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VFW Post 7105 Fund Raising Live Auction
Friday April 04, 2025. 5PM - 10PM
Charles Morin Fine Art, 244 W. Main St., Fredericksburg, Tx. 78624
Live Auction to help raise money for the building fund for the local Fredericksburg, Texas, VFW Post Let me share with you some reasons that I will be hosting this fundraising auction. First off, any man or women that puts on that uniform potentially puts their life on the line to protect Our country, our families, our way of life and all of the freedoms that our constitution provides for us. How many folks are willing to do that. Well, we know those that have served and are serving. We are raising funds for the local VFW to help build a new post as the original structure is in disrepair. An estimated three million dollars is needed to build new Post building; the original part of current building was constructed in 1937; there are many maintenance issues with old plumbing, electrical, etc.; the building is currently "no smoking" effective recently but smoke smell exists (after nearly 90 years of not being smoke free); current building is not conducive to serving/helping/supporting all veterans and families; the current building not inviting to younger veterans with families; a new building will also provide some child care, etc., for younger veterans. These veterans can't do it alone. Let's reach out together to help them. It is the least we can do. Veterans of Foreign Wars will celebrate the 125th anniversary of its founding on the Sept. 29th. On that day in 1899, 14 veterans of the 17th Regiment of U.S. Infantry, who had all fought together during the Spanish-American War that ended in April of that year, gathered in Columbus, Ohio. Those veterans created the American Veterans of Foreign Service - the forerunner of today's VFW. As had happened after each of the country s previous war, the Army had been dramatically reduced in size when fighting ended, and local men who had volunteered to fight walked out of gates of Columbus Barracks with discharge papers and whatever small amount they were due for their final pay voucher. Many suffered from recurring attacks of tropical fever, skin diseases and stomach disorder incurred while campaigning in Cuba, Puerto Rico or the Philippines. These veterans were known as "forgotten men" once the war was over. The men who met in the back of a tailor shop in Columbus were determined to do something to remedy the situation. In subsequent months, the 1st Colorado Society of the Army of the Philippines was formed by veterans of Colorado Volunteer Infantry Regiment in Denver, and other similar organizations were formed in Altoona, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by veterans who had fought in the Philippines and China. On Aug. 20, 1913, the groups that had been formed in Ohio, Colorado and Pennsylvania were amalgamated under the name Army of the Philippines, Cuba and Puerto Rico. On Aug. 1, 1914, the name was changed to the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, which was headquartered in Pittsburgh. The VFW grew significantly after World War I (when the VFW headquarters moved first to New York City in 1918 and then to Kansas City in 1930), World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Southwest Asia. Today, along with the VFW Auxiliary, the organization has more than 1.4 million members in nearly 6,000 VFW Posts worldwide. The purpose of the VFW, as defined by the Congressional Charter in 1936, is fraternal, patriotic, historical charitable and educational. The organization is open to members of the Armed Forces of the United States who served honorably in a war, campaign, or expedition on foreign soil or in hostile waters. Eight U.S. presidents have been member of the VFW. The VFW has been instrumental in virtually every piece of veterans' legislation in the 20th and 21st centuries, including the 1944 GI Bill of Rights, the 1984 Montgomery GI Bill, the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the current Forever GI Bill, allowing veteran to attend college of trade schools and purchase homes. Each year, the VFW awards more than $3 million in scholarships, monetary awards, and other incentives to junior high school and high school students through the Voice of Democracy and the Patriot's Pen patriotic essay competitions, open to student in any schools nationwide. In 2030-24, more than 25,000 students competed in the Voice of Democracy and nearly 63,000 competed in the Patriot's Pen competitions. Local history Fredericksburg's Frantzen-Ahrens Post 7105 was established on April 25, 1968, with 58 charter members. It was named in honor of the first two World War II casualties from Gillespie County. Private First-Class Andrew R. Franzen, 37th Infantry Division, was killed in action on July 30th, 1943, while destroying an enemy machinegun nest on the Solomon Islands. His buried in Der Stadt Friedhof in Fredericksburg. Staff Sergeant Harold Elias Ahrens, 12th Air Force, was killed in action on Aug. 5, 1943, when the B-17 Flying Fortress on which he was a gunner and radio operator was forced to ditch in the North Sea. His memorialized at St. Paul Lutheran Church at Cave Creek and at the Cambridge American Cemetery in England. About VFW Post 7105 For more information about the hundreds of Gillespie County veterans, see Country Photo Album R fbgtxgensoc.org Frantzen-Ahrens Post 7105, VFW, is located at 710 S. Washington St. The Fredericksburg Post was chartered in 1946, incorporated in 1955 and the current building has been in use since 1968. The Post is in the process of raising the funds necessary to construct a new building to replace the current one, which was purchased in 1950, in order to better serve the combat veteran community of Fredericksburg and Gillespie County. For information on how to help, contact VFW Post Commander Jim Bisson at (512) 517-4211. Proposed Date: April 4, 2025, which is First Friday Art Walk. I will be hosting the event in my gallery at 244 W. Main Street. All proceeds will go to the building fund for the VFW. At this time, we have about 15 paintings by mostly local well-known artists as well as an 18-gun collection that will be included in the auction. I will be donating a two-night stay at one of my Short-Term Rentals in Fredericksburg. We have several donations of Jewelry from local Fredericksburg Jewelry Stores. More great items will be obtained in the coming months. I will start promoting them online in the next month or so. If anyone out there would like to donate items to the auction, please let me know what you have. We don't have a definite time as of yet but will most likely be starting late afternoon or early evening. More details to follow. The auction will be live, but we will also be taking absentee bids as well as phone bids. There will be no buyer's premium!!!! When it gets closer to the date, we hope you will register early to bid. Gonna be a lot of fun. Parking on street, behind my building, across the street at PNC bank. I will be providing food and drinks. AUCTION!!! AUCTION!!! AUCTION!!!