Holliston VFW - Veterans of Foreign Wars, Leonard D. Chesmore Post 8507

11/02/2025

Feeling grateful to be a part of Holliston VFW Post 8507 and the greater Holliston community. The Post Leadership and its members organized monthly community service activities, student and teacher scholarship programs, membership awareness, and local veteran advocacy to earn National VFW’s Post All American status for the second consecutive year (2023-2024 and 2024-2025). Thank you to everyone for your contributions and for the lasting impacts to Holliston, MA veterans and veteran families. Massachusetts State Junior Vice Commander, Patrick Logue, and District 15 leadership presented this National Award to Holliston’s Leonard D. Chesmore Post Adjutant, Paul Deschenes, and Quartermaster, Keith Umlauf.

10/19/2025

Veterans of Foreign Wars Massachusetts

Holliston’s VFW and American Legion team up for Color Guard and Rifle Squad on Friday, October 17th for High Schoo football game. Holliston American Legion Holliston High

10/19/2025

Holliston’s VFW and American Legion team up for Color Guard and Rifle Squad on Friday, October 17th for High Schoo football game. Holliston American Legion Holliston High

09/20/2025

Thank you to everyone who came to visit us at our booth today! The weather was awesome and the veteran stories were even better. Celebrate Holliston. Holliston VFW Post #8507

05/25/2025

05/25/2025

05/25/2025

Thank you to everyone who donated to this year’s Buddy Poppy drive that directly supports the Holliston Veterans and their family members.

If you missed us around town today, you can still donate at our new Venmo site:

https://venmo.com/code?user_id=4318885088069087768&created=1748141188.9031081&printed=1.

02/21/2025

Please join the Leonard D. Chesmore Veterans of Foreign Wars Holliston VFW Post #8507 in congratulating our 2024 Winner of the Patriot Pen contest, Kara Himick. Her essay about living as an empowered citizen captured the Post Leadership minds and hearts. Great work Kara! Such a pleasure to celebrate with you and your proud family members!

The Post is also grateful to recognize Mr Kenneth Priest with a Post Certificate of Appreciation for his exemplary contributions organizing a Holliston High School Veterans Day assembly in November 2024. The idea actually came from a student. Coming from a military family Mr Priest felt compelled to make the event a reality. Holliston Veterans from all Service Branches were able to share their worldly experiences and were all moved by the engagement and questions from the student body.

Special thank you to Bazels Pizza and Subs for donating a wonderful meal for our celebration!

05/26/2024

Thank you to all who donated today during the Post 8507 annual Buddy Poppie fundraiser. Your donations will go towards serving Veterans and their families in the coming months.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Buddy Poppy program began in 1923 as a way to provide financial assistance to disabled and needy veterans by paying them to assemble paper poppies. The program is a tribute to veterans who died in service, as well as those who were disabled or scarred for life. The poppies are considered the "flower of remembrance" and represent the blood shed by American service members.

The poppy movement was inspired by Canadian Army Col. John McCrae's poem, "In Flanders Fields", which describes how poppies grew on the battlefields of World War I. The red poppies came to symbolize the blood shed during battle, and Moina Michael wrote her own poem, “We Shall Keep the Faith,” based on McCrae's, which also emphasized the poppy as a symbol of soldiers' sacrifice. Michael sold poppy flower corsages to raise money for veterans and their families, and vowed to wear a red poppy every day to promote remembrance.

Please remember your Veterans this Memorial Day.

10/26/2023

10/26/2023

On 15 Oct 23 we were fortunate to celebrate the Leonard D. Chesmore VFW Post 8507 75th Anniversary and the Post's All-American status. A special thanks to members of the Holliston Select Board, Tina Hein, Holliston Select Board and John Cronin, Massachusetts State Representative James Arena-DeRosa, State Representative, and Massachusetts VFW District 15 Commander, Patrick Logue who presented Post 8507 Commander David DeGanne with certificates of appreciation, the 75th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee Award and 2022-2023 All American Team award. Also thank you to Anthony's on the Green for hosting our event and serving such a fantastic meal, and to Gaetano's Bakery for the patriotic cake and delicious cookies.

11/27/2021

Was great to represent the Holliston VFW and on for the at Fiskes General Store. We plan to drop the toys soon at the Holliston Police Department. How is your local shopping going?