VFW Post 5151 serves veterans at home and overseas
Not too many people are aware of the fact that about a year ago the Hoffman Estates based Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8080 elected to merge into the VFW Post 5151 in Streamwood. The combined posts retained the Streamwood Arnold/Heath 5151 name and now operate as one post.
Why is this of importance or of interest to you? Well, greater numbers mean greater strength, and capabilities to serve you, the community, and our comrades and their families. The VFW does many charitable and patriotic things in your community that you may not be aware of.
Yes, the VFW members love a parade, and 5151 members are decked out in natty new black-and-white uniforms for parades, public functions, flag raisings, honor guard duties everywhere, at funerals, school functions, public talks, and the list goes on. Be it Veterans Day ceremonies, Memorial Day activities, Fourth of July celebrations or other civic functions, for the most part, the civilians of our community need merely to ask and our men and women will be there.
It its "Operation Airlift" program, VFW 5151 maintains a huge supply of items that make life easier, better, and more pleasant for the men and women serving our country overseas. If you wish to have a "care" package of those items sent to someone you know that is serving, you have but to provide us with their overseas mailing address and your work is done as ours begins. Tell us of special items and we'll try to supply them too. (And if you should wish to help us financially, we welcome you and you rest assured that your contribution will be strictly dedicated to the Operation Airlift overseas program.)
If we become aware of a comrade or a family of a comrade in need, we will either help, or steer them to others who will help. And if you have an American flag that needs to be properly retired and disposed of, we do that for you.
In the local schools, we offer speakers to talk about our great country, about our flag, our constitution, and especially about our personal experiences in the service of our nation.
Locally, our local post participates in two national VFW programs the "Voice of Democracy" and "Patriot Pen" programs to encourage grade and high school students to study and write and talk about patriotism and their role in the history and the future of America. Teachers and administrators need only to ask about these programs and we will respond.
We have a post phone number at (630) 483-0055, and a Web site at vfw5151.org and you may contact our Post Commander Russ Vanier at josephvannier@sbcglobal.net.
May God Bless America.
Joseph Russell Vannier
Hoffman Estates