VFW Checkpoint

July/August 2021

Your Checkpoint newsletter has arrived!

We invite you to take this opportunity to see what other Posts around the world are doing to better their communities. Be sure to share the valuable information you get here with your fellow VFW members. If you know someone who is not receiving Checkpoint, encourage them to email magazine@vfw.org and get signed up.

In this issue of Checkpoint, read about how VFW offered a hand up to an Army veteran through its Unmet Needs program. Post 1617 in Derry, N.H., honored one of its own recently. A Texas Post recognized one of its biggest Buddy Poppy ambassadors, 10-year-old Spencer Speegle. Read these stories and more!

Be sure to let us know what you are doing in your community. We always are looking to promote the great efforts of VFW. Email jdyhouse@vfw.org your suggestion, and you just might see it in an upcoming issue of Checkpoint.

Boy Honored at Texas Post 1514

In Village Mills, Texas, the grandson of Post 1514 quartermaster is the unofficial ambassador for the Post’s Buddy Poppy program. To recognize Spencer Speegle’s contributions, the Post presented him with a plaque.

Iraq Vet Gets a Hand Up from VFW’s Unmet Needs

VFW’s Unmet Needs program awarded this wounded vet a nearly $1,500 grant after COVID-19 left him struggling to pay his bills. He said it helped he and his daughter “greatly” during a time of need.

Tips for Finding Marital Success

VFW’s 2020-2021 National Chaplain draws upon his more than 50 years of marriage to offer key points for marital bliss. Understanding and caring are just two tips for success in marriage, according to the chaplain.

SS Leopold Survivor Turns 100

VFW Post 1617 in Derry, N.H., celebrated the 100th birthday of one of its members. Paul Plotkin survived a German torpedo in WWII that claimed the lives of 763 Americans. The SS Leopold would sink following the attack.

Tennessee VFW Post Celebrates Vietnam Vets

In recognition of Vietnam War Veterans Day in March, Post 5019 in Shelbyville, Tenn., hosted a dinner for the town’s Vietnam veterans. Past VFW Commander-in-Chief John Furgess shared details of his time in Vietnam.

Pearl Harbor Survivor Gets Escort to Museum

Joe Richard trekked from his home in Louisiana to Fredericksburg, Texas, to have a private tour of the National Museum of the Pacific War. His journey there included motorcycle escorts from VFW and the American Legion. The WWII vet called his VIP experience “unbelievable.”

How Will You Be Remembered?

With your support, the VFW has been making a difference in the lives of veterans, service members and their families for more than 120 years. Learn how you can amplify your impact with a gift through your estate plan. Contact the VFW Planned Giving Office at 816.968.1119, email plannedgiving@vfw.org or visit vfw.org/plannedgiving to learn more.

Be Prepared in Case of Accident while Traveling

Give your family added security in case you’re in an accident while traveling. Learn more here.