Dec 17, 2018
VFW Post 2195 will host its second “Operation North Pole” event on Dec. 15 in the dining room of Market Street in Allen. Children will speak to Mrs. Claus, who will be set up across town, through a ham radio.
Post member Jim Brevard, a Vietnam War veteran who served from 1964-65 with the Air Force’s 619th Tactical Control Squadron, said the idea came from something he and Post Junior Vice Commander Robert Evans did while in the service.
“The radio guys would go down and set up and let the kids talk to Mrs. Claus at the North Pole,” Brevard said.
They brought the idea to the Post, according to Brevard, because of their efforts to “give back to the community.”
“It gives us a chance to show the community that we’re here,” Brevard said, “and we’ve done other community events, and we generally have a lot of people come up and talk to us and ask about the Post and what we do. This presents us with another opportunity for that.”
As the only two ham operators at the Post, Brevard and Evans took the lead on the project.
Last year’s event, held outdoors, was the first for the Post. Brevard said about 45 children attended to speak to Mrs. Claus. The Post reached out to local police and fire departments to be on-site with a patrol car and fire engine, respectively, for the children to see.
This article was featured in the November/December 2018 issue of VFW Checkpoint.