Posted: October 27, 2024 --- by Webmaster Chris Christophersen

 

5 days ago would have been the 78th birthday of our former Sr. Vice Commander and my brother, Ken Christophersen. As life evolved, it so happened that Ken became key to my life --- a result that I had never envisioned even in the weirdest of unforeseen events. Yet, as unexpected and unwanted as they were, those unforeseen events occurred.

 

Ken is survived by his wife Janice and his 4 children: Tara, Karl, Erik & Bjorn. None of whom maintain a meaningful relationship with me --- something that happens when there are significant absences of coexistence. Another unanticipated event has occurred whereas Ken's wife has become key to my survival. I did not see that coming.

 

Tara, who I have not seen since she was 6, has not been in regular communication with any family member to my knowledge, even after her mother passed away, a year or so ago. I do not know if she is still working at the Lynnwood Costco --- or if she is still alive. I do not think she ever married.

 

Karl is married to Jenny, and they live in Auburn with their 2 kids: Hailey & Joel. Erik is married to Priscilla, and they live in Everett with their 3 kids: Savanna, Serena & Sariah. Bjorn is married to Carol, and they live in Seattle with their 1-year-old son: Lucas. They are all healthy and doing quite well.

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Posted: October 20, 2024 --- by Webmaster Chris Christophersen

Female veterans, active duty or Honorably Discharged, are invited to join our Post. Preferably multiple female veterans to form their own unit within the post. Since there are more females than males in the U.S., you are encouraged to show it. 

 

If you come in with some energy and initiative, this could quickly make this your Post. That is more true than you may currently believe as there are many opportunities and possibilities to explore.

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Posted: October 4, 2024 --- by Webmaster Chris Christophersen

 

With no official support from VFW Post 3348 Officers & Trustees, Post Commander Tiffany Bothell has decided that VFW Post 3348 should move to the Starr Sutherland American Legion Post 227 building in Shoreline. Years ago, we had met there for over a year under a written agreement signed by key officers of each Post. We moved out when our written agreement was betrayed.

 

Back then, a former newly elected American Legion 227 Post Commander had determined, with no negotiations with VFW Post 3348 officers, that our VFW Post should pay double what we were paying them. We set up a meeting with said Commander and showed him our agreement signed by his fellow Shoreline American Legion Post 227 officers --- who did not stand by their agreement.

 

His comment was, "I didn't sign it. If you don't like it, get out" --- of course he did not sign it because he was not even there --- however he did not understand that being Post Commander meant abiding by earlier agreements his Post had made. We have learned that a written agreement with Shoreline American Legion Post 227 is not worth the paper upon which it was written.

 

Tiffany is also the Chaplain for Shoreline American Legion Post 227. She has not gotten anything in writing from senior officers of American Legion Post 227 stating under what terms, they would accept VFW Post 3348 moving back. Instead, Tiffany has been talking with the American Legion Post 227 Commander Charles Grenard about this.

 

The glaring omission is that there are 2 very key officers in an American Legion Post 227 --- their Finance Officer and their Adjutant --- from whom there is no agreement on what the acceptable terms are for VFW Post 3348 to move back. Interestinghly enough both these officers are held by one member of Shoreline American Legion Post 227 who is also a member of VFW Post 3348. 

 

Unlike VFW, American Legion has no limit on the officer positions that any one member can hold. The American Legion Post 227 Finance Officer and Adjutant and webmaster is Earl Thompson. The first 2 of those 3 officers are required to sign any written agreement made by Shoreline American Legion Post 227.

 

Earl is also a member of Vietnam Veterans of America, and he is who pays the bills for the Heroes Cafe in Shoreline. Earl is very busy and obviously talented. At our VFW Post 3348 meetings, when Tiffany brings up moving to the Shoreline American Legion Post 227 building, with no official agreement from the VFW Officers & Trustees, Earl sits there listening and saying nothing.

 

What I have, as the Past VFW Post 3348 Commander for 13 years, told Tiffany is that she needs to get the officers of American Legion Post 227 to write an agreement, with some assurances we would be safe, sign it and send it to the officers of VFW Post 3348 for their consideration.

 

Personally, I have not heard or seen anything from the 2 key members of American Legion Post 227 who are also members of VFW Post 3348 --- Earl Thompson or Larry Fischer (Past American Legion 227 Post Commander) if they, regardless of the terms, support VFW Post 3348 moving back to their building.

 

Historical perspective. Before any of this happened, when I was Post Commander of VFW Post 3348, I was approached by an officer of Starr Sutherland American Legion Post 227 in Shoreline, who shared his dream with me that he wanted to make the Shoreline American Legion Post 227 building the "Veterans Center" of Seattle.

 

He invited me and then VFW Post 3348 Quartermaster, Thom Fremstad, to an American Legion Post 227 meeting. They voted to accept VFW Post 3348 moving our meeting to their building and the top 2 officers of each Post signed an agreement stating what were the terms.

 

Additionally, VFW Post 3348 was allowed to put up a VFW Post 3348 sign on their building. Unfortunately, he moved to Nebraska. Years after we stopped meeting there, due to the above-mentioned betrayal, Shoreline American Legion Post 227 fell into disarray --- going months with no officers --- nearly losing their charter

 

What saved Shoreline American Legion Post 227 was an incredibly commendable job done by Larry Fischer --- who not only became Post Commander and stabilized Shoreline American Legion Post 227 --- but he also found Earl Thompson, a retired U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer, who has been a godsend to Shoreline American Legion Post 227.

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