UPDATE: Will VFW Have To Close? All Veterans Invited to Meet ‘n’ Greet Saturday, March 12 at 11 a.m.

UPDATE — Frazier Park, CA (Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at 7 p.m.)— Due to the National Weather Service forecast for possible snow and ice on Friday and Saturday, the VFW coordinators have changed the meeting date for veterans and their families to March 12 at 11 a.m. This Breaking News item has been updated to reflect that change. Please see the story in this week’s  March 4 issue of The Mountain Enterprise, on newsstands and in mailboxes on Thursday, March 3.

Frazier Park, CA (Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at 2 p.m.)—The Veterans of Foreign Wars Frazier Park Post 9791 is at a moment of crisis. They are calling upon veterans of the mountain to come together to a meeting this Saturday, March [12]  at 11 a.m. to help decide with the remaining officers of Post 9791 about closing what has been a pillar of the Mountain Community for seventy-five years

The recent deaths of four long-time supporters of the local VFW and its community service efforts has left the current board of officers considering if there is enough support to meet their charter requirements.

The Post Commander, Gilbert “Gil” Valenzuela passed from complications of covid-19 in December 2021. John Lee Dever died January 11, 2022. David “Dave” Hicks (a Vietnam Veteran) also passed this past year, as did champion VFW Auxiliary supporter Dolores “Dee” Bumgardner, who died in April 2021. Her family and the Devers—DiAnn and John—were core to the fundraising efforts of VFW Bingo Night. Bumgardner flipped flapjacks at the VFW Pancake breakfasts for over 20 years, and loved passing out VFW scholarships to Frazier Mountain High School graduates.

A new generation of veterans—women and men together— has an opportunity now to take over the VFW  so it can continue its mission to serve the Mountain Community, local families, graduating high school students in need of scholarship assistance, and ailing veterans who need encouragement, comfort and support.

The VFW Hall is the white building behind Don’s Liquor Market at 612 Canada Trail, Frazier Park, 93225.

Note: A correction has been made to details of this story in regard to the passing of John Dever. He died January 11, 2022.

 

This is part of the February 25, 2022 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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