VFW members continue to serve

The Platte Valley Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) is a veterans’ organization which works to enhance their community and works to better the lives of veteran.

Veterans who are eligible to participate in the group are those who served overseas in conflict zones. These conflicts include World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the war in Afghanistan, the Iraqi War among others.

Commander of the Platte Valley VFW, Liz Wood, said their organization puts on several events in the Platte Valley to raise money for veterans services and local organization.

Events to raise money include a chili dinner for the Encampment Winter Carnival and selling poppies around Veterans Day.

The VFW has several scholarships available for Platte Valley youth. The VFW hosts the Voice of Democracy and the Patriot’s Pen competition for local youth. The essay competition allows students to write an essay and potentially compete at the national level.

“They compete with kids from all over the United States to compete for the top prize,” Wood said. She added one Encampment student and one Saratoga student has traveled to Washington D.C. in the past to compete in the national competition.

The VFW volunteers their time to decorate the graves of deceased servicemen and women during Memorial Day. Members also perform funeral services for veterans.

Wood said being apart of the VFW enables veterans to do things as an organization they would not be able to do alone.

“Veterans benefits are always, especially recently, in jeopardy. Because we have so many veterans who have been harmed in war, and they need additional assistance after getting out of the military,” Wood said. “Sometimes congress tries to take away that benefit. And so organizations like the VFW and the American Legion, lobby congress to make sure those benefits stay in place.”

There are about 80 members of the Platte Valley VFW, but Wood said there are only about eight active members. Many of the active members are charter members, who have been involved with the VFW since its foundation in the 1980s. One of those charter members is WWII veteran Dick Ament, who has served in every local position, and has also served in various regional and national VFW roles.

Wood is hoping younger veterans will want to be involved with VFW as their membership continues to age.

“We have lost a lot of members in the last several years who have passed away,” Wood said. “So we need new blood to come in and be active in the VFW.”

The VFW meets at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of every month at the Church of Christ in Encampment.

To get involved with the VFW, contact Wood at 329-7734.