Thank you to everyone who turned out to help VFW Post 7507 commemorate our 25th year as a post and to dedicate our newly-purchased property for a future “post home” and veterans community center.

As commander, I want to thank Starbucks for the iced tea and congratulate Bashas’ bakery for the tasty cake that was so exceptionally well decorated, including a lovely VFW symbol. Thanks also to American Legion Post 58 for the use of your podium and to the Veterans Memorial Committee for the use of the sound system.

I thank Mayor Kavanagh for the wonderful speech she gave recognizing the post’s contributions to the town and looking to our future. Thanks also to Bob Hysco, the VFW Department of Arizona’s Judge Advocate, who was our keynote speaker.

Congratulations and thanks to Howard Asher and Norm Butler, who 25 years ago were forward thinking and persistent enough to be among the group of veterans who established our VFW post.

I also want to give a special thank you to Clean Cut Landscape Management for so nicely cleaning up the vacant lot that will become our future home. Everyone remarked that it is the best the lot has ever looked. Thank you for all the donated manpower and equipment to do that job, which allowed us to conduct the ceremony in a nice location. Thank you, Clean Cut.

Of course, without the Color Guard, no ceremony would be quite so meaningful or ceremonious, so thank you to the members of the post’s Color Guard who participated in the ceremony and stood in the hot sun in their warm uniforms.

I look forward to the time when VFW Post 7507 will be able to hold our meetings on this new lot and for all veterans to call it home as the Fountain Hills Veterans Community Center.