We promote camaraderie among veterans & serve our communities. Current Commander - Daniel Lease Admiral Benson Post 2818 was chartered in 1933. It was Pete Newberg from Willmar who was the Chief of Staff of the Department of Minnesota that placed an ad in the Litchfield paper looking for anyone interested in starting a Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in town. The meeting was held at the hotel one ev
ening, and enough want to be members showed up in support of the idea. On April 13, 1933, the new post was instituted at the Community Hall in Litchfield. Our first commander was Arthur Wheeler. The original charter had only 42 members. When deciding what to name the post, a member at the time suggested it be named after Admiral Benson. William Ambrose passed away in 1963, but his suggested post name will live on. Admiral Benson was born in Macon, Georgia in September of 1855. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1877. During his naval career, he was appointed Chief of Naval operations with the rank of Rear Admiral upon the creation of that office in 1915. He was later commissioned Admiral when authorized in 1916. Admiral Benson held this office until he retired from active service on September 25, 1919. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal by the Naval Department for “exceptional meritorious service in duty of great responsibility as Chief of Naval Operations”. In addition to the Distinguished Service Medal, he also received Foreign Decorations as follows; Grand Cross Legion of Honor (French), Grand Cross Order of St. Michael and St. George (British), and the Order of St. Gregory, the Great (Military Class, First Order) by Pope Benedict XV. After his retirement from active duty, Admiral Benson served as chairman of the United States Shipping Board which he held that office until 1928. Admiral Benson died in May of 1932 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. In 1934 the Auxiliary was formed. Their help in carrying out post project has been and always will be a tremendous help to the post. The VFW's core values are:
Always put the interests of our members first. Treat donors as partners in our cause
Promote patriotism
Honor military service
Ensure the care of veterans and their families
Serve our communities
Promote a positive image of the VFW
Respect the diversity of veteran opinions
No One Does More For Veterans than the VFW. We trace our roots back to 1899 when veterans of the Spanish-American War (1898) and the Philippine Insurrection (1899-1902) founded local organizations to secure rights and benefits for their service. Many arrived home wounded or sick. There was no medical care or veterans' pension for them, and they were left to care for themselves. In their misery, some of these veterans banded together and formed organizations that would eventually band together and become known as the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. After chapters were formed in Ohio, Colorado and Pennsylvania, the movement quickly gained momentum. Today, membership stands at more than 1.4 million members of the VFW and its Auxiliary.
