VFW Post 8402 Jackson, OH

06/16/2026

Prayers for all

‼️ B-52 CRASH UPDATE‼️

The B-52 bomber that crashed at Edwards AFB today had 8 souls onboard. They had just taken off on a routine test mission, when they crashed at 11:20am PDT.

😭 ALL 8 CREW MEMBERS LOST:
Edwards AFB 412th Test Wing Public Affairs says initial indications are that the crash was not survivable. Emergency personnel are still on-scene and working to account for the 8 crew members.

🙏 Please share your heartfelt condolences, and keep the crew, families and first responders in your thoughts 😔 we grieve with them 🕊️

✈️ WHAT WE KNOW:
Edwards AFB is the center of the aerospace testing universe. The 412th Test Wing specifically oversees the day-to-day operations of the 'Power Projection' mission, testing every aircraft in the AF inventory to its absolute limits before it hits the front lines. B-52 bombers have been conducting extensive testing and modernization work there all year. The planes are getting new Rolls-Royce engines and advanced radar systems as part of the B-52J upgrade program, which will keep the B-52 in service into the 2050s. It’s one of the most iconic aircraft ever built, and has served as the backbone of America's long-range bomber force now for over 70 years.

We will post more details as they become available.

📸 Mike Killian / LSC

06/15/2026

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VFW Department of Ohio would like to congratulate Commander Ray Schafer his Line Officers and the 12 District Commanders for the Up coming year 2026-2027

06/15/2026

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06/15/2026

06/14/2026

Most people remember Tom Landry standing on the sidelines of Dallas Cowboys games.
Few remember him sitting in the cockpit of a dying bomber over Europe.
Before he became one of football's most famous coaches, Landry served as a B-17 pilot during World War II. Flying from England, he led missions deep into enemy territory where every flight carried the possibility of never returning home.
Then came his 30th mission.
High above Europe, German anti-aircraft fire found its target.
Explosions ripped through the bomber.
One engine failed.
Then another.
Then another.
Then another.
Suddenly, all four engines were gone.
The massive B-17 was no longer flying.
It was falling.
Inside the aircraft were young airmen who knew exactly what that usually meant.
D*ath.
Panic could have spread through the crew.
Landry never allowed it.
Witnesses later recalled how calmly he fought to keep control of the powerless aircraft as it dropped toward the ground. With no engines and almost no options left, he guided the crippled bomber toward a field in France.
Then came the impact.
Steel scraped across the earth.
The aircraft slammed into the ground.
Against all odds, the crew survived.
The young pilot had brought them home.
Years later, America would know Tom Landry as the coach who built the Dallas Cowboys into a dynasty. Fans would admire his discipline, leadership, and calm under pressure.
What many never realized was where those qualities were forged.
Not on a football field.
But inside a shattered bomber falling from the sky during World War II.
Long before he coached champions, Tom Landry was already saving lives.
Story based on historical records. This post is for educational purposes.

06/14/2026

🇺🇸 Flag Day: More Than a Symbol 🇺🇸

Every year on June 14, Americans celebrate Flag Day, commemorating the adoption of the Stars and Stripes by the Continental Congress in 1777. It is fitting that Flag Day shares the same date as the birthday of the United States Army, reminding us that the flag and those who defend it have been linked since the earliest days of our nation.

The American flag is more than fabric stitched together in red, white, and blue. It is a symbol that has traveled with generations of Americans through times of triumph, sacrifice, hardship, and hope. It has flown over battlefields, schools, homes, ships, government buildings, and communities large and small. It has welcomed service members home, draped the caskets of the fallen, and stood as a reminder that freedom is both a gift and a responsibility.

What makes the flag powerful is not the cloth itself, but what it represents. It embodies the ideals of liberty, self-governance, opportunity, and the belief that people from different backgrounds can unite around a shared purpose. Throughout history, Americans have debated, disagreed, and struggled to live up to those ideals, yet the flag has remained a symbol of the ongoing pursuit of a more perfect union.

For veterans, the flag often carries an even deeper meaning. It represents the friends who served beside us, the families who supported us, and the generations who answered the call before us. It reminds us that citizenship is not merely something we inherit, but something we steward for those who will come after us.

As we celebrate Flag Day, let us remember that patriotism is not measured by words alone. It is reflected in service, civic engagement, respect for one another, and a commitment to strengthening our communities. The flag is at its best not when it divides us, but when it reminds us of the principles that unite us.

Today, take a moment to look up at the Stars and Stripes and reflect on the generations who carried it forward. May we prove worthy of the freedoms it represents and continue the work of building a nation that honors its promise.

🇺🇸 Happy Flag Day.

06/14/2026

The VFW and its Auxiliary proudly congratulate the United States Army on 251 years of elite service, valor and sacrifice defending American liberty.

06/14/2026

Today is Flag Day!

Flag Day has been observed for more than 150 years, but its origins can be traced all the way back to June 14, 1777, when the Continental Congress declared, "The Flag of the United States shall be of thirteen stripes of alternate red and white, with a union of thirteen stars of white in a blue field, representing the new constellation."

In 1861, a celebration of the American Flag in Hartford, Connecticut focused on the Americanization of immigrant children, in 1889 the principal of a free kindergarten for the poor in New York City started a Flag Day initiative that caught the eye of the State Department of Education, and in 1893, Elizabeth Duane Gillespie, a direct descendent of Benjamin Franklin, proposed a resolution to the city of Philadelphia to observe June 14 as Flag Day (unfortunately, as she was a woman, this was largely ignored). Presidents Wilson and Coolidge, in 1916 and 1927, issued proclamations declaring June 14 Flag Day, but it was not until 1949 that President Truman signed it into law.

The VFW Auxiliary considers observances of Flag Day and of the American Flag itself an important part of the Americanism Program. Past and present traditions involving the Flag have included distributing them to immigrants who celebrating their new citizenship, participating in Flag retirement ceremonies alongside the VFW, welcoming visiting National Presidents with an Aisle of Flags, replacing tattered or faded Flags flying in front of local businesses, placing Flags on veterans' graves over Memorial Day weekend, carrying Flags during parades and teaching children about the history and meaning of the American Flag in schools through picture books and youth programs.

Happy Flag Day from the VFW Auxiliary!

06/13/2026

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) opposes the comprehensive veterans’ legislation package introduced by House and Senate Republicans, Take Care of America’s Veterans Act (H.R. 9237), based on its intent to finance new veterans benefits by reducing or restricting earned disability compensation for other disabled veterans.

Why IAVA opposes this proposal:
— The proposal targets veterans living with service-connected tinnitus and sleep apnea.
— Cutting compensation for some disabilities creates a dangerous precedent for future reductions to other earned benefits.

What you can do:
— Contact your Members of Congress.
— Urge lawmakers to reject any proposal that reduces earned disability compensation.

READ FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE: https://iava.org/media/statement-from-iraq-and-afghanistan-veterans-of-america-iava-on-the-take-care-of-americas-veterans-act