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Local veterans groups fight to stay alive

Maple Valley News - 6/6/2017

Both the Nashville VFW and Vermontville American Legion are struggling to continue after witnessing a steady decline in membership.

The two organizations face problems with aging memberships and a lack of new members.

"We're fizzling out," said Jim Zemke of the American Legion Post 222.

A veteran of the Korean War, Zemke has served multiple positions at the post, and is active in maintaining it.

They currently have only 18 members, down from over 100 after World War II. But he added that they still have 10 or 12 people at each meeting, a number Zemke said larger posts would count themselves lucky to have.

"It's kind of year to year, or day to day," said Zemke, "It'll come down to financials."

He said the Legion makes the majority of its income from the pancake breakfast it puts on with the Nashville Lions Club during the Vermontville Maple Syrup Festival. That income pays the utilities for the year and enables the Legion to have a $500 scholarship for Maple Valley graduates, but not much else.

The Legion doesn't have to pay rent. A clause in the deed of its building states that the second floor belongs to veterans as long as they use it. But they've still had some close calls, and some Legion members have had to chip in to keep it afloat, said Zemke.

He has talked to other Legion posts that have reported similar problems. Zemke said the Legion's issues are like many small-town volunteer organizations ? they cannot find new members because younger people are moving outside the community to find jobs.

"I don't want the draft to come back, but the draft is no longer," said Sherry Holloway, club manager of the VFW Post 8260 in Nashville.

She said the post has also seen declining numbers for the past few years. The reason, she said, is simple: without the draft, there are fewer veterans. The World War II and Vietnam War generations, which used to sustain such organizations, are unable to do it for much longer.

"They're older, they're passing away, they can't always do what they used to do," Holloway said, "I think that's why so many posts are closing."

The VFW also has problems getting younger veterans to join.

"Not even semi-young people," said Ernie Rice, Korean War veteran and post commander.

And while the post has 154 members along with the auxiliary, which is made up of veterans' family members, it has problems with participation.

"We're darn lucky if we can have six (members) to have a meeting," Rice said.

Ron Felder, Vietnam War veteran and senior vice commander of the post, said that the modern economy was part of the issue. When people have families, and both parents have to work full-time jobs, it impacts their ability to participate in something like the VFW. Felder also said that when members die, their friends may not want to continue going to the post.

"A few guys give a hundred percent plus to keep it going," said Felder.

"The ones that are really active are the women," said quartermaster Mike Norton, referring to the auxiliary. "How do we keep afloat? The women."

"We've had some close calls," said auxiliary member Laurie Thomas.

The auxiliary helps with the events the post puts on, such as community dinners for servicemen who have died, fundraisers, finding new members and supporting veterans' families. She also sees less participation among younger members.

"We'd love to have some new members," said auxiliary member Andrea Norton. "We need them."

But Holloway said that they still have a member sign up every few months, and she does answer questions from prospective members every now and then. She encouraged veterans interested in joining to stop by, and fill out an application when they have time.