Newly elected Commander Chuck Donahue was stunned in November of 2012 when he learned that his friend and associate had completely drained the Sultan Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post No. 2554 bank account. Over $90,000 in funds meant to support veterans experiencing financial hardship and provide scholarships for local high school students was gone, funneled out of the account over a six-year time frame.
Determined to keep the post forging ahead, Chuck and his wife Judy dug in their heels and went to work. They contacted as many VFW members as they could find, notifying them of what had occurred. They spread word that without immediate financial intervention, the post would not survive.
"We had 11 men show up that night that hadn't been to meetings in years,GÇ¥ Chuck said.
Of the 11 attendees, four donated enough money to keep the post alive. Once news of the embezzlement hit the media in 2013, donations from the public came forward, helping to sustain the post until a portion of the stolen funds could be reimbursed via the post's bonding company.
"We actually got $1,200 from one individual because I had told the media that we didn't have the funds to continue with the scholarship,GÇ¥ Chuck said. "Then the public started sending funds. I think we ended up somewhere around $3,300 from the public and that was enough to carry us.GÇ¥
Many honors in 2015
Less than three years later, instead of struggling, Sultan's Post No. 2554 is flourishing. Membership is climbing rather than dwindling, and the VFW's emergence onto social media has served to further bolster the post's level of community engagement. Its thrice-yearly newsletter, edited by Judy, won 1st Place Newsletter at the state and national level in both 2014 and 2015, and this year, the post was recognized as District 1 Post of the Year, All-State Post and All American Post.
Its 150 percent retention and recruiting rate was acknowledged as the highest in the state, and in July, the post received notification from the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States that Chuck had achieved All American status as a Post Commander.
"The All American Commanders have obtained this honor based on their outstanding achievements in membership growth and participation in VFW programs,GÇ¥ wrote VFW National Commander John Stroud in a press release. "They are a fine example of VFW leadership. Their hard work and dedication to the mission and values of our organization has rightly earned them this great honor.GÇ¥
Chuck and Judy traveled to the National Convention in Pittsburgh, Pa., to accept the honor. He was one of only 130 VFW Commanders worldwide to be awarded All American Commander status.
Chuck credits the post's success to its members, who have demonstrated unwavering support. After years of struggling to achieve a five-person quorum, Sultan's VFW boasts 54 members with several potential members in the pipeline. He credits dedicated members like Junior Vice Commander Joe Stone, who has established a dynamic online presence for the VFW, including a webpage, blog and Facebook page. He also credits the Sultan Ladies Auxiliary, of which his wife Judy is currently the president. His daughter JoAnn serves as the treasurer.
"I feel really proud of everybody in our post,GÇ¥ Chuck said. "We've come a long ways from two-and-a-half years ago.GÇ¥
The post was additionally honored with the Fred C. Hall Memorial Outstanding Post Special Project Award, for Sultan VFW Auxiliary member Christina Sivewright's popular American flag project. As a result of Sivewright's project, Sultan's Main Street is lined with American flags any time there's a holiday or special community event.
VFW members and community volunteers work together to place and retire the flags.
Founded in 1899 and chartered by the United States Congress is 1936, the VFW is a nonprofit organization dedicated to veterans' service, community outreach and veteran advocacy. In order to be eligible for VFW membership, a veteran must have served in a combat zone. Eligibility is typically confirmed via review of the veteran's DD214, the document issued when a military service member is discharged from active duty.
Spouses and relatives of VFW members are eligible to join the Ladies Auxiliary to the VFW, which in the upcoming months will simply be known as the VFW Auxiliary, per a resolution passed at the national level. Once the transition is complete, male spouses and family members will be allowed to join the Auxiliary, thus necessitating the name change.
A Vietnam veteran
Chuck served in the United States Army from 1966 through 1968. Drafted when he was 19 years old, he was sent to the Fort Ord Army Post in Monterey, Calif. for basic and advanced training in transportation. Closed since 1994, the former army post is now designated as the Fort Ord National Monument.
Once he completed training, he was able to come home for a couple weeks before traveling to the Oakland Army Base. From there, he was deployed to Vietnam.
"At the time there was only two places they were sending the guys; either Germany or Vietnam,GÇ¥ Chuck said. "The majority was Vietnam.GÇ¥
He served in Vietnam for one year, from 1966 through 1967. Initially stationed in Cam Ranh Bay for approximately three months, he was among a platoon of service-members sent to support the Phan Rang Air Base, which was located roughly 28 miles to the south. Once there, he was tasked with transporting supplies offloaded from Navy ships roughly eight miles from the base. The Navy used tank-landing ships, also known as LSTs, which would carry ammunition, bombs and other cargo, depositing it directly onto the nearby shoreline.
"A lot of what I hauled was bombs and ammunition, so it was pretty nerve-wracking,GÇ¥ Chuck said. "You didn't really think a lot about it, but yet it was on your mind.GÇ¥
The journey at times became treacherous, as villagers located midway on the route would maliciously interfere with his mission, in hopes of destroying the cargo. Often taking place after dark, his pilgrimage would be stymied by debris that villagers had placed in the roadway. Chuck would have to physically remove the obstructions himself, using light from the truck's headlights so that he could see what he was doing. He rode with a "shotgun rider,GÇ¥ who would remain inside the vehicle, hidden in shadows.
"We caught fire a few times,GÇ¥ Chuck said. "You could see the tracers flying close to us.GÇ¥
After about four months of supporting the Phan Rang Air Base, he returned to Cam Ranh Bay for the remainder of his tour. After returning to the United States, he was stationed at Fort Lewis, thus fulfilling his military commitment.
"I was proud to serve. I can't deny that. It was nice to serve our country, but sure as heck didn't appreciate the way we were treated when we came home,GÇ¥ Chuck said. "I've never seen anything like it. We were spit on; we were called baby killers.GÇ¥
When out in public, veterans were made to feel ashamed of their military service. Rather than being proud of having served their country, they worked to hide it.
"You sure as heck didn't want to have anything on you that said you were military,GÇ¥ Chuck said. "It was one of those situations where you pretty well kept it secret.GÇ¥
Fortunately, his VFW membership has enabled him to come to terms with some of that hardship. The great thing about belonging to the VFW, explained Chuck, is that they've all been there. They've all experienced life in a combat zone, and can easily relate to one another. Even more significantly, they've all had to re-integrate into civilian life, after surviving a combat zone.
A Gold Bar resident since 2001, Chuck is grateful for the camaraderie he has found in the VFW, and is grateful to have his wife Judy by his side. Married since 1970, Chuck and Judy will celebrate their 45th wedding anniversary in September with an ocean getaway.
In addition to its yearly scholarship program, Sultan VFW Post No. 2554 advocates for veterans and participates in many local community events including all veteran-related events, Sultan Summer Shindig and the Sultan Easter Egg Hunt. The group meets at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of every month in the Volunteers of America A-frame (617 1st Street) in Sultan, with Auxiliary meetings taking place at the same time.
Chuck is hopeful that eventually, the post will be able to secure its own location.
For more information on Post No. 2554, please visit the Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/SultanVFW2554?fref=ts, or the webpage at: http://www.sultanvfw2554.org/home. To contact Chuck directly, email him at: chuckles.donahue@comcast.net
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