On the House
Volunteer Reminder – If you are scheduled to work and can't make it for some
reason please find a replacement to work in your place. For us to try and find
a fill in at the last minute is very difficult to do. Thanks…
There is a suggestion box under the calendar board in the canteen. If you have a suggestion you think will improve our post or an activity you would like to have, drop it in the suggestion box. Your ideas are important to us and our post.
Thanks and remember, the House Committee meetings are open to all members and
we welcome you to sit in. Also, the minutes of the previous meeting are posted
on bulletin board in the game room.
The Four ChaplainsAll held the rank of lieutenant, and were the Methodist Reverend George L. Fox, the Jewish Rabbi Alexander D. Goode, the Roman Catholic Priest John P. Washington and the Reformed Church in America Reverend Clark V. Poling. They were sailing on the USAT Dorchester troop transport on February 3, 1943, when the vessel, travelling in convoy, was torpedoed by the German submarine U-223 in the North Atlantic. As the vessel sank, the four chaplains calmed the frightened soldiers and sailors, aided in the evacuation of the ship, and helped guide wounded men to safety. The chaplains also gave up their own life jackets.
As I swam away from the ship, I looked back. The flares had lighted everything.
The bow came up high and she slid under. The last thing I saw, the Four
Chaplains were up there praying for the safety of the men. They had done
everything they could. I did not see them again. They themselves did not have a
chance without their life jackets.
That was our member Dan Poling's cousin the Reverend Clark V. Poling one of the Four Chaplains who was true to his calling. If you haven't met Dan Poling's wife Stella Poling you're missing an experience. Stella has been a member of the Ladies Auxiliary for 59 years starting out at a Post in Maple Shade New Jersey. Stella will be 90 years young in February 2010. She's been there and done it and has the tee shirt to prove it. Stella tells me that back in 1972 she came to the aid of a man at a VFW Post and was awarded the Four Chaplains medal for saving him. Stella admits that at the time she knew nothing about the Four Chaplains organizations. She then became a member of the Four Chaplains Society. You can learn more about the Four Chaplains here:
The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation
"Waist Gunner Sedivy checking in." That was probably the routine commo check for a young 20 something waist gunner getting ready for his last flight. That's also how I imagine him announcing his arrival through the pearly gates being greeted by his fellow crew members. Harold Sedivy was one of the first post members I met here at the canteen. We introduced ourselves with our brief biographies. Harold was a World War Two vet. He told me he spent 14 months as a German POW. In the course of our conversation I mentioned that I had relatives living in the Boston Massachusetts area. Harold told me he was trying to find a close fellow POW from the Boston area and he gave me the person's name. I tried for several weeks to locate that person, it seemed really important to Harold and I felt bad I had no luck either trying to find him. Harold nodded and understood my bad luck. It seemed Harold always showed up at the canteen dressed sharply and with a brimmed hat. He was an accountant, the tax man, retired. You had to respect him. Harold's obituary in the Summerville Journal Scene had a lot more about Harold. He was born in a log cabin, attended the Citadel, and was very active with various veterans' organizations plus very active working with kids coaching baseball and football. Harold came across to me as an "understanding" person but he did have complaints. I can recall him complaining about something, maybe it was a traffic stop: "Hey I didn't fall two miles out of the sky to put up with this $*@&!" saying it in a quiet tone. I liked Harold. Harold's experience in World War Two lasted him a lifetime. His family knew it. According to his obituary it's asked that in lieu of flowers to please make a contribution to a halfway house for Veterans, Good Neighbor Center, 1905 Burton Lane, North Charleston, SC 29405 or any veteran's organization. 
Editor ~ Mike Petrovick Saving Cansfor the Good Neighbor Home for homeless vets got my attention in Cecelia Lange's MOC/MOCA article. When I park my car here at the Post and get out I find beer cans and bottles strewn around outside the Post. It's trash and reflects on our image. We do have some political hot shots with news people in tow visiting our Post on occasion. We can do better things with the empties. I did a search on the Internet for "Good Neighbor Home for homeless veterans", I got 520,000 hits. The 3rd site down from the top of the list was: "volunteer.united-e-way.org/trident/org/6365564.html" with the title "Good Neighbor Center". Their located on the corner of Spruill Ave & Burton Lane, across from the old Naval base in North Charleston. Close enough to home? From that site I was pointed to following:
According to the federal government, veterans make up 9% of the U.S. population
but 23% of the homeless population. Among homeless men, veterans make up 33%.
Don't walk past that trash, pick it up. Take Cecelia Lange up on her offer and
donate the cans. You'll be cleaning up our Post grounds, helping a Vet, and
improving our reputation.
* * * * *
A bum came up to me saying, "I haven't eaten in two days!" I said, "You should
force yourself!"
Wild, Wild West PartyThe Ladies Auxiliary of VFW Post #3433 invites you to join them for the "Wild, Wild West" party to benefit Cancer Aid and Research Saturday October 3, 2009Social Hour 6pm ~ 7pmDinner 7pm ~ 8pm Dance & Entertainment 8pm ~ 11pm Costume contest, Dance Contest, General Store, Trivia and a Jail Advanced tickets $12.00 per person or $18.00 per couple At the Door Tickets $16.00 per person or $24.00 per couple
Ticket price includes dinner and an open bar (bar brands)
Wounded EOD Warrior FoundationChili Dinner FundraiserSaturday, October 10, 20095:00 PM until? Food, Music and Fun. There will also be a silent auction and raffle.
Admission is $10/person and includes chili and the fixins'.
Make your donation and receive a wristband to wear in support of the
foundation.
Editor
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