On November 17th, the Dillon VFW was the program for the Thursday night meeting of Dillon Lions held at the Twin Lakes Country Club.
Lions President Jimmy Sweat and Program Chairman Jimmy Sawyer welcomed VFW Post 6091 members Chris Norris and John Harlow and thanked them for their military service. The evening began with an impressive Thanksgiving meal prepared by the country club. Lion Leslie McLellan led the Lions in singing the Twelve Days of Thanksgiving.
Following the meal, VFW Post Commander John Harlow thanked the Lions Club for the work it does for sight conservation and for the contributions Lions make to the Dillon community through its glasses giveaway program and its supporting other charitable organizations. Commander Harlow provided a handout about the Dillon VFW and its work to help Veterans and their families in Dillon. He introduced Lake View resident Chris Norris and talked about his Army service as a combat Veteran of the war in Afghanistan. The Lions welcomed Chris with standing applause for his service.
In his remarks, Chris talked about his personal experience with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) following his combat experience and particularly about how the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) and the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) veteran organizations are working to help him, and other war Veterans like him, overcome their traumatic stress and other war disabilities. Both the WWP and the DAV actively support Dillon area Veterans to confront mental health issues and other visible and invisible wounds of war. In closing, Commander Harlow talked about the contributions that have been made by Chris and many others from the Dillon community who have served in our military during times of peace and times of war to defend our American values and our democracy.
Some of these include members of the military like Dillon native Eli Williamson who was killed in action I(KIA) during WW-II and for whom the Dillon VFW Post is named the Eli Williamson Post. And more recently, Dillon County natives Chad Owens (KIA Iraq) and Edward Philpot and James Bullard both killed serving in the war in Afghanistan. In all, there are 93 names on the war memorial wall at Dillon’s Veterans Square naming Dillon County Veterans KIA from WW-1 through the War on Terrorism. Harlow said that the VFW mission is to Honor the Dead by Helping the Living through veterans’ service, community service, and through promoting national security and a strong national defense.
He said, “Our motto at the VFW is No One does More for Veterans and at the Dillon VFW we work everyday to care and provide for these defenders of freedom.” Persons wanting to know more about the VFW can visit www.vfwsc.org.