For as long as there have been people in combat, worried family members have kept vigil, waiting for word on those who are fighting. And if tragedy strikes, these people are left to honor those who are lost.
Such is the sacrifice of spouses, parents, siblings, children, grandparents, friends and others who are involved in the military by association. For the past 75 years, women of the Ladies Auxiliary to Veterans of Foreign War Peter Graham Post 2948 have supported each other, the local community, and the veterans who serve the United States. They join under the motto, “honor the dead by helping the living.”
A ladies auxiliary cannot stand alone without a local VFW post — the auxiliary, by definition, was started to provide supplementary help. Just three months after the VFW began serving the Borderland area, 19 local women formed an auxiliary in May 1935. Starting in spring 2010, the women began celebrating their 75th year through continuing service to the community and veterans. There are currently nearly 200 members in the local ladies auxiliary.
“The main thing is just to support the veterans,” said Linda Chezick, ladies auxiliary president. “Not just the veterans of foreign wars, but all veterans.”
The ladies auxiliary membership is engaged in various community service projects throughout the year. In addition to receiving a commemorative recognition of its 75 years, the group has largely continued the community service projects it has been known for over the past seven decades. They do projects based on a number of categories: scholarships, Americanism, cancer aid and research, community service, veterans hospitals, legislative discussions, membership and youth programs.
“Anything the post does, the auxiliary is there, too,” Chezick said.
Auxiliary members are known for visiting area shut-ins and nursing homes, including a monthly pie event at a nursing home; they hosted and decorated for the February Backus Community Center soup supper; they assist at the annual VFW Stand Down; participate in events at the school, including essay contests for scholarships; they raise money and participate in nationwide VFW programs; attend events and sponsor rooms at the Veterans Hospital in Silver Bay; they host a Christmas gift selection program for underprivileged children; and are involved in a wide variety of community outreach programs.
Each year, the ladies auxiliary assists with Veterans Day and Memorial Day events. Each November, the VFW and auxiliary go to area schools to educate students and to cemeteries to honor veterans who have died. This includes teaching the children more about being an American, singing the “Star-Spangled Banner,” reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, understand ing the importance of the flag and remembering those who have served.
“The biggest thing is just to support our communities, teach our children what Americanism is. It gets lost out there,” Chezick said.
The ladies auxiliary also goes through about 9,000 poppies each year. They are given out at parades, and presened to students in the school activities and at various fundraisers. Chezick said local businesses are helpful in donating to the poppy fund.
One of the most important aspects of the women’s mission is to get new members to join the auxiliary. Chezick said she doesn’t believe many people know the eligibility requirements to join. Wives; widows; mothers; foster and stepmothers; grandmothers; daughters; foster and stepdaughters; granddaughters; sisters; step, foster and half sisters of people who are eligible for VFW membership can join the auxiliary.
Chezick said strength in numbers, both with the VFW and ladies auxiliary, provides power when addressing issues at the local, state and national level. Having a powerful voice, she said, ultimately helps the veterans who the auxiliaries and posts are designed to assist.
For Chezick, her family history provided a very personal reason for her to join. Her father was in the military and her brother died during service.
“My whole life, I haven’t been able to listen to the national anthem without crying,” she said. “I had three boys in swimming and every swim meet when they would play the national anthem tears would be rolling down my cheeks. I couldn’t help it, that’s all I could think about.”
Then her son came home one day and said he wanted to join the Marines.
“I joined the auxiliary and now I can listen to the national anthem and stand tall and know that I am helping. The way to honor the dead is to help the living.”
The charter
The following members are listed on the 1935 charter, which formed the local VFW ladies auxiliary.
Georgia Adams
Teresa Allen
Louise Belcher
Emma Berg
Edna Dibble
Alma Engelking
Martha Ginter
Edna Godbout
Minnie Larson
Margaret Lessard
Ella Milette
Mable Phaklides
Olga Phillips
Ellen Samuelson
Betty Shaw
Nellie Soderbaum
Bessie Stoffels
Emma Vallad
Lillian Williams
