George Snow and Paul Deschenes are different. They don’t agree on religion or politics, but “as far as friendship, I don’t think it could be any closer,” says Deschenes. Their connection is the Holliston VFW Post 8507, an organization that celebrates its 70th anniversary in the town this year and currently has around 65 members, some of whom have relocated. The group is looking for new, younger veterans to join its ranks.
“In our members, there’s no two alike,” says George Snow, a veteran of the United States Navy, submarine services, who was enlisted from 1948 to 1969. “A lot have served at different times, under different circumstances. In 21 years, I never saw actual combat, but there were others that served two years that wear the Purple Heart.”
“I consider myself to be one of the youngest members,” says Deschenes, who was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. The VFW, he says, is there to help the veteran, then the veteran’s family, and then the community.
“The whole concept of the organization is to help another veteran and/or his (or her) family who are having a tough time, or need just a little lift me up, and that’s really our sole purpose,” says Snow.
Snow was the commander of the post from 1998 through 2009, as well as for a short time after someone left, and now’s he’s the chaplain for the post. George began his involvement at the national level, which advocates on that level for veterans.
“When a person comes out of the service, they’ve had the camaraderie and the closeness to their other military people, and it takes a lot of adjustment to go from a very structured way of life to getting out there and trying to get a job and trying to find a home for the family, get a family started, and that is where the veterans’ organizations such as the VFW comes into play.
We are sort of a platform, it’s not military structured, but a veteran can feel at home knowing that everyone at the table is also a veteran. It might have been some years ago, like myself, or someone just getting out of the service,” says Snow.
George explains that, although he’s 87, and a 25-year-old might not feel comfortable opening up to him, “that gap is narrowed considerably by the fact that, yes, you served. That sort of is a commonality that is different … a totally different way of life, really. (The VFW) is much more involved in looking for signs of someone in need, someone who’s come back from the service and is having difficulty coping with day-to-day life and the things they saw, and the things they had to do.
“There’s so many things that can trouble a person, and I think a veteran can probably recognize it sooner than a civilian who has never experienced any of it or have no way of validating or understanding what the person is going through. Veterans support each other in that regard,” says Snow.
“The local post is why I’m involved,” says Deschenes, who says the group is his primary way of connecting to others in the community. “I was not involved in the VFW back in the heyday. I came out of the service in the mid-70s, but didn’t join in Holliston until 1999.The local post is here to provide primarily for the support of veteran who might be in need locally, in Holliston, and also to expand that to the community of Holliston at large.”
Deschenes credits his friend with keeping him involved in the VFW.
“Primarily, it was this guy, but I don’t want to give him too much credit,” Deschenes jokes, while grinning at George.
Some of the local support the veterans give each other is transferring each other to medical appointments and helping out with transporting veterans’ family members who need it.
“For example,” says Deschenes, “my wife has MS, and that came up at a meeting, and somebody at the meeting said, do you need a ramp?” That, he says, was an immediate response from the guys. George adds that vets have assisted others for things like dialysis or financial need, whatever type of help they can give.
“We also provide, if the family so wishes, an honor guard and calling hours, and a funeral detail if needed. It’s one thing we’ve been doing for several years now in conjunction with the American Legion. We share the expense. We present a Bible to the family for any deceased veteran,” says Snow. “The families really appreciate that.”
Back in the day, says Snow, “The hottest thing in town on a Saturday night was a ham and beans supper at the VFW.” He remembers the VFW sponsoring youth baseball and “an excellent drill team.” The VFW also sponsored Cub Scouts for 52 years, until the group disbanded. The camaraderie was rewarding for him, and “the feeling of having helped people. I think, for about 10 years straight, maybe 15, we’d have an annual Christmas party for the senior citizens. It was such a wonderful feeling to see the happiness on the faces of these elderly people. Some of them, that was their highlight of the year. I enjoy is seeing other people happy, and in some way, being a part of making that happen.
“We don’t have a hall anymore, but we still put on an annual Christmas dinner for the senior citizens up at the senior center, sponsored with the American Legion. We also provide meals to shut-ins, we usually have 30-35 people a month we do this for,” says Snow.
With these veterans doing so much for the community, it’s great to honor them not only for their military but also for their civic service. This month, the annual Veterans day luncheon will take place at Upper Town Hall, with invitations that go out by mail. In addition to that, to celebrate the 70th year of the post, a 70th Anniversary Dinner Celebration for members of the VFW will take place on November 12th at Anthony’s on the Green.
To join the VFW, a veteran has to have served overseas during a period of time declared war. If you are a veteran who has served in that capacity, come to a meeting every third Thursday at the V.F.W. Post, 310 Woodland Street in Holliston at 7 p.m.
Issue Date:
November, 2017
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