Benson VFW Post 2503

February 2016 www.VFWPost2503.org

402-571-8397

From the Commander Dear Comrades and Ladies:

As I write this column today on Janu-

ary 8, 2016 our new gutters are final-

ly going up. I would like to update

you on an important project. This

project is chaired by Jay Donoho and

it is a project to refurbish the F-84F

Thunderstreak that overlooks the

parking lot. The plane although it is

located at VFW Post 2503 it actually

belongs to the National Museum of

the United States Air Force in Day-

ton, Ohio. We sign a yearly lease

with the museum and with that comes

the responsibility to properly main-

tain the aircraft. Its book value is

$10,000.

Jay is heading up a fundraising effort

with the Omaha Community called

“Saving A Piece of History” to refur-

bish the aircraft so that it meets Air

Force standards.

Borrowing from Jay’s outstanding

flyer “The F-84F Thunderstreak

fighter-bomber, one of which watch-

es over VFW Post 2503 in Omaha,

Nebraska, entered service with the

US Air Force in 1955. It’s most im-

portant mission, had war occurred,

would have been to make nuclear

strikes against targets in Eastern Eu-

rope. Such attacks would have been

(Continued on page 3)

From the Auxiliary

President Membership: Whose job is it?

This is a story about unit mem-

bers Everybody, Somebody, Any-

body and Nobody.

Membership is an important job

to be done and Everybody is sure

Somebody will do it. Anybody

can do it, but Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry about that

because it is Everybody’s job.

Everybody thought Anybody

would do it, but Nobody realized

that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It

ended up that Everybody blamed

Somebody when Nobody did what

Anybody could have done. Which

“Body” will you be this year?

If you haven’t paid your annual

dues or paid your $7.00 cancer dues

if you are a lifetime member please

try and get them in. The Auxiliary

needs your membership to support

our programs for Veterans and their

families.

Send your dues to Auxiliary Treas-

urer (Ruth Gerst) at 8904 Military

Road, Omaha, NE 68134. If you

have any questions, please contact

me at 402-681-0687.

(Continued on page 3)

POST 2503 OFFICERS 2015-2016 Commander: Fred Van Peer

Sr. Vice Commander: Wayne ‘Tony ‘ Cox Jr. Vice Commander: Sharon Cooper

Quartermaster: Dan Raabe Chaplain: Dennis Kerr

Surgeon: Terrence White Judge Advocate: Randall McQueeney

Officer of the Day: Randall McQuenney Adjutant: Chuck Wolf

Guard: Bill Fead Service Officer: Robert Brown

AUXILIARY OFFICERS 2015-2016

President: Kathy ‘Tiger’ Thielen

Sr. Vice President: Karen Cox

Jr. Vice President: Shirley Duis

Treasurer: Ruth Gerst

Secretary: Pat Dembowski

Chaplain: Marcia Jones

Conductress: Jan Davis

Guard: Kathy Raabe

Patriotic Instructor: Pending

Post and Auxiliary

Meetings

1st Thursday

every month

7:00 pm

Honor Guard

Meeting

2nd Thursday

every month

7:00 pm

Voice of Democracy and

Patriots Pen Awards

4 February prior to Post

and Auxiliary Meetings

Thirsty Thursdays

& Tacos

February 11th

5-7pm

Post Breakfast

February 21st

0830—Noon

Basket Night

February 26th

5:30—7:00 pm

Please make sure you submit all

information to the newsletter

box or e-mail to the editor prior

to the suspense date on the back

page or it will not be included.

2

POST BREAKFAST

February 21st

0830—Noon

Chaplain’s Message

Back next month.

Dennis Kerr, Chaplain

Honor Guard Thank you to our Honor Guard for

your continuing service to the Post

and our Veterans. No one can say

that you are not dedicated when they

see you out in the recent weather.

CPT Tony ‘Chief’

Auxiliary Chaplain’s News Auxiliary Sisters: Please inform

Auxiliary Chaplain Marcia Jones 402

-926-2648 of any ill or deceased

Auxiliary member.

Marcia Jones

NOTICE I brought a box with my Dad’s WWII

items to the Post a couple of years ago,

and they seem to be missing from there.

They include: a scrapbook, newspapers,

letters to his mother, ration tickets, pho-

tos taken in, I think, France. My own

items were a flag and certificate flown in

a helicopter in Afghanistan. This certifi-

cate gave the mission and specifics on

which helicopter it was flown on and was

signed by the Commander, and a post

card signed by the Troop that we adopted

and sent care packages to. There was

also a pledge coin from the Navy with

money from Hussain’s era, and another

certificate from our adopted Troop.

Please respond if you know where these

items have gone..

Lindy Devereaux

A big thanks to everyone for support-

ing our 9th Annual VFW Craft Show.

We had many people helping to make

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the show a success, from setting up, to

cleaning up, to working and donating

to the bake sale and raffle tables. And

of course all the crafters and custom-

ers. Thank you to the Post members

who helped in so many ways and to

the Scouts who helped all day long.

Also a BIG Thank You to Luanne

Rosso and Lodine Christiansen for

running the show. They did an out-

standing job!

Linda Humphrey

If you have something to put in the newslet-

ter, please submit before the suspense on the

back page. I have received several notes in

the newsletter box about Bob Fields after

the suspense date.

Editor

3

high speed, low level with little

chance of survival. The aircraft was

well suited for this mission with a

maximum speed of 695 mph at an

altitude of 46,000 feet and a combat

range of 2,410 miles with four 230-

gallon drop tanks. Depending upon

the selected target it could deliver

8,000 pounds of rockets, napalm,

bombs (including nuclear) or use its

six .50 caliber machine guns.”

“The USAF transferred all F-84F’s to

the Air National Guard in 1965 but 12

European countries were using them

well into the 1980’s. This Thunder-

streak, tail number 52-6385, was as-

signed to the 48th Fighter-Bomber

Wing in England in 1957. In 1964, it

was transferred to the Maryland Air

National Guard, retired, from service

in 1970, and placed on permanent

display in Omaha in 1971. The cost of

the aircraft when built was $769,000”.

We will keep you advised about the

progress of our fund raising efforts.

As always, again, I and the Post lead-

ership thank you for your support.

Fred Van Peer, Post Commander

(Continued from page 1)

If you would like to attend the Aux-

iliary meetings which are held the

first Thursday of the month and be a

part of this fantastic group however

do not have transportation to the

Post we can arrange to pick you up.

The meeting starts at 7:00pm.

Please don’t hesitate to call me or

let another Auxiliary member know.

The Auxiliary would value and ap-

preciate your participation.

If you have ideas on fundraisers or

would like to volunteer we would

appreciate it. Your input does

count.

The ladies sewing group is looking

for any members that may be inter-

ested in coming in on Thursday to

assist in sewing. They do a variety

from pinning to cutting to sewing.

Please contact Nora Van Cleave at

402-571-5213 or come on in on

Thursdays at 1:00pm.

Special thanks to all our members.

You make our Auxiliary shine!

Let’s all continue to move forward

and be proud of our accomplish-

ments!

Please keep all our Troops, families

and Veterans in your prayers.

Sincerely,

President, Kathy ‘Tiger’ Thielen

From the Kitchen

Winners for the free meal were

Shirley Schaefer, Lowell Ruff and

Herb Hahn. Congratulations and

thanks for supporting the Post.

One Wednesday of each month the

Post will be providing a dessert to

celebrate all birthdays for that

(Continued from page 1) month. A special way to say THANK YOU and HAPPY BIRTH-

DAY! We will celebrate all birth-

days in February on the 24th..

Please come to the Post, enjoy a

great meal and have a piece of cake

on us.

Please plan to join us at the Post for

Basket Night on Friday, February

26. We will be serving Chicken

Wings, Shrimp, Chicken Strips and

Fish Baskets. Drink prices are dis-

counted from 5:00 to 7:00pm.

Also, on February 11, Thirsty

Thursday we will be serving Tacos,

Tortilla chips with salsa or Cinna-

mon Sugar Chips. Breakfast will be

served on Sunday, February 21.

THANK YOU TO ALL THE VOL-

UNTEERS. YOU DO A FANTAS-

TIC JOB!

If there is a food item you would

like to see on the menu let me know.

I am open to suggestions. The Post

is looking for volunteers to help out

on the nights food is served. There

are plenty different things you can

do from writing tickets to serving

food. Everyone is welcome. We

have fun. You may call me at 402-

572-0651 or the Post at 402-571-

8397 or leave a note at the bar.

Keep in mind on HAMBURGER

NIGHT that hamburgers, chicken

sandwiches and fish will always be

served. The menu on the calendar is

the SPECIAL for that day.

Please remember to fill out a ticket

for a chance to win a free meal.

Thank you for all your support. To-

gether we do make a difference.

Please thank our Veterans and keep

our members, families and Troops in

your thoughts and prayers.

Sincerely,

Kathy ‘Tiger’ Thielen and the Crews

Monthly Craft Day—13 February@

1:30pm. Call Karen Cox@608-387-

9361 or e-mail .

For Kids and Grandkids.

5146 N. 90th St.(1-Block South 90th & Fort)

4

highways there is very little speeding

or passing. And I saw no road rage.

Rest areas have not only restrooms,

but many small shops.

The economy appears to be in good

condition. We saw no evide3nce of

poverty or homelessness. There is no

litter o the streets or highways. Recy-

cling is mandatory. There is a $1,000

fine if someone is caught not recy-

cling. There are no more small rice

paddies farmed by individuals. There

are now rice fields planted and har-

vested by machine. Hundreds of

thousands of green houses can be seen

throughout the countryside.

Everything has changed and the only

thing we recognized was the larger

than life statue of General Douglas

MacArthur standing on a high hill in

Incheon looking out over the harbor.

He was there when I arrived in 1960,

and is still there. Except now there is

a large park surrounding him with

trails, benches, picnic tables, a band

stand, and even an exercise area. A

few miles away there is a museum

and park dedicated to the U.N. Forces

who fought the war. An English

speaking guide gave us a tour and

emphasized the Korean’s appreciation

for all those who fought. Wherever

we went I wore my U.S. Army Re-

tired ball cap. It attracted many of the

older generation (mostly men) who

wanted to shake my hand. I felt quite

honored to represent all those who

fought in the war. I have many pic-

tures, which I would like to share with

anyone who may be interested. Just

contact me and we can set a time to

meet.

I agree with Bob P. I now know why

the war was fought and won. I wish

the politicians would have let us do

the same in Vietnam.

Bob Ekdahl

402-496-0688

P.S. I am still making flag star cards.

Contact me if you would like some to

hand out.

AUXILIARY

ANNOUNCEMENTS

We had another off site Girls Night

Out at Canvas and Cabernet for paint-

ing and fun in January. We will

schedule another event in April and

keep you posted. We will schedule

an Adult Coloring Party on a Satur-

day, early afternoon in the next

month or so.

Other ideas for couples nights out are

in the works. Two ideas are: going

to a local Murder Mystery Dinner

Theater (interactive, lots of fun and

going back to the Omaha Community

Playhouse to see Billy McGuigan in

his production of Rave On! (Buddy

Holly music). More info to come!

Absolutely Amazing

Several years ago when Bob Podany

came back from Korea after celebrating

the 50 year anniversary of signing the

Cease Fire between South and North

Korea he said, “When I was there dur-

ing the war, I didn’t know why. But

now I do.” I served three tours of duty

there between January 1960 and No-

vember 1970. When I left, there was

one four lane expressway between In-

cheon and Seoul and another going

South to Pusan. There may have been

20 to 30 high rise buildings in Seoul.

Recently my wife and I spent 3.5 weeks

in Korea. I can sum up the difference

between then and now in two words.

“Absolutely Amazing!!!” Now there

are four to eight lane expressways

crisscrossing the Nation, linking every

major city. Building rising 20 to 60

stories high are as far as you can see in

all directions for at least 50 miles. And

sticking up out of all these building is a

123 story structure that will open next

year. Seoul is now the second most

populated city in the world with over

28.5 million people.

Traffic is thick with cars, busses and trucks, but I only saw the result of one

minor accident. Drivers are very cour-

teous and obey the traffic laws. In the

city when the light turns yellow they

know to stop. Not like our drivers who

step on the accelerator because they

know a red light is coming. On the

FROM THE QUARTERMASTER

Brrrr!! Everything has sort of gone into

hibernation, after Christmas and with

the (finally) cold, wintry weather.

Many of our patrons, regardless of age,

prefer to stay inside instead of coming

up or the lucky ones get to go South.

Just know we miss seeing your smiling

faces and greeting you on a daily basis.

The Gutter Project is completed, but we

still need to watch our steps on the

property. Asphalt is extremely slippery

with any moisture present. We will

gladly escort anyone to their cars any-

time. Be safe out there!

We are stepping up advertising for our

room rentals, offering coupons in the

Valpak for discounts. We are also

advertising for business classes, bridal

showers, baby showers, and birthday

parties. Anything to generate some

good income during this slow time.

Make sure to suggest our venue to

friends and neighbors when they are

looking for a room to rent for their

events.

Dan Raabe, Post Quartermaster

ROOM RENTALS

Please keep in mind for your meeting/

Holiday party plans, that the Post is

available Monday through Friday dur-

ing the day. Contact Geri Brown at 402

-943-9067 to reserve your date. Spread

the word to your friends and family too.

Monthly Craft Day—13 February @

1:30pm. Call Karen Cox @ 608-387-

9361 or e-mail . For

Kids and Grandkids.

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V.F.W. Post 2503

8904 Military Road

Omaha, NE 68134

Address Service Requested Non-Profit Org

U.S. Postage

PAID

Permit #610

Omaha, NE

See Inside Basket Night

Post Breakfast

Doo Wop/Hit Squad

Craft Day

Thirsty Thursday

Auxiliary Activities

From Your Honor Guard Captain

Wayne ‘Tony’ Cox

MILITARY RITES: December 2015

Military Members

Deceased Cemetery Members

12/02/15 James Hartung Westlawn 9

12/04/15 Francis Fidone Calvary 8

12/07/15 Willie Jackson Forest Lawn 7

12/11/15 Harold Walker Westlawn 7

12/11/15 James Carrol Westlawn 8

12/12/15 Gerald Davis Westlawn 13

12/15/15 William Watson Westlawn 9

12/16/15 Daniel Collins Heafey Chapel 9

12/16/15 Verion Allen Westlawn 7

12/18/15 Richard Donelan Calvary 6

12/18/15 Daniel Couch Calvary 8

12/22/15 Joseph August Resurrection 8

12/23/15 Duane Hiatt Resurrection 5

12/23/15 Jerry Reynolds Evergreen 5

12/28/15 James Rogers Westlawn 7

12/28/15 Kenneth Schutt Westlawn 7

12/29/15 William Koza Calvary 7

12/30/15 Carl Bortol Heritage Point 4

12/30/15 Carl Pope Heafey Chapel 9

Funerals 19 Members 143 Hours 429

* Post Member

December 2015

Our Unknown Comrades

NOTICE: All articles should be in the Newsletter Box, IN WRIT-ING, at the Post no later than February 6th. If ar ticles are not submitted by the deadline, they will have to wait for the next newslet-ter. We try to have the newsletter to the printers in the week following the meetings. If changes need to be made after the meetings, articles can be amended. When your article is late, the Newsletter is late to all our members. Please use a full sheet of paper. Little pieces of paper can get lost. Thank you

CLUB HOURS

Monday Closed

Tuesday thru Thursday 3:00 pm—9:00 pm

Friday 3:00 pm—9:00 pm

Saturday Noon—9:00 pm

Sunday Noon—7:00 pm

PHONE: 402-571-8397

The Post is selling Memorial Bricks

around the memorial walk and flag.

Bob Fenton, Chairman

Memorial Bricks are being sold by

Post 2503 to be put around the outside

Name _______________________________________________ Please Print

Phone # ________________________________________ WORDS ON BRICK

Line 1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 Line 2 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 Line 3 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1 _1

Checks Only—No Cash Return this form to the Post

of the Memorial flag pole. These bricks will cost $60.00 each.

They will be for VFW, Auxiliary, AMVET & Auxiliary members,

their families and people they sponsor. They will be memorials for

living or deceased people. They will be ordered once a year on

April 1st, for installation by Memorial Day each year. Max 16 spac-

es per line, 3 lines, cost $60.00 per brick.