The Ocean Shores/North Beach Veterans of Foreign Wars post recently celebrated moving into its new 4,000-square-foot home that features ample room to display many long-preserved mementos from patriotic service and honors spanning generations.
VFW Post 8956, formed in 1966, now has settled in at 953 Kidder Court SE, the former home of Foss Construction in the south end of Ocean Shores just past Exact Heated Storage.
William Sisco, commander of VFW Post 8956, provided a tour of the new facility during an open house last Saturday attended by more than 50 people. It includes a meeting room, dining area, a formal entrance decorated for the holidays, and plenty of space to display some of the artifacts, flags, plaques and awards.
It also highlights the work of local woodworker and VFW member Dennis Hogan, who recently presented a plaque from the post to Fallen Heroes Project founder Michael Reagan of Edmonds. There has been so much interest in the local VFW that the post will now have two monthly meetings; beginning Jan. 5, the post meets on the first Monday of the month at 11 a.m. as well as at 6 p.m. Inside the new facility, there is an American Flag from 1891 with 44 stars. There are restored podiums from the original post. And there is colorful mural that depicts several of the original members in their years of service.
“I’m in that, see the guy sitting on the sandbag,” noted Ed Blomquist, a member of the post for 30 years. Muralist Dennis Hermey of Ocean City, also a longtime member of the post, did the painting.
Jim Docherty, John Link and others also were on hand to represent the “past, present and future” of the post, as they finally had a place where such memories could be displayed properly. The large American Flag was donated by Link and his wife Judy, who inherited it from his great-grandfather. It was from when Wyoming first became a state. “We wanted to donate it for the VFW so more people could enjoy it,” John Link said. “It wasn’t really being enjoyed folded up in a little display case in our house.”
Now the entire post and visitors get to enjoy it too.
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