Lamar VFW Re-Grouping with Approaching Deadline

Lamar VFW Post

Lamar VFW Post

The deadline to close the Lamar VFW Post #3621 is August 1st, mandated by the VFW Adjutant General, John Hamilton. His decision for the group’s charter revocation is based on two years delinquent filings from the post for back taxes and quarterly reports on Post activities. The group owes about $5,000 to the state.   The Post was organized in Lamar in 1949.

Local VFW members are re-grouping, following a July 16 meeting at the VFW parking lot on South Memorial Drive in Lamar, called by interim Commander, Don Peters. Earlier, Peters stated, “The building is locked as the state headquarters came and took away the keys to the building.” He added that the letter to close the post came at the same time that the local organization had requested a needed debit/credit card to pay off their delinquent fees. “We found out that they wouldn’t accept a check and we didn’t have a Post card that we could use, so while we were waiting for the application and card to come through, we received our notice.”

A new quartermaster, Richard Parker, was elected to begin filing reports with the help of Jeremy Miller, the Veteran’s Service Officer for Prowers County. Those reports, detailing monthly activities of Post activities were faxed to the VFW command offices in Missouri on Thursday, July 23, along with a letter explaining the delay, attempts now being made for reorganization and a request for specific guidelines for a hearing to end the revocation announcement. Peters said he is mailing out a certified letter within the 30 day notice period given to the Lamar VFW Post and hopes to hear that members will be given an opportunity to remain open.

“It’s sad that we have seen our numbers fall off,” he stated, adding, “we had as many as 89 at one time, but because of the age of our older members, some have died and we’re at the point where we’re holding funerals for some of our Vietnam era members. Right now, we have about 53 members and we need to make sure that we can add to our enrollment.” Peters said he wasn’t sure at this point if another local meeting would be held before the August 1 deadline.

By Russ Baldwin

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