Memorial Day events/closures
Memorial Day is Monday, May 30, and the following entities will be closed:
• Federal, state and city offices
• Clallam Transit, no routes
• Sequim Library
• Sequim Post Office
• Sequim School District
• Area banks and credit unions
The following veterans groups will hold remembrance ceremonies:
• Sequim VFW/American Legion Memorial Day ceremony, 11 a.m. Sequim View Cemetery
• American Legion ceremonies: 11:30 a.m., Jamestown Cemetery; noon, Dungeness Cemetery; 12:45 p.m. Blue Mountain Cemetery.
by Mary Powell
For the Sequim Gazette
Editor’s note: The following article on Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4760 ran in the Fall 2015 issue of Living on the Peninsula and features an interview with longtime member Dean Geddes, who died April 22, 2016, at the age of 94.
It’s the third Saturday in August and that can only mean one thing at the VFW Post 4760 in Sequim: time to slip on a pair of dancing shoes and tear up the dance floor. The Old Sidekicks, a local bluegrass and country music group, are tuned up and ready for a crowd of veterans and everyday folks who love to dance and enjoy one another’s company, both of which are plentiful on the first and third Saturdays of the month.
Depending on the time of year, the dancers can be few or many. Being in the midst of some hot August nights in Sequim, the dance floor wasn’t particularly full on this Saturday, but that didn’t mean a good time wasn’t had by all in attendance.
Richard and Frances Becker are longtime fans of the twice-monthly dances. They and their friend Richard Lohrman sat at the bar adjacent to the dance floor, nursing a beer and greeting old friends as they came in the door. The two Richards have been friends for years, both having served Vietnam. The VFW, they say, is a good place for entertainment and conversation and a multitude of services designed especially for veterans.
Undoubtedly, dancing isn’t the only objective of the Veteran of Foreign Wars organization. According to its national charter, the purpose of the VFW is fraternal, patriotic, historical, charitable and educational. Under those provisions, priority issues include Veterans Administration health care, assistance with furthering educational goals, raising funds for charitable organizations, employment services and of course, troop support.
Barry Adams, Post 4760 commander, ties it all together in a succinct statement: “Our primary purpose is to help veterans.” Sounds simple enough, but it results in a lot of work, from the national VFW organization down to the smallest posts throughout the country.
Lest you think that translates to a paycheck for people like Adams, he and nearly everyone who serves at a VFW post does so as a volunteer. The only paid person is civilian secretary Tiffany Van Selus, a helpful woman whose office is surrounded by stacks of papers, books and just plain stuff relating to veterans.
Adams has been post commander for a mere two months, taking the place of former Commander Tristan Ryan. A veteran of wars and conflicts in Grenada, Panama, Bosnia and the Gulf War, Adams will turn 50 in November. A tall, quiet man (he didn’t want his photo taken), he is at his desk in his somewhat disheveled office on the second floor of the VFW post in downtown Sequim.
The rather nondescript, yet familiar building that fills the corner of 169 E. Washington St., is a treasure trove of military memorabilia, a spacious cocktail bar with adjoining dance floor, meeting rooms, offices, a clothing room stuffed with donated clothes, free for the taking, and a large kitchen with an adjacent dining hall.
Historians show the building was constructed in the 1890s and was first called the Farmer’s Hall, which was the center of Sequim’s social, cultural and economic life. The VFW Post 4760 was established in 1945 and began serving veterans and their families by 1946. Although the building has been updated a few times, Adams admits it could use more remodeling. For now, that’s on the wish list, but funding is a huge roadblock.
All VFW posts are under the auspices of the national organization and specifically the National Council of Administration, which is comprised of elected national offers. Collectively the council is responsible for administering the affairs and transacting the business of the VFW in the intervals between annual VFW conventions. John A. Biedrzycki was elected Commander-in-Chief of the VFW on July 22, 2015, at the VFW’s 116th National Convention held in Pittsburgh, Pa.
That said, each of the approximately 7,400 posts “runs itself,” to quote Adams. No funding comes from on high. The money comes from canteen proceeds, donations, Sunday breakfast (open to the public) and perhaps most important, from the Ladies Auxiliary.
There are about 500 members at Post 4760, representing all wars and conflicts since World War II. A lifetime membership costs $40 per year.
Ladies Auxiliary of VFW Post 4760
The Ladies Auxiliary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars was established in 1914 to serve the veterans of the United States and communities in honor of the sacrifices and commitment of every man and woman who has served in uniform.
Every VFW post has a Ladies Auxiliary whose members support the post. These women live by the motto “Honor the dead by helping the living.”
Here in Sequim, at Post 4760, the Ladies Auxiliary is 168 members strong.
“We work hand-in-hand with the post, mainly fundraising to support the post,” explains Auxiliary president Alicia Brown.
This truly is an ambitious group of women, organizing such fundraisers as selling cookbooks (all recipes come from Auxiliary members), supporting the National Home for Children by collecting Campbell’s Soup labels, providing Sunday breakfast, again, open to anyone who wants to sit down to a delicious breakfast with veterans and friends, bake sales and a weekly bingo game, proceeds of which go toward local scholarships, cancer support and hospital and veteran relief.
A major fundraiser is the distribution of Buddy Poppies. This handmade symbol provides a great way to honor those who died by helping their comrades who are now in need.
Brown points out the Ladies Auxiliary is not necessarily for those who have been in the service, but for spouses, daughters, granddaughters and relatives of those who have served.
Then there’s Dean Geddes
The “Face of the VFW” is what Adams calls his good buddy Dean Geddes. Geddes likes to fish and hang out at Sequim VFW Post 4760, not just hang out, but really get involved. When I met him, he was peering at old, yellowed floor plans of the VFW building. This in anticipation of a future remodel.
“If anyone can read these, Dean can,” quips Adams. “He’s going on 200 years old.”
Well, not quite. Geddes will be 94 in October, is a retired electrical contractor and knows a great deal about the VFW building. He has, after all, been a member since 1999, and before that participated in the organization in Seattle and Mexico, where the family lived for several years.
“I started an American Legion Post down there,” he offers.
Geddes is a friendly fellow, quiet but quick to joke and laugh. He says he and his wife have no complaints, except for the getting old part. The couple moved from Seattle to Sequim in 1999 and thoroughly enjoy life in the area.
His is a familiar face at the Sequim Post. Having been a national VFW officer and a commander at the Greenwood Post in Seattle, he knows his VFW stuff, that’s for sure. Now, Adams trusts Geddes to keep track of all the funds that come in.
Geddes is a World War II veteran, having joined the Army in 1939 at the age of 17. He was with the 11th Airborne and remembers doing a “lot of parachuting.” He was honorably discharged in 1946, after which he used the GI Bill to attend college.
“The VFW is very important to veterans,” Geddes maintains. “It helps with car payments, PUD payments, whatever.”
However, both Geddes and Adams worry about the future of the VFW.
“There are not a lot of vets who come in here,” Adams says. “A lot of locals, but not a lot of vets. Vets tend to stick to themselves.”
Geddes agrees, saying when he was a VFW commander, things were different. “We were all World War II veterans, we enjoyed getting together, having a place to go.”
That’s probably key to why they worry about keeping the doors open.
What’s next?
After only a few months as commander, Adams is finding out the position is a busy and often, frustrating one. Goals include getting more younger veterans in the building and involved with the organization.
“In this day and age,” he says, “the next generation thinks the VFW is an old folks home.”
Another goal is to open the clothing room to include anyone in Sequim.
“If anybody is need of clothing, not just vets,” he contends, “we would like to have them be able to take advantage of what we have.”
Conversely, if anyone has clothing to donate, VFW Post 4760 is a good place to do so.
Adams’ present project is trying to start a support group for those suffering from Post Traumatic Syndrome Disorder or PTSD. In fact, while talking, his phone rang several times concerning the project.
“It’s turning out to be a bit more difficult than I thought,” he laments. “I hope it works out, it’s something I think we need here.”
But, Adams again reminds the primary purpose of the VFW is to help veterans in any way possible.
Go dance, eat breakfast, wear a poppy, buy a cookbook, take advantage of what’s offered at your local VFW post.
