Posted: November 13, 2024 --- by Webmaster Chris Christophersen

 

Female veterans, active duty or Honorably Discharged, are invited to join our Post. We need multiple female veterans to expand our VFW Post. Since there are more females than males in the U.S., we want our Post to be more representative. We have a few officers, but we are mostly enlisted.

 

If you come in with some energy and initiative, you could quickly make this your own Post. That is truer than what you may currently believe as there are many opportunities and possibilities to explore with a non-profit that is approved by the U.S. government.

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Posted: November 8, 2024 --- by Webmaster Chris Christophersen

The history of the red Buddy Poppy started in WWI. A Colonel named John McCrae in a moment of contemplation at a graveyard in Flanders Fields Belgium, noticed the wild red poppies growing amid the graves, and was inspired to write a poem to bring a message of confidence to millions of people in the dark days of WWI.

 

It established the red poppy as a symbol of faith and hope in a war-torn world. The poem is called "In Flanders Fields.” The red poppy became symbolic of the blood that was shed in WWI by millions of allied service men & women in defense of freedom. Originally replicas of the red poppy were assembled by hospitalized veterans to use in fundraising to directly benefit disabled and down-and-out American veterans.

 

The term "Buddy Poppy” came about when those veterans assembling the poppies, recognized they were doing it for their "buddies” who had lost their lives serving our country. In 1923, the VFW decided to pay disabled and needy veterans to assemble VFW Buddy Poppies which provided those veterans financial assistance.

 

In 1924, the VFW registered the name "Buddy Poppy” with the U.S. Patent Office and was later issued a certificate granting the VFW all trademark rights in the name "Buddy” in the classification of artificial flowers. That trademark was a guarantee that all poppies bearing the name "VFW Buddy Poppy” were the genuine products of the work of disabled and needy veterans.

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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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