By Bryant Thigpen
Riverbend News
The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 8095 in Hamilton County was recently recognized by the State of Florida for their excellence in community service. The members of the VFW were presented a plaque, along with a hat and shirt, during a special ceremony held on Friday, Aug. 7. The VFW, which was established to help broken and needy families, is still holding true to their purpose in Hamilton County.
“Whenever the Veterans of Foreign Wars was established back in 1914, they had one primary issue, the widows and orphans of service personnel were not being looked after,” former Commander Lamar Royals said. “That’s why the VFW was established. When the World War II veterans came home, there was no place in Hamilton County for them to assemble as a family, so they had a determination that they would build a place where they can bring their families and support the widows. That was the primary concern of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.”
Royals continued, “When we talk about the VFW, we’re not talking about individuals, we’re talking about an entire family. Those families would suffer when those young men would be sent into combat, and that family that was left at home suffered because they did not know where their loved one was or if they would ever come home. That’s why the VFW was established, so it could comfort those families who had lost their loved ones.”
Although World War II has ended and 73 years has passed since the VFW was established, Commander Billy Jackson said the Post is still dedicated to helping those in need. “We support the community, and our main function is to support the widows and the children. That’s been our mission and we try to hold to the same mission as to why the VFW was founded,” he said.
In addition to helping local widows and children, the VFW offers a variety of services to their community. “We also help with flags, getting people to the doctors, delivering meals during the holidays and making sure those that are shut in are okay,” Jackson noted.
Since the coronavirus pandemic began, the club has not been able to meet for their regular monthly meetings, but that has not stopped their service. In the last four months, the VFW received a shipment of food from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that is ready to eat, and they have distributed approximately 130 meals to people in the community.
Post 8095, which is based in Jasper, is comprised of 111 members of current and past members from all branches of the US military and ranges in ages between 22 and 93. “When we talk about the VFW and what we actually do, we live in a community that is a loving, and a kind, and a giving community,” Royals said. “Without the support of the community in Hamilton County, we would not be able to survive as a post.”
When an individual enters Post 8095, what they find is a family-friendly atmosphere with the sole focus on helping families in the community. There are a total of 161 Posts in the US, but there are only 22 Posts that do not sell alcohol in the facility, and Post 8095 is one of the 13 percent that is dry. “We are one of the 13 percent that does not sell alcohol and we do not allow smoking inside the building,” Jackson noted.
“We are one of the most blessed Posts in the nation because of what we have and how we conduct ourselves in the Post,” Royals added. “We require other individuals that attend the Post to conduct themselves in the same manner. It’s not a local bar. It’s a place of camaraderie.”
While they have many years of service behind them, it’s evident they’re more focused and dedicated to serving their community than ever before. “VFW Post 8095 would not have been able to achieve this award without the support of our community,” Jackson said. “I want to thank our membership for their team effort and continued help.”