The Veterans Corner
Article 1
Submitted By
Richard R. Doucet
The VFW: Sept. 29, 1899... 114 Years Old!
Mention
the VFW to many Americans and they think of their father or
grandfather going to meetings where only men were allowed, with
smoky bars, drinking, and the re-telling of “war stories.” These
certainly are the memories I have of the VFW when thinking of my
father and uncles going to the “canteen” at the local VFW in the mid
1950s.
From
its inception in 1899, (then called American Veterans of Foreign
Service) it provided, among other services, a place for veterans to
meet with other veterans and socialize. Those were the days when
many like minded people formed all types of fraternal groups to be
able to stay in contact with others who they had so much in common
with. There was no question of home entertainment centers then and
certainly no instant contact through the forms of social media that
we have today. And, during financial hard times it was an
inexpensive place for veterans and their spouses to go and
socialize.
While
many VFWs no longer have bars, or “canteens,” the VFW still serves
the vital purpose that it was formed in 1899 to meet: Support
veterans who gave up their time and blood to preserve this nation
and support the widows and children of veterans who paid the
ultimate price for our freedoms.
At the
end of the Spanish American War, then Colonel, Theodore Roosevelt
told returning veterans to not expect that their country would
remember them for more than 10 days, he proved to be right… More so
than he could have known. It took two more foreign involvements
before the beginnings of the modern day VFW were born in 1899.
The
Department of Veterans Affairs is a direct descendent of the VFW and
the GI bill in all its forms is the result of VFW political action.
Over the years the VFW has fought to help the veteran. When FDR cut
veterans benefits in 1933, as part of the “New Deal’ for Americans,
the VFW got them reinstated in 1934. The VFW fought to have the Star
Spangled Banner declared our national anthem in 1931 and in 1934
brought back American dead from a war that very few Americans have
ever heard about: the AEFNR or American Expeditionary Force North
Russia, 1918-1919.
Over
five thousand Americans were sent to Arkhangelsk, Russia in 1918 as
part of international force to keep weapons stored in arsenals in
the area from falling into Bolshevik hands. Due to political
machinations in the US and England the force found itself in active
combat against the Russian Communists, after the Armistice of Nov.
11, 1918 that ended The Great War, and hundreds Americans died in
that Russian campaign. Many of the bodies were not returned when the
force withdrew in 1919. It was only through the efforts of the VFW,
acting as an independent organization, in 1934 that the remains of
56 Americans were returned to Michigan for burial.
The VFW
mission has changed over the years as much as its members have. It
not only reaches out to veterans but also to their families,
conducts various fund raising events to benefit veterans and
non-veterans alike and has an extensive program to promote
Americanism and America as an exceptional nation in our schools.
With
the exception of the actual cost of some fund raising events, such
as printing raffle tickets, one hundred percent of the funds raised
during special events goes to the intended beneficiaries… There are
no paid executives in the VFW. In 1920 the VFW set up the first
“English as second language” centers in VFW halls to teach English
to new immigrants and today promotes a number of programs in schools
that encourage young people to study and learn about our true
history and our Constitution.
However, it is not just the VFW as an organization that has evolved,
so has its membership. In the beginning the vast bulk of the
membership were veterans who had served one “hitch” or for the
“duration” and then left the service. Today, mainly because of the
use of reserve units, many veterans are still in the military as
reservists and National Guard members. Many are professionals of all
disciplines who could enhance the image and efficacy of the VFW in
its efforts to serve our country in a myriad of ways. And every
veteran in our ranks helps us fight for veterans rights as well as
help those in our community who have fallen on hard times… There is
truly strength in numbers. So join us because your voice is valuable
and important to our country and our veterans, even if you can’t
make every meeting.
There
is no room in this article to tell you all there is to say about the
VFW so I encourage you to go online and search “VFW History” for the
full story. And, if you’re interested in knowing more about our
country’s first “secret war,” research the AEFNR, the “Polar Bear
Expedition.”
Additions To Scheduled Community Events
Submitted By Shannan Brown
Commander Of The Northwood VFW
The VFW
Department Service Office is pleased to announce the following new
addition to our schedule of Outreach/Community Events:
•
Joseph J. Jeffrey Memorial Post #7217, Northwood Community Center,
135 Main Street, Northwood, NH 03261, Saturday, November 16th, 2013
from 12:00 noon - 2:00 pm.
Your
VFW Department Service Office will be conducting an informative
class concerning benefits Widows of Veterans are entitled to submit
VA Claims for, after the loss of their Veteran Spouse.
All
Veterans are invited and encouraged to attend this event, which is
designed to help those they leave behind have a better understanding
of what potential benefits are available to them, and how your VFW
Department Service Office can assist you with submitting claims to
the VA.
Veterans do not have to be eligible for membership within the VFW to
attend this class. If you are a member, or are considering becoming
a member of our Veteran’s Organization, a portion of your Membership
Dues helps to fund Community Outreach Events like this one, and
enables the Service Office to continue to assist veterans and their
widows across our state in navigating through the VA Claims system.
Bean Hole Bash 2013 Says Thank You!
The
Northwood Bean Hole Bash committee is starting to work on next
year’s event! But before we move forward we want to take a look back
at Northwood’s wonderful community effort and say thank you to a lot
of people.
Our
committee brought together the Northwood Fire and Rescue
Association, the Fire Department, the Police Department, the
Northwood Crank Pullers, the Northwood Farmers Market, the Boy
Scouts, NALMC (Northwood Area Land Management Collaborative), the
Northwood Economic Development Committee and the Northwood Democrats
to organize, publicize, fund-raise and coordinate the return of our
version of “Old Home Days.”
The
following businesses, organizations and individuals supported the
effort in so many ways: Graylag Cabins, TTC Auto Outlet, Sign
Spectrum, Heritage True Value Hardware, MD Tasker Construction,
Meyer Family Dentistry, Fred Bassett & Sons Plumbing and Heating,
Halos Hair Salon, Chuck Brown’s Alignment and Towing, Pirate
Mechanical Corp., East Coast Container, Northwood Diner, DL Docko &
Son, Water View Construction, Northwood Garage, J&B Auto Sales and
Repair, New England Signal Systems, Tasker’s Well Company, Inc.,
Harding Metals, Robert and Susan Holden, Obee Electric, Donna M.
LeBel-New Pathways Counseling Service, Double A Construction,
Northeast Credit Union, Northwood Oil Company, Fern Eldridge
Antiques, Copeland Builders, McFarland, Groth & McPhee, Wicked
Graphics, Northwood RV, American Calan, Inc., Susty’s Vegetarian
Restaurant, Northwood Congregational Church, Coe-Brown Northwood
Academy, Northwood Country Market, Ken Bane, Kingston Karts, NH Fish
& Game/Moose Trailer, Northwood School, Johnson’s Seafood & Steak,
Chris Quinn, Phyllis Bane, Northwood Country Market, St. Joseph’s
Church, Don McMurchy, Linda Smith, The Town of Northwood, Chesley
Memorial Library, Harvey Lake Woman’s Club, Northwood Historical
Society, Girl Scouts, NH Thunder, Northwood Republicans, and the
Suncook Valley Sun.
And now
we want to ask you to do one more thing: Save The Dates, July 25 and
26, 2014! If you’d like to help us get ready, our next meeting will
be Wednesday, October 9, at 7:00 pm at the Narrows Fire Station.
Harvey Lake Woman’s Club News
Submitted By Lucy Silva and Roberta Stearns
Harvey
Lake Woman’s Club September meeting was a brown bag lunch gathering
around two long tables at Joann Bailey’s house. Members were asked
to bring donations for Concord Hospital’s Baby Layette Project.
Almost $500 worth of baby clothes and supplies were donated.
On
September 10 seven members and one friend attended the Deerfield
Women’s Club’s Reciprocity Tea. Brian Burford from the New Hampshire
Archives gave a very interesting and helpful presentation on
genealogical research, and the difference between information at the
New Hampshire Archives and the New Hampshire Historical Society.
This was followed by a tasty spread and much conversation between
members of the various clubs.
On
September 21 President Ginny Rogers attended the New England
Regional Meeting of GFWC-NH at the Ashworth Hotel in Hampton.
On
October 5 Betty Smith will attend the Fall Rally of GFWC-NH in
Exeter. On Friday, October 11, HLWC will hold their Fall Pillow
Workshop at the Northwood Congregational Church.
The
next HLWC meeting will be their Annual Guest Night Pot Luck Supper
on October 2 at 6 pm at the Northwood Congregational Church. The
program for the evening will be author Don Silva speaking on his
latest novel, “A Trail of Dreams.” There will be a 50/50 raffle.
Dues
for 2014 should be paid by November.
HLWC is
a service organization and a member of General Federation of Women’s
Clubs-NH. Its object is to promote sociability and culture and to
make itself a power for good in the community. All women in the area
are invited to join us.
Higgins Top Runner For Bentley During Dartmouth Invitational
Senior
captain Conor Higgins (Randolph, N.J./Randolph HS) was the number
one finisher for the Bentley University men’s cross country team
during Saturday’s Dartmouth Invitational, a meet that featured two
Division I top-30 teams, Dartmouth College and Syracuse University.
Higgins
was 46th overall in the 67-runner field, finishing the 8,000-meter
Hanover Country Club course in 26:32.71. Also breaking 27 minutes
for the Falcons was junior Mac Segura-Cook (Northwood, N.H./Coe
Brown Northwood Acad.), with his 26:50.97 good for 50th place.
Syracuse, the number 12 team in Division I, placed six runners in
the top ten to best 30th-ranked Dartmouth, 24-34, for team honors.
Former NCAA national champion Sam Chelanda, competing unattached,
was first to the finish line with a 23:54.33, and Dartmouth’s Will
Geoghegan followed in 23:57.62.
Bentley
finished fifth among the five teams, with the meet also including
Brown University and Keene State University.
Next
Saturday, Bentley will be at Central Connecticut State University
for the Ted Jones Invitational.
Dartmouth Invitational
At Hanover, N.H.
Team
Scores:
1.)
Syracuse 24, 2.) Dartmouth 34, 3.) Brown 90, 4.) Keene State 108,
5.) Bentley 151
Top
Individuals: 1.) Sam Chelanga, unattached, 23:54.33; 2.) Will
Geoghehan, Dartmouth, 23:57.62; 3.) MJ Erb, Syracuse, 23:59.56; 4.)
Griff Graves, Syracuse, 24:05.35; 5.) John Bleday, Dartmouth,
24:08.83.
Bentley
Runners: 46.) Conor Higgins 26:32.71; 50.) Mac Segura-Cook 26:50.97;
53.) Sean Nee 27:14.94; 54.) Nik Haas 27:15.51; 57.) Cullen McHale
27:34.58; 60.) Rupak Mehta 28:17.39; 62.) Jack Sullivan 29:10.45;
63.) Andrew McCluskey 29:20.44; 67.) Ned Furtney 30:31.25.
2013 Watercross A Huge Success
The
Northwood Crankpullers Snowmobile Club would like to thank all who
attended our 2013 Watercross and made it a HUGE success. And a very
special Thank You to Lake Shore Farm Inn for allowing us to use
their facility and continue on with the “family/club” tradition.
There was lots of action and fun for everyone!
For a
complete listing of winners and categories please see our website
www.northwoodcrankpullers.com.
A lot
of time and effort is put into this event and we hope that everyone
truly enjoyed themselves. The “guys” did a great job with the food
as always, so if you missed it please plan on joining us on January
4th and January 18th at our Annual Snow Cross events held at Lake
Shore Farm Inn!! Check our website for event details.
Remember, we are always looking for new members and please do not
forget to thank the landowners who allow our club to maintain trail
systems that cross their property. Without them this enjoyable
winter sport would not exist in our town.
Letter
To The Editor
I want
to give those of you who came out and voted an update on the teacher
retirement incentive. While only about 10% of eligible voters
exercised their voting right, that was more than twice the amount in
our last special election. Thank you.
Now
that we know who was hired, insurance issues, etc., I am very
pleased to say that in the first year alone we will save just over
$90,000. In each of the subsequent years, we will save an estimated
$131,000. Personally, I fought hard for this issue. I want you all
to know how appreciated this extra money is and that every effort
will be made to insure that it is well spent.
As many
of you know, we have had a Board member resign and are going to
select a new interim member to serve until the March election. I
wonder if those who might vie for this position knew of the above
mentioned Special Election and if so did they come out and vote?
Have they been to School Board meetings? Have they been engaged? If
not, why not? Why now?
To me,
the importance is less about whether you are this or that and more
about whether you will engage, discuss, say what you’ll do and do
what you say. If it was just about money, we would have some of the
smartest kids in New Hampshire. It is not and sadly we do not. We
have now budgeted an average of just over $17,400 to educate a child
in Northwood. We have 23 (at least) less students at Northwood
School and 14 less in high school yet our budget continues to
skyrocket.
Again,
thank you for your vote. It is appreciated.
Timothy
Jandebeur
Obituaries
Glenn
Curtiss Josiah
Glenn
Curtiss Josiah, 83, of Northwood, NH, died peacefully at Wentworth
Douglass Hospital in Dover, NH on September 21, 2013. Glenn was born
May 7, 1930 in Richmond Hill, Queens, NY to William and Roberta
Josiah. He graduated from Babylon High School, Class of 1948 and
began working in the guest relations department at the National
Broadcasting Company in NYC. During his employment with NBC, Glenn
had the opportunity to do some commercial radio announcing and
singing and was featured in the Brass Button Review which premiered
on the NBC network. With the onset of the Korean Conflict, Glenn
joined the US Navy in 1951 where he worked as yeoman to the
Commander of the Naval Airbase in Norfolk, VA serving stateside
until his honorable discharge in 1954. Returning to civilian life,
Glenn attended the Columbia School of Broadcasting where he studied
radio announcing while also working in the office of Creole
Petroleum, a subsidiary of Standard Oil Company. While on a company
ski trip in 1958, he met his wife-to-be Laura when she came to his
rescue after he took a fall on the ski slope.
On July
16, 1960 Glenn and Laura were married in Greenwich, CT at the First
Church of Round Hill. Glenn and Laura left their careers in
Manhattan to become entrepreneurs when they opened their first store
The Country Gift Cupboard, specializing in Early American Gifts and
Accessories, in West Babylon, NY. In 1973, Glenn followed his
lifelong dream of moving his wife and three daughters to New
Hampshire and it was there, in Northwood, that he opened Josiah’s
Country Store. Glenn was happily self-employed for many years, later
taking on a career in furniture sales. He maintained an active
lifestyle and continued working part time until the age of 80. An
avid gardener, Glenn’s exquisite backyard gardens were his pride and
joy. If not out in his garden, Glenn could most often be found
singing and recording his favorite music tunes of the 1940’s or
breaking into a fox trot across the kitchen floor. Always an
announcer and singer at heart, Glenn’s wonderful gift of voice
brought pleasure to others wherever he went. As a long-standing
member of the Northwood Theater Workshop, Glenn may be best
remembered in productions of Hello Dolly and South Pacific. As a
Norwegian Cruise Line platinum level Latitudes member, Glenn loved
cruising to his beautiful pink sand paradise Bermuda. He enjoyed
spending time with all his family. Playing games on family game
nights, getting together with special friends to play cards and
ballroom dancing were cherished memories for all.
Glenn
leaves behind Laura Josiah, his loving wife of 53 years; daughter,
Melinda Josiah Geaumont and her husband Jeff Geaumont of Springvale,
ME, daughter Amanda Josiah Page and her husband Todd Page of Eliot,
ME and daughter Amy Josiah and her fiancé Mark Yerkes of Wentzville,
MO; six grandchildren to whom he will forever be remembered as Pop
Pop; Aaron Madison, Caitlin Madison, Alyssa Josiah, Ashley Shannon,
Sydney Page and Trevor Page; two great-grandsons Noah Samiya and
Caleb Madison; his brothers William and David Josiah and many
nieces, nephews and close friends. He is pre-deceased by his beloved
sister Gloria Luce. His life-long faith in God, continues to be an
inspiration to all who knew him.
A
celebration of life will be held in Glenn’s honor at his home in
Northwood, NH on Saturday September 28, 2013 from 2-5pm. Glenn will
always be remembered for his kind gentle spirit and his wonderful
voice serenading us along life’s way. Glenn’s family extends their
thanks to all the caregivers at the Seacoast Cancer Center and
Wentworth Douglass Hospital for their kindness and care. In lieu of
flowers, please consider a donation in memory of Glenn Josiah to the
Seacoast Cancer Center, Wentworth Douglass Hospital, 789 Central
Avenue, Dover, NH 03820. Arrangements are under the direction of
Purdy Memorial Chapel, 2 Concord Rd, Rt. 4, Lee, NH. To sign our
online guestbook, please go to
www.purdyfuneralservice.com
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