco. Dept. Convention will be at the same location later this year. Calendar of Events Please come and join us for Friday night Dinner/Music 1700 to Closing Sunday morning breakfast from 0900 to 1100 Sunday Big Screen Football 0900 to 2100 Queen of Hearts Drawing Sun 1530 to 1800 Wednesday Night Tacos from 1700 to 1900 Dec 31 - New Years Eve Party at Post Jan 01 - New Years Day Jan 02 - CVI Chap 9 Meetings Jan 02 - VAVS/VFW Bingo (Vancouver VA) Jan 03 - Dist Youth Essay in Camas Jan 03 - House Committee Jan 10 - COOTIES Meeting Jan 11 - State Legislature Convenes Jan 11 - DAV Chap 4 Meeting (MacArthur Blvd Church) Jan 12 - AMVETS Meeting Jan 14 - County Vets Meeting (Downtown) Jan 14 - Post Meeting Jan Dept. Mid Winter Conf. - Pasco, Wash Jan 22 - Auxiliary Meeting Jan 24 - Dist. 6 Meeting in Kalama Feb 06 - VAVS/VFW Bingo (Vancouver VA) Feb 07 - Super Bowl "L" Sunday Party

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10 VFW 7824 Scuttlebutt 400 N Andresen Rd Vancouver, WA USA PLACE POSTAGE HERE The Back Page with Nelson Whoa!! January already.. I hope everyone had a good year. I know there were some bumps along the way, we lost some friends and relatives along the way. Let s hope that we have a better The post New Year s Eve party is the last event of the year, stay tuned as your Events Committee get together and start planning for 2016 s festivities. If you haven t been to an event at your post, make a New Year s resolution to come down and check one out. Post events are posted in this newsletter, as well as on the VFW7824.org website calendar and the post Facebook page. Be watching for those flyers and come down and join us. In the mean time... Nelson Contact Us Give us a call for more information about our organization or your membership. Vancouver VFW Post N Andresen Rd Vancouver, WA (360) info@vfw7824.org Visit us on the web at: Facebook Group Page Join the VFW and help our Veterans!