VFW MO Post 5896 - Farmington

Veteran's Day 2009 Ceremony Program

Posted at 12:08 PM on Thursday, November 5, 2009 by Public Relations Officer

The following is the program for V.F.W. Post 5896 Veteran’s Day 2009 Ceremony.

The Veteran's Day ceremony will start at 11:00 a.m. at the St. François County Courthouse.  Farmington Mayor Stuart Landrum will speak first, followed by Dist. 106 Rep. Steven Tilley and than the main speaker State Senator Kevin Engler. Following the ceremony there will be food and refreshments for veterans at VFW Post 5896.  The program is as followed:  

                             VETERAN'S DAY PROGRAM

              WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH, 2009 * 11:00 A.M.

10:40   FARMINGTON HIGH SCHOOL BLACK KNIGHT MARCHING BAND

                              KURT BAUCHE, DIRECTOR

11:00   INVOCATION BY:  JOEL MEADOR, V.F.W. POST 5896 CHAPLAIN

11:05   POSTING OF THE COLORS BY: F. H .S. AIR FORCE JROTC

                        COMMANDED BY CADET CAPT. WILLIAM ELLEDGE

                        AND LT. COL. STEVEN WENNINGER, USAF

11:10   NATIONAL ANTHEM, FARMINGTON HIGH SCHOOL BAND

11:15   WELCOME / SPEAKER INTORDUCTION

                           TONY CARROLL, V.F.W. POST 5896 COMMANDER

11:20   GUEST SPEAKERS:  KEVIN ENGLER, STATE SENATOR 3RD DIST.

                                       STEVEN TILLEY, 106TH DIST. REPRESENTATIVE

                                       STUART (MIT) LANDRUM, FARMINGTON MAYOR

     SPECIAL GUEST:     BOB WONNELL, VFW DEPT. SR. VICE COMMANDER

                                      LEONARD "MAC" MCFADDEN, 72 YEAR VFW MEMBER     

11:45   PLACING OF WREATHS:

            AMERICAN LEGION POST 416, DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS, VFW POST 5896,

            FARMINGTON AMVETS POST 113, AMERICAN WAR MOTHERS &

            DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

11:50   VOLLEY OF THREE SALUTE, V.F.W. POST 5896 RIFLE SQUAD

                 LED BY:   JERRY RAWLINS, PAST POST COMMANDER

11:55   "TAPS" BY:    KAYLA DRYE, FARMINGTON H.S. BAND BUGLER

12:00   BENEDICTION BY:    JOEL MEADOR, V.F.W. POST 5896 CHAPLAIN

Post 5896 Halloween Party 2009

Posted at 11:55 PM on Tuesday, November 3, 2009 by Public Relations Officer

You know we had a good time at our party when the King & Queen of Hearts shows up at the Post, A.K.A. Bill and Mary Jane Wulfers.

As you can see even the Mob showed up at the Post party.

On the down side it looks like the Post Commander went Postal.

However on the tender side we even had a kitty cat purred her way in the Post.

The Vamp and his wife made a surprise appearence, its been a year since we've seen them.

Laborers Local 916 Donation to Camp Hope

Posted at 06:59 PM on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 by Public Relations Officer

Farmington V.F.W. Post 5896 hosted a meeting between Laborers Union Local 916 and Camp Hope.  The officers and members of Local 916 wanted to help our veterans fighting the war on terrorism and did so with a generous donation of $1000.00 to Camp Hope.  Camp Hope is the dream of a father (Mike White, Camp Hope President) to honor to memory of his son Chris Neal White that was killed by an IED on June 20, 2006 in Iraq protecting our freedom.  The top priority of Camp Hope disabled veterans hunting lodge is so veterans will be able to enjoy hiking, hunting, fishing, skeet shooting and canoeing with the assistance of the volunteers at Camp with dignity. You can visit their website at www.chrisnealfarm.com and/or send a donation to Camp Hope P.O. Box 52, Farmington, MO 63640.  (L to R: Tony Carroll, Post Commander; Jerry Wells, Camp Hope Manager; Steve Bradley, Union Business Manager and Larry Moses, Local 916 President) Hope

Vietnam Veteran Portrait Unveiled at Post

Posted at 02:32 PM on Monday, October 12, 2009 by Public Relations Officer

Farmington V.F.W. Post 5896 unveiled a portrait of one of its past members Paul Ketcherside, Jr. a decorated Vietnam Veteran that died  39 years ago.  The portrait was presented to his sister Barbara Ketcherside (center) by Mike White, President of Camp Hope (right) and Tony Carroll, Post Commander (left).  The portrait was drawn and donated by world renowned artist Michael G. Reagan.  As a portrait artist for more than 30 years, Reagan has drawn approximately 10,000 portraits including over 1500 portraits of celebrities, professional athletes, U.S. presidents and other heads of state.  In addition, Reagan has drawn 1800 portraits of soldiers for family members through the fallen heroes project.

 

POW/MIA National Recognition Day 2009

Posted at 05:42 PM on Tuesday, September 22, 2009 by Public Relations Officer

POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony was held at Farmington VFW Post 5896 on Saturday, September 19, 2009 with an attendance of 70 people.  The Farmington High School Air Force JROTC performed the placing of the military service hats on the Missing Man Table and did an excellent job.  We had the honor of having two former POW's at the ceremony, pictured above left to right: J.D. Hughes and Chales King, both World War II, U.S. Army veterans.

Happy 50th Birthday Hawaii (Post Luau)

Posted at 12:07 PM on Saturday, August 22, 2009 by Public Relations Officer

Hawaii having its 50^th birthday as a State of this great Nation, VFW Post 5896 celebrated by having a Hawaiian Luau.  As you can see by the picture above Chrysten Whaley the Bartender and Tony Carroll the Post Commander were in the spirit of things.

The Hawaiian Luau was set up for family fun with children and grandchildren of Post members playing in the Post Park.  It was a beautiful day to be outside for this event as you can see from the pictures above and below.

Members and guests of the Post enjoyed the beautiful weather for the Hawaiian Luau.

Picture above: Bartender Tecia Fox is dressed and in the spirit for the Hawaiian Luau at the Post.

A Veteran's Story (72 Year VFW Member)

Posted at 01:35 PM on Monday, August 10, 2009 by Public Relations Officer

I take this opportunity to shine the spot light on and tell an abbreviated story about one of V.F.W. Post 5896 distinguished 94 year old life member and true American Patriot.  Chief Pharmacist Mate Leonard “Mac” McFadden, Jr., U.S. Navy Retired and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States for 72 years.  (Picture below of "Mr. Mac" in 1945)

Mac enlisted into the U.S. Navy in St. Louis, Missouri on May 19, 1936 and after Boot Camp he attended Naval Medical Training as a Pharmacist Mate.  A Pharmacist Mate (now known as a Navy Corpsman) is also known affectionately by sailors and marines as “Doc”.   Everyone looks after Doc because when hell breaks loose, we know Doc will risk his life to look after you.  Mac’s first duty station was with the 4^th Regiment Marine Hospital in Shanghai, China; he was attached to the Marines on the front lines for about two years and was awarded the China Service Medal.  It was in this time frame of 1937 the V.F.W. was offering free membership to servicemen awarded the China Service Medal and Mac took them up on it.  In 1939 Mac received his first ship-the USS Marblehead (CL-12), which was assigned to the Asiatic Fleet in early 1938 until early 1942.  During most of that time, as tensions rose over Japan’s aggression in China, she (the Ship) cruised through Far Eastern waters in support of U.S. interests.  Remember the 1966 movie “The Sand Pebbles” starring Steve McQueen, about a Navy gunboat in the Yangtze River during the Chinese revolution of the 1920s?  Mac stated their ship steamed down the same rivers the movie was illustrating, but in 1939 and 1940.  Mac said he met Pappy Boyington on his ship one day, who at the time was with the Flying Tigers.  Sometime after that Mac received orders with one other Pharmacist Mate to be assigned to the Flying Tigers, but the orders were cancelled shortly after.  Mac was assigned to the USS Marblehead for over one year and over the time ahead was stationed at Naval Hospitals in Washington, DC and Corpus Christi, Texas.

                             USS Marblehead (CL-12)

Mac was stationed at the Naval Hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas when the news hit on December 7^th 1941, that the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor.  The Navy sent Mac on TDY (Temporary Duty) to Little Rock, Arkansas to do physicals on men joining the military at the start of World War II for the United States.  After TDY Mac received his second ship the USS Rockingham (APA-229), not knowing on this ship he would witness first hand the hell of naval and air combat.  The Battle of Okinawa, also known as Operation Iceberg, was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theater of World War II.  On 26 April 1945 she debarked her troops at Okinawa. On 27 April, Rockingham experienced the first of many enemy air attacks, witnessing the sinking by a suicide plane of nearby SS Canada Victory.  The next morning, Rockingham joined USS New Mexico (BB-40) in splashing a kamikaze. On 1 May the Rockingham sent boats to assist the USS Terror (CM- 5), hit and badly damaged by a suicide plane, taking onboard 55 casualties.  Mac said later he found out one of those casualties was a friend of his, Bob Lowery.  Between the American landing on April 1 and May 25, seven major kamikaze attacks were attempted, involving more than 1,500 planes.  Mac said, “the kamikazes mostly attacked when it was dark and at times they rained down on us like hail.  I don’t know how to put it in words, the massive amount of fire power just lit up the sky.”  The total strength of the Allied fleet at Okinawa was 1,600 ships, including 40 aircraft carriers, 18 battleships, 32 cruisers and 200 destroyers.  The U.S. Navy sustained greater casualties in this operation than in any other battle of the war.  On 4 May she got underway in convoy for Ulithi, Pearl Harbor, and San Francisco. There she loaded over 1,300 troops and got underway 6 June for Eniwetok, Ulithi, and Manila where she debarked her passengers.  Mac was awarded the Combat Action Ribbon, American Campaign Medal and the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal for his actions aboard the USS Rockingham.

                                     USS Rockingham (APA-229 

The end of World War II was near; the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki against the Empire of Japan by the United States.  Mac said their ship was ordered to pick up General McArthur and his wife from Manila and escort them to Tokyo, Japan.  Mac said there was some problem with General McArthur’s wife wanting to take the Captain’s quarters and the Captain did not go along with it.

Because the Rockingham had the big brass onboard the crew was told one day before it went public that Japan is Surrendering and the war would be over.  With the war now over, Mac was one of the medical personnel selected to look for sites to build hospitals in Japan.  Mac was awarded the Navy Occupation Service Medal (with Asia clasp) and the World War II Victory Medal.

After World War II, Mac’s first assignment was to a 13^th Naval District Headquarters at Seattle, Washington.   In the following years Mac was stationed in many naval fields, one being the Seabees Ninth Naval Construction Battalion in Iceland.  While stationed in Iceland, Mac was a passenger in a jeep that went off the road and crashed; his back broken in that accident.  Mac was a young man, a strong sailor and he overcame this unfortunate event to move on in his career.

In the coming years Mac was assigned to many naval aviation parts of the U.S. Navy, such as Carrier Air Groups Thirteen and Four.  Later to be stationed on Aircraft Carriers, the USS Tarawa (CV-40) and the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42).  During the Korean War Mac was stationed at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida where he did some recruiting duty and on the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, but did not see action in Korea.  Stall having more years of sea duty ahead of him, Mac was also assigned to the USS Oglethorpe (AKA-100) and the USS Glynn (APA-239).  Mac’s last duty assignment was the Naval Station in Green Cove Springs, Florida where he was discharged after 20 years of honorable service to this great Nation.

(L to R: Tony Carroll, Post Commander; "Mr. Mac" and his Son, Leonard McFadden III) 

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