Under new leadership, VFW keeps going
The VFW Hall in Osburn will be the site of a Stand Down event this weekend during their monthly breakfast. Stand Downs are events that provide veterans with a broad range of necessities such as clothing, food, and basic health services.
Photo by ARiANA McDONALD
OSBURN — The Osburn VFW Post 1675 is looking for any and all veterans to join their ranks.
As everyone begins coming out of their COVID hibernation, Post Commander Chris Marker knows that there are some vets out there who haven’t joined the VFW and would like to see them as they begin holding their monthly meetings and fundraising events again.
The last three months have been brutal for the organization, as quarantines and closures forced them to cancel their monthly events, including their regular fundraisers which keep the lights on.
“Monthly Breakfast is our big income for the month and allows the VFW to pay their bills,” Marker said. “With the COVID-19 pandemic, we have missed out on three months of revenue.”
Marker is hoping to add some new events that will reinvigorate the community and their support of the VFW, including Wednesday night bingo, summer fish fries, PotLuck Sunday Football, a chili cook-off for Veteran’s Day, as well as a Buddy Poppy Drive.
Historically, the VFW has mobilized in full force on Memorial Day, but with COVID-19 in full effect, only a small number of the Post’s members were able to get together and place flags at the many cemeteries throughout Shoshone County.
For Marker, he just hopes to get the Post back to some semblance of normalcy and then work on growing.
One of the biggest things he wants to stress is that the VFW is really an organization that thrives on being involved in the community and welcomes their support.
“Our breakfast is open to the public and would like to see as many people as possible and even have some fun,” Marker said. “We are very mindful of the current situation and if you do not feel ready we understand. My main goals as Commander are membership, community and helping our veterans.”
Marker and Co. will be hosting their first breakfast later this month on June 27 at 7:30 a.m., and then moving forward they will have their meetings on every fourth Thursday of the month at 5:30 p.m. (6:30 p.m. this month) at the VFW Hall in Osburn.
Marker, a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Army is excited to be back in his home.
“I was born and raised in North Idaho, after retiring from the military, I came back,” Marker said. “There’s no better place to live in the world.”
The Osburn VFW would also like to thank the Wallace Elks for their generous donation during the pandemic.