VFW Post 4526 honors our veterans

They’ve served our country overseas and are now on a mission back here at home.

News 25’s Toni Miles introduces us to the new commander of VFW Post 4526 in Gulfport as he shares his vision for its members and the community they work hand in hand with.

If you ever want to hear a good story, stop by your local VFW. Few people know most veterans of foreign war posts are open to the public on any given day. VFW Volunteer Bob Short said, “You do not have to be a member of the VFW to get a steak dinner or an afternoon adult beverage they have here. There’s always several of the Vietnam veterans or other veterans sitting around and they can tell you good stories.”

New Post Commander Mark Lancaster also has a few good stories to tell. One of them is the memory from nearly 30 years ago when he was stationed overseas and on hand to watch the Berlin Wall come down. “People who have never seen a wall dividing a city before, one side was free and the other side was not. It’s a hard thing for Americans to grasp.”

Lancaster has been the Post 4526 commander for only a month, but has a lot of plans on the horizon, including a program that would send our veterans into local schools to share their stories, giving youth a first-hand perspective on history as well as current events.

The VFW offers scholarships for local youth while continuing its efforts to help veterans. Each month, this post hosts a free steak dinner for more than two dozen veterans in rehab programs at the Biloxi VA. “The VFW sponsors them here. The VA brings them here for the hospital. We provide the meals and comradery,” said Lancaster.

Another steak dinner is on tap this weekend. The Saturday feast will help raise funds for the VFW to continue their youth and veteran programs.