WHAT:  RMGA MEMBERSHIP MEETING – Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #1


WHEN:  October 10, 2016, 6:30 pm – Networking, 7:00pm – Short Meeting, 7:15pm – History and Tour of the Veterans of Foreign #1 (VFW POST 1) facility. 


WHERE:  841 Santa Fe Drive, Denver, CO 80204

PROGRAM:  Marsha Harrison will present the VFW POST 1 history and will give us a tour of the facility. 

Guide Line Review


Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post #1


Marcia Harrison was introduced and, in turn, introduced several officers of VFW #1 who each gave us a short presentation of some of the information about the Post.

Among those who presented were: Gene Jaffe – Treasurer, John Harry – Post Commander 2016-2017 – Air Force – served in Korea and the Middle East, Michael Mitchell – Jr. Post Commander, John Holland – Current Adjutant and Past Chaplain, Allen Jaffe – District #1 Chaplain and part of the all Veterans’ Honor Guard at Fort Logan – also a US Navy Vietnam war veteran, and Sam and Elizabeth – both Post Officers who incidentally are to be married on October 17, 2016!

Michael Mitchel actually purchased the current building which is now the location of VFW Post #1 – the first VFW in the country.  The building dates from 1893 and may have been a department store and later a NAPA auto parts store and then an independent auto parts warehouse in the 1980s and 1990s.  Previously the Post was located at 9th and Bannock.  At that location there was a classic neon sign outside the building – dating from the 1940s.  That sign was put in storage, the storage company was later sold, sign thrown away!!! The sign has been recovered and refurbished and was delivered this week (10/17/16) to the Santa Fe location and will be reinstalled at some future time.  The podium is from the 1930s

The current building is in the Santa Fe Art District and so the building does support art exhibits – 80% of which are done by veterans.  Jim, an artist who is legally blind runs the Veterans’ Art Gallery.  The current campaign is to renovate the building, offices, and restrooms.  The saloon is available to rent for special events.  There is a rail donated by the Union Pacific Railroad that was made in September 1917 in Pueblo.  The flag flew on Armistice Day in 1918 and a flag from 1876 that was donated. 

The post also supports yoga classes (instructors are Marines), meditation and tai chi and several other activities at the Post.  They also do veterans’ care – every branch of the service is welcome.   The 9 Health Care Fair was created by WWII corpsmen.  To become a member – they must have been deployed overseas and must have served honorably in a USA branch of service (foreign soldiers are not eligible).  Korea (north and south) have an armistice between the two countries – no treaty has been signed.  There is also peer mentoring – gateway “drug” to therapy. 

Basic programs include:

  • Memorial Day – read names of those lost followed by a picnic for members and their families
  • Voices of Democracy and Patriots Pen – both of these are for high school students
  • Veterans’ Day Parade – with a program at Union Station
  • Founders’ Day – an annual celebration of the VFW – this year will be on December 4, 2016 on the 8th floor of the Brown Palace Hotel 
  • Send Care Packages – recently sent 15 to deployed veterans
  • Thanksgiving Dinner – provided a meal for 140 homeless vets though there is no kitchen in the Post
  • Christmas – Operation Holiday – Adopt veterans’ families and their children
  • This is an all-volunteer organization – nobody is paid.  Members do pay dues.    


Michael is a Desert Storm veteran (2002) – and the youngest guy of the officers here tonight.  Michael has spent time recruiting at colleges – resulting in Post #1 having the youngest members.  Post #1 merged with Post #661 at 4300 Pecos and then moved to the present location in 2013 after both locations were sold (Pecos and Bannock). 

John Holland talked about Camp Hale (Irving Hale).  Hale was the General of the Colorado Volunteers that were in the Spanish-American War in 1898 (this group is now the Colorado National Guard).  Hale Parkway runs from 8th to 11th off Colorado Boulevard.  The Volunteers went to Manila in the Philippines and there is a 75 mm cannon (1876) from the siege of Manila.  In December of 1899 General Hale met with his troops in the basement of the Capitol and established the VFW – Founders’ Day is the first Sunday in December each year.  This year the Vietnam veterans will be honored and Ann-Margret will attend a private reception for these veterans.

Rice Means chaired meetings in Ohio and Pennsylvania – and met here in Denver in 1909.  These two groups – Ohio and Pennsylvania met earlier but meetings were not official – meetings in Colorado have been held since 1899.  There are now 53 departments – throughout the USA, Europe, and Pacific Rim.  Eight have female commanders.  The national headquarters are in Kansas City, Missouri.  There is a national convention each year: Rice Means is the Commander in Chief and Hank _________ a corpsman on Guadalcanal is the Surgeon General. 

Ben Stapleton was a member of Post #1 and was also a Commander.  Ben Stapleton, Jr. was also a member (WWI veteran).  Walker Stapleton is the current State Treasurer. 

In 1936 the National Encampment of the VFW was held in Denver – made the Rocky Mountain News.  Jack Swigert (Apollo 13) was a member of Post #1.  Jack was the only bachelor among the astronauts – and stories are told that he was a great “ladies man”.  Jack ran for the Senate – during the campaign it was discovered that he had terminal cancer so he bowed out of the race. 

Many VFW members are buried at Fairmont Cemetery – currently there are 93 spaces left.  If you go, look for the Remington statue with the obelisk in the center.  Mona Starkey is the only female veteran buried there. 

There are 100 posts in Colorado.  The Grand Army of the Republic preceded the VFW – but Civil War veterans weren’t overly friendly to Spanish-American War vets, who in turn weren’t hospitable to WWI vets, etc. 

Allen Jaffe demonstrated the Missing Man Table (Fallen Comrade).  This table represent the POW/MIA – Navy River Rats – veterans of the Vietnam War.  This ceremony has continued stateside with each branch of the military having a slightly different version.  The table is set for one and represents the five branches of the services: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard.  The table is round, there is a single red rose which symbolizes family, a lemon to symbolize bitter fate, salt to represent family tears, a Bible for strength through faith, an inverted glass – the person honored is unable to share a toast and the chair is empty – symbolizing the missing man. 

The auxiliary was started in 1914 and originally only women were eligible.  As of 2015 – all spouses and family are welcome. 

John Harry is the current commander – he talked about the future of the Post.  Wants to complete refurbishing of the building, has worked with LGBT veterans who previously were not allowed to belong and mentioned that three of the Board officers are female at Post #1.  Wants this to be a place for all veterans.  

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Veterans of Foreign Wars #1 (VFW)