POST & AUXILIARY MEETINGS

3RD Thursday both 7 p.m.

Benson VFW Post 2503

JANUARY 2021 www.VFWPost2503.org

(402)-571-8397

POST 2503 OFFICERS 2020-2021 Commander: Larry Quilliam

Sr. Vice Commander: Al Dorn Jr. Vice Commander: Sharon Cooper

Quartermaster: Dan Raabe Chaplain: Dennis Kerr

Surgeon: Terrence White Judge Advocate: Tom Penke

Officer of the Day: Mike Rosso Adjutant: Leigh Freeman

Guard: Ron Karm Service Officer: Bob Brown

AUXILIARY OFFICERS 2020-2021

President: Lynn Krause

Sr. Vice President: Micky Dorn

Jr. Vice President: Judy Erb

Treasurer: Sue Stark

Secretary: Luanne Rosso

Chaplain: Nora Van Cleave

Conductress: Marcia Jones

Guard: Linda Humphrey

Patriotic Instructor: Luanne Rosso

Honor Guard Meeting

2nd Thursday every month

7:00 pm

From the Auxiliary President

Hello Auxiliary Members:

Remember to pay your dues. Loyally Submitted

Lynn Krause, President 402-553-7562

From the Commander

Greetings to you all! We are closing out 2020 with great relief and looking

forward to 2021 with hope and optimism for our members

and the Post. Despite the shut down for two months and

significant reduction in member participation, the Post has

managed to stay financially healthy. We have accomplished

some significant repairs on the building while keeping our

operating costs in check. Quartermaster Dan Raabe and

Past Commander Mike Rosso deserve our sincere thanks.

If Omaha and the State of Nebraska continue to make

progress on Covid-19, the Post is replacing our New Year’s

Eve dinner dance with a Valentine’s Eve dinner dance on

Saturday the 13th

of February. Dinner will be between 5 and

7 PM. Starting at 7:30 you can all dance the night away

while listening to the band Ground Zero, which played at

the Post on Veteran’s Day. The sale of tickets for the event

will start in mid-January. More details regarding the menu

and the cost for the Valentine’s Eve dinner will be posted

on the Post’s website and Facebook page in January.

Great news…Darts are back! The canceled Dart Tournament

of March 2020 will be held on Saturday January 9th

at 1 PM!

At the end of the 2020 Dart Tournament, a champion will be

crowned! Hot dogs and pizza will be sold during the

tournament. The 2021 Dart season will start the following

Tuesday, January 12th

at 7 PM. Following the Dart season,

we will start up Corn-Hole on Tuesday evenings and

continue until late spring. Instead of a season champion

like we have for Darts, Corn-Hole will have weekly winners.

We look forward to a great turnout with lots of laughs and

fun.

—Continued on page 2—

ROOM RENTALS at VFW POST 2503

NEW RATES: NORTH ROOM . . . . . $400

SOUTH ROOM . . . . . $300

EVEN LE$$ WITH THE VFW MEMBER

DISCOUNT

Please keep in mind that the Post is available

for your meetings and party plans,

Monday through Friday during the day.

WEEKENDS, TOO!

Contact Geri Brown at 402-943-9067

to reserve your date. Spread the word to

your friends and family.

The Post’s rooms look great decorated for

weddings, birthdays, and graduation parties.

BENSON POST 2503 POPPY DRIVE

2020-2021 YEAR

Due to social distancing we will not be having a Poppy Drive at local stores as in the past.

There will be Poppy Canisters on some of the tables at the Post home drop your donation for the Disabled Veterans in the

can and grab a Poppy.

If you want a POPPY Card displayed on the POPPY CARD/Memorial wall in the meeting room please complete the following

sheet and return to the Post with your donation. Please consider a minimum of $5.00 OR MORE for the cost of supplies and

the Donation to the Relief Fund.

NAME ON THE POPPY CARD

_____________________________________________________________________________

IN MEMORY OF IF DECEASED YES______NO_______

Questions? Contact Post Poppy Chairman - Gary Krause 402-681-0364

From the Commander

—Continued from page 1—

The Post’s monthly breakfast will be Sunday, January 10th

from 8 AM to NOON. The menu will

consist of corned beef hash and eggs. Joe Bohelski and his team do a fantastic job. Add this

event to your calendar and be sure to attend. Those who have come to breakfast in the past have

always given it a Five Star event!

In anticipation of the Post’s 90th

year anniversary, which is April 29, 2022, we would like to put to-

gether a Rejuvenation Committee by the third week of January to help work on the remodeling of

the interior of the Post. The Rejuvenation Business Plan will be presented to the full Building

Committee for review and approval sometime in mid-January. Phase 1 would involve sprucing up

the North Room. This would include: 1) replacing the ceiling tiles; 2) painting the walls; 3) replac-

ing the carpet and/or linoleum flooring; 4) replacing the folding doors that separate the two rooms;

and 5) replacing the tables used to serve food on Hamburger nights and other uses, such as for

weddings, banquets, and funerals. Phase 2 would include updating the bar located in the Canteen.

Phase 3 would include updating the South Room used mainly by the members of the Post and the

Ladies Sewing Group. The Rejuvenation Committee would be responsible for assisting in the

selection of materials and improvements to the interior of the building. If you are interested in

serving on that committee, please contact the Quartermaster Dan Raabe or me soon.

In 2021 we need our members to return to our Post and participate in our activities. I hope to call each of you in the months ahead to check on your wellbeing and encourage you to join us. Our Post is here to serve you and help provide welfare for our Veterans. Members at Post 2503 should be proud of the service of our Honor Guard, the Auxiliary, all the hard-working volunteers, and our accomplishments in serving needy veterans. Follow our calendar of events on our website or Facebook page and enjoy the best VFW in Nebraska.

The Post depends on your active support.

Sincerely,

Larry Quilliam

VFW Post 2503 Commander

This is the

M-1 Garand

Rifle, the

standard U.S.

service rifle

during World

War II, the

Korean War,

and limited

service in the

Vietnam War.

Join the Post

2503 Honor

Guard to fire

this rifle,

providing

Military Honors

to deceased

veterans.

CHAPLAIN’S MESSAGE: PRECIOUS

We the People need to treat our time here on earth as

precious.

This is a New Year, so let’s be observant of the

common good in the USA.

We have a short time here on this precious earth.

Psalms 103:15-16: Our days are few and brief, like

grass, like flowers, blown by the wind and gone forever.

Have a blessed New Year of 2021!

Your Fellow Short-Timer,

Rev Rod

POST 2503 OUTREACH COMMITTEE FOR VETERANS

AND PROUD SUPPORTER of

MOVING VETERANS FORWARD

Post 2503 Outreach Committee will meet for the first time on January 10, 2021, at Noon. Members Vicki Freeman, Mary Dalton-Quilliam, and Kathy Raabe, and other interested Post or Auxiliary members are welcome to come listen to ideas and share their own, too. There are many local Veterans organizations in need of help, and we are hoping to have some of them send information or a representative to that meeting.

If you cannot attend, please let Kathy Raabe (kfr14819@cox.net) know you're interested. Send your contact information, and we'll see you at the next meeting. Thank you!

Moving Veterans Forward collected small electric appliances during December to stockpile supplies for when those appliances no longer work for a Veteran in his or her apartment. We will still collect these items: Coffee Pots, Electric Can Openers, and Hand Held Blenders.

New Items for January, 2021: Cleaning Supplies, Ajax or Soft Scrub, Bleach, Sponge Mops, Buckets, Windex, Cleaning Rags, Brooms and Dust Pans, Toilet Bowl Cleaners and Brushes, Laundry Detergent (Prefer Pods Only, they're easier to divide up among several apartments), Fabric Softener, Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. How good it will make our Veterans feel when they can keep their new apartments clean.

Questions? Please contact Kathy Raabe (kfr14819@cox.net). Thank you all for your continued generosity.

Your donations are making a difference in Veteran's lives.

YOU’RE WRONG!

Honor Guard members do NOT have to

participate in every Honor Guard event.

Your commitment is 15 events per year.

. . . . now what’s your excuse?

Please call me. Let’s talk.

Thomas Penke

Honor Guard Captain

402-619-6057

mailto:kfr14819@cox.netmailto:kfr14819@cos.net

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Non-Profit Org

U.S. Postage

PAID

Permit #610

Omaha, NE

V.F.W. Post 2503

8904 Military Road

Omaha, NE 68134

NOTICE: All articles should be in the Newsletter Box, IN WRITING, at the Post

no later than SATURDAY, JANUARY 23rd, for the FEBRUARY Newsletter. If articles are not submitted by the deadline, they will have to wait for the next newsletter. Thank

you.

From Your Honor Guard Captain Tom Penke

MILITARY RITES: NOVEMBER 2020

Military Members Deceased Cemetery # Hours

11/03/2020 Furlow, Otis Omaha National 7 21 11/04/2020 Anderson, Weston Omaha National 7 21 11/04/2020 Benskin, Donald Omaha National 7 21 11/06/2020 Riesberg, LeRoy Omaha National 8 24 11/06/2020 Coyne, Jerome Omaha National 9 27 11/07/2020 Lost Brothers Run Mount Hope 5 15 11/09/2020 Johnston, George St. Vincent de Paul 8 24 11/09/2020 Dickerson, David Omaha National 8 24 11/09/2020 Paul, Gary Omaha National 8 24 11/12/2020 Mahoney, Michael Omaha National 9 27 11/13/2020 Andrews, William Forest Lawn 8 24 11/14/2020 Rudeen, Russell Westlawn 9 27 11/16/2020 Semroska, Edward Omaha National 6 18 11/16/2020 Russell, David Omaha National 6 18 11/17/2020 Kryger, Darrell Resurrection 9 27 11/18/2020 Sellers, Kenneth Omaha National 7 21 11/19/2020 Houlton, James Calvary 9 27 11/19/2020 Wolfe, Clifford Omaha National 9 27 11/20/2020 Rhodig, Eldon Omaha National 12 36 11/20/2020 Nimrod, Michael Good Shepard 8 24 11/21/2020 White, Edward Forest Lawn 9 27 11/24/2020 Finnern, Robert Westlawn 10 30 11/24/2020 Digilio, John Holy Sepulchre 10 30 11/24/2020 VanDriver, Clayton Omaha National 10 30 11/25/2020 Murdoch, Elmer Omaha National 8 24 11/30/2020 Horn, Jerry Omaha National 8 24 11/30/2020 Bailey, Leon Omaha National 9 27 11/30/2020 Krabbenhoft, Glenn Mount Auburn 9 27 *Post Member

Months’ Total: 27 Funerals, 227 Member Participation, 681 Hours

SEE INSIDE FOR:

DART TOURNAMENT

SUNDAY BREAKFAST

DART SEASON

M-1 GARAND RIFLE

HONOR GUARD - Thank you to all the dedicated Honor Guard members for their participation. We still are in a need for new members for the Honor Guard. If you need information on how to sign up, ask one of the Honor Guard members. We will help you. Thank You for your service. Capt. Tom Penke/ Honor Guard Captain

Name_____________________________________________

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

The Post is selling Memorial Bricks around the memorial walk and flag. Memorial Bricks are being sold by Post 2503 to be put around the outside 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 spaces per line, 3 lines, and cost $60.00 per brick.

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED