VFW Auxiliary Post 9397

11/22/2025

11/11/2025

Today we not only honor our Auxiliary Post 9397 Veterans (Our Poppy Flower Samm Kate- US Army), our VFW Post 9397 Veterans Heath Joseph, Don T, George Courtemanche, Jered Sasen, Joseph W Mac Chuck Higgins, Tom Gour, David J Demers, Norm who came out to help at the Buddy Poppy Drive and the Wilbraham Veteran ceremony but we also honor ALL VETERANS of our great nation!

We would also like to give a shout out to our Auxiliary Members President Carrie Gray Joseph, Treasure Dorothy McElroy, Samm Kate, Future Members Isabel and Alexis (also high school Military Community Club member) for helping with the Buddy Poppy Drive and our Guard Ethan(also high school Military Community Club member) who also not only helped at the Buddy Poppy drive for a little bit but also helped clean up at the Wilbraham Veterans Ceremony.

11/11/2025

BUDDY POPPY

A BRIEF HISTORY
Since 1922, the "Buddy”® Poppy has been an integral part of the VFW community. As VFW’s official memorial flower, the Poppy represents the blood shed by American service members. It reiterates the VFW will not forget their sacrifices.
The Poppy movement was inspired by Canadian Army Col. John McCrae’s famous poem, "In Flanders Fields.” Poppies were originally distributed by the Franco-American Children’s League to benefit children in the devastated areas of France and Belgium following WWI.
In 1922, VFW conducted a campaign and got Poppies from France. Members soon discovered it took too long to get the flowers in from France and they came up with a better idea. Disabled, hospitalized and aging veterans could make the paper flowers and ship them out to the members for distribution. And so it was known, for veterans in VA hospitals and domiciliaries and in state veterans’ homes, every day would be VFW "Buddy”® Poppy Day. These men and women assemble the Poppies, tie them in bunches of 10 and pack them in boxes of 500, 1,000 or 2,000 for shipment to the Posts and Auxiliaries. VFW pays the disabled veteran for the work. In most cases, this extra money provides additional income for the worker to pay for the little luxuries which make life more tolerable. Furthermore, Poppy assembly is often used as a therapy program to provide exercise for fingers and hands crippled by wounds, disease and the effects of old age.

In Flanders Fields
by John McCrae
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you, from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow,
In Flanders fields.

07/28/2025

We're at it again, Join us for a fun evening of Bingo at Hampden’s VFW!! It costs $40 per person. The cost includes a book of 10 bingo cards, door prize ticket, and bingo dauber.

Feel free to bring your own food. Drinks will be available for purchase.

05/26/2025

Hampden Memorial Day parade and Ceremony 2025

05/26/2025

I want to say how proud I am of some of our members/future members of the Auxiliary for helping members of VFW clean the parade route on Day of Service yesterday. One of our members and a future member (who are also a past and present members of the Military Community Club) helped place flags at veterans graves with members of the VFW. We would like to extend our gratitude to the Hampden Police Department for providing a police officer to keep us all safe while we were cleaning the parade route.

05/26/2025

Today we remember and honor all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.