McKenzie’s VFW Post 4939 was treated to a visit from National Commander, Glen Gardner. From left: Co-Chair of the Patriots’ Pen Contest Acie Maynard, Jr., Post 4939’s Auxiliary President Lucille Cozart, National Commander Glen Gardener, State Commander Curtis Cameron, Patriots’ Pen essay winner Curtis Broadbent and Post 4939 Commander Darrell McCadams.

MCKENZIE (February 25) McKenzie’s VFW Post 4939 celebrated the rare honor of having a visit from VFW National Commander Glen Gardner Wednesday afternoon. Many area commanders and veterans were in attendance for the event as Commander Gardner stopped on his sojourn through Tennessee.

Commander Gardner was able to give his briefing on the current state of the VFW and talked about the need and importance of the organization.

“This is a great opportunity to thank each and every one of you for what you do for our organization everyday,” began Gardner. “I’ve had the opportunity to meet with military personnel throughout the United States and with heads of state and ambassadors overseas to talk about veterans and veterans’ issues.”

“We have community, veterans and legislative service departments. We need a military service department (in the VFW). We are in a new war today, because we have so many reservists and national guardsmen being activated.”

He said that he had served as quartermaster in Texas since the beginning of the Iraq conflict. He told of numerous calls he received from wives or family members unable to contact a reservist or guardsman on active duty, due to the disassociation of the National Guard from the armed services.

“We had to fill that void and we now have a full-time military service department in Kansas City that reaches out to the military, reserves, and the National Guard to find out what we can do to help them, so in the future they will join our organization and help us and help themselves preserve their entitlement”.

Approximately 20 million veterans currently are active in the VFW, according to Gardner. Commander Gardner spoke of the numbers of membership, saying, “It’s anticipated that within 25-30 years, the number of veterans in the United States will be below 5 million. We have to make sure that the future of (today’s soldiers’) voices and their entitlement lies within veterans’ organizations, like the VFW.” He continued, urging members to participate in community activities, such as the Patriots’ Pen program. “I believe that if we are active in the community that the veterans of this country will join this organization and help preserve our strength for the future.”

Commander Gardner concluded, saying “We must work today to build a foundation for the future. As long as there is one young man or woman wearing the uniform of the Armed Forces of the United States, there is a need and purpose for the Veterans of Foreign Wars and we can never forget that.”

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