Summer is coming to an end and our members are returning from vacations and beach parties. We had a good month in August and we have a lot of activities and fund raisers scheduled for September.

Starting with this coming Labor Day weekend, we will have a gigantic PIG ROAST ($8/plate) with all the vittles starting at 1230. This will follow our semi-annual Flag Retirement Ceremony that starts at 1100. Several JROTC units, Boy and Girl Scout troops, etc. will come to the Post for this event.

The biggest event will be our VFW Riders Poker Run on 9/11. The Run is our Riders’ efforts to raise money to support our local USO. We are having two bands, one at 4:00 PM outside, and the other at 7:00 PM inside. Hopefully, everyone will stop by to support our Riders and the Pensacola USO family.

Then on the 18^th we are a stop for the POW/MIA Poker Run. Along with this, we are sponsoring the Escambia High School Navy Junior ROTC’s car wash. They want to raise money for competitions and events for this coming year. Bring your dirty car, truck, boat, trailer, boyfriend, girlfriend, or yourself and support this worthy cause. They need our support and they support us at all of our public events.

Also, we are planning a POW/MIA Remembrance Ceremony for 1900 on Saturday, 18 September. The third Saturday of September has been set aside by Congress as the National POW/MIA Day of Rembrance.

The State’s website has a lot of information posted for all to review. It has links for the SunVet, Florida’s VFW Magazine which has gone paperless and is available at www.myfloridavfw.org. There are several other links to access information you may be interested in. For details, check out the website.

I would like to introduce our newest members voted into our Post in July  …..…..Beth Sutterfield.

Mailing your dues to National can lead to delays in getting them posted. You can now go online to www.vfw.org and pay your dues. On the main screen, click on Membership; then click on Current Members; then click on Secure Log In; fill in the required blanks and you can pay your annual dues electronically.

Visit the Post website for updated information and activity calendars of the new VFW fiscal year, 2010. Log on to www.vfw706.org.

Richard Mullen
Commander

September is a busy month filled with opportunity for your participation. Be a comrade and join in our Post’s commemoration activities.

Victor Looney
Sr. Vice Commander

CHAPLAIN’S CORNER

Comrade Rob Lambrecht is recuperating at home following his radiation and chemo treatments.

Comrade Skip Bennett’s wife, Roni, continues with her treatments at Baptist Hospital.

Comrade Tony Carroll’s 27 year old son is had colon cancer surgery and is on the road to recovery.

Comrade Harvey Patterson continues with his dialysis. Comrade Harvey is 82 years old and would like to hear from his fellow comrades. Please give Harvey a call at home.

Please keep these Comrades and Sisters in your thoughts and prayers.

A nurse took the tired, anxious Serviceman to the bedside. "Your son is here", she said to the old man. She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened. Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement. The nurse bought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lit ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest a while. He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking oxygen equipment, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greeting, the cries and moans of the other patients. Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night. Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to, he waited. Finally she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her. "Who was that man?" he asked. The nurse was startled. "He was your father," she answered. "No he wasn't" the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life." Then why didn't you say something when I took you in to him?" "I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed. I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Gray, his son was killed in Iraq today, and I was sent to inform him.  What was this gentleman's name? The nurse answered with tears in her answered, Mr. William GRAY.

So the next time someone needs you-just be there. STAY. We are VFW members who honor our dead comrades by helping the living, and in any way we can. WE ARE NOT HUMAN BEINGS GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE. WE ARE A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY HUMAN EXPERIENCE. This is what we were put on this earth to do anyway. Right?

If you have knowledge of a comrade in distress or the passing of a Post 706 member or affiliate member contact the Post at (850)455-0026. We should send our encouragements to those in need as soon as we learn of their situation or loss.

May God bless all of you and may God bless America!!!

“Doc” Cloud, Chaplain

From the Seam Squirrel PT 66

Oscar Bergman

Hello Sisters,

Ladies! Ladies! Oh Ladies, I am so proud of each and every one of you for your hard work on the Draw Down August 21st. Some of you went above and beyond the call of duty. I again want to say thank you to the ladies as well as the ones that brought in donations to make it such a success. We had a great turn out and it was so much fun. Sorry some of you missed out. Maybe next year you will join us.

The ladies will not have a dinner in September. On that day the Riders will be doing a USO Poker Run. Come out and join us on that day. Our dinner will be in October.

Speaking of October, we will have our Halloween Party for the kids. Please watch for the October Newsletter for the date.

I want to say welcome to our new members. We are very glad to have you on our team. I would like to give a shout out to someone very dear to me and that is Roy and Connie Orr. I am so sorry I missed you guys when you came in. I hope to see you real soon.

I hope to see all you ladies at our next meeting September 15th. Have a good month, and thanks again for ever thing.

Keep Smiling,
CeeCee Goodwin

Madam President

We would like to thank everyone for the continued support.  Our meeting will be held on the 9th of September at 6:00 PM. Don’t miss our next dinner coming on Saturday 25 September at 6:00 PM.

Thanks again and God Bless!!!

John Forte, President