VFW Members Go the Extra Mile for 578th Engineer Battalion
Post adopted the unit with MAP
February 15, 2012
VFW
Post 184 Senior Vice Commander Richard De La Hoya and his wife Yvonne wanted to
do something special for their niece’s husband Adrian before he deployed to
Afghanistan with his National Guard unit, the 578th Engineer
Battalion.
The
De La Hoyas started planning a send-off party for him, but they soon discovered
that other Guardsmen’s families were also planning send-offs. Everyone decided
to combine efforts and plan one event for the entire Battalion.
As
expenses for the send-off event began mounting, the Post turned to VFW’s
Military Assistance Program (MAP) for help, where they applied for a
grant. Post 184 Commander Joe Diaz also asked other Posts in District 23 if
they would be willing to pitch in as well.
The
MAP grant was approved, and two other Posts in the District, Post 233 and Post 9223,
contributed toward the event.
The
event was held at March Air Reserve Base Readiness Center in Riverside, Calif.,
and was a complete success. A lunch was provided for the entire Battalion,
their families, and guests. The deployment ceremony featured several guest speakers,
including Maj. Gen. Scott Johnson, Commander of the 40th Infantry
Division, Brigade Commander Col. Peter Kim, and Battalion Commander Lt. Col.
Richard Rabe.
The
event was a great way to show VFW’s support for our nation’s troops, and to top
everything off, Post 184 adopted the 578th Engineer Battalion
through MAP’s Adopt-a-Unit. The adoption allows Post 184 to support the unit before,
during and after their deployment.
A
few months after the send-off event, Post 184 and its Ladies Auxiliary worked with
local students and volunteers and packed care packages to ship for the holiday season.
Items included everything from beef jerky and DVDs to sanitizers and USB drives.
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