Rusk’s VFW, American Legion posts considering closing

Rusk’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #3406 and Rusk American Legion Post #293 are sending out an SOS to local veterans and community members.

VFW District 19 Commander Emerson Griffin and American Legion Adjutant Kenneth White have both reported because of dwindling membership, active members of the posts are considering surrendering their posts’ charters. Rusk VFW Post #3406 was founded May 28, 1936.

“It’s not set in stone yet,” Griffin said of the VFW post’s decision to disband. “But this is the time for nominations and elections for our post’s governing board. If we don’t have the members, we can’t get the nominations. If we don’t have any nominations, we can’t hold elections. No elections means nobody’s filling those seats.

“We’re not closed at this time, but the apple cart is running.”

Griffin said the post recently sent out letters to those qualified to become members of the VFW to try to generate interest in joining, but received very little response.

“We’re not getting any younger members and those of us that are already members aren’t getting any younger – we’ve been doing this a long time, and we’re running out of steam,” Post Quartermaster Randy Balogh said. “The younger generations, they got families they’re busy with – I understand, I was the same way just out of Viet Nam. I didn’t join up until my kids were grown. It’s just a big age difference between us and the vets of Afghanistan and Iraq.”

While the post boasts 37 members, only the seven current officers attended the March meeting to consider surrendering the post’s charter. A state VFW representative will attend the April meeting to help the post decide what to do. The Rusk VFW’s April meeting will be held Tuesday, April 2, at the post, 1001 E. Fourth St., Rusk. Any veteran who has honorably served overseas in an area of foreign conflict is eligible to join the VFW.

“We’ll officially vote on surrendering the charter during the April meeting,” Griffin said. “If that’s what happens – and it probably will if we’re not able to hold elections -- our last operating month will be June.”

The Rusk VFW Auxiliary disbanded about this time last year, also due to lack of active membership.

“We had 32 members, but barely had five able to make the meetings regularly,” former Rusk Auxiliary member Kim Nickle said. “Life happens – some members moved away to be closer to family, age, just a lot of various reasons – we just couldn’t keep doing it.

“The Auxiliary always did and do a great job with what they did in the community. We had several good years and accomplished some wonderful things for the community. You can’t say we didn’t always put our best foot forward in everything we did.”

Balogh said should the Rusk post close, that would leave Jacksonville Post #3984 as the only post in Cherokee County.

“I understand Jacksonville recently reinstated its Auxiliary, so that’s a plus,” he said. “But once upon a time, Wells had a post. It closed a long time ago. Alto had a post, which closed about six years ago. And now Rusk.

“Used to there weren’t as many organizations for vets – it was the VFW and the American Legion, but now there’s the Wounded Warrior, more Viet Nam groups.”

Rusk’s Coleman-Isgate American Legion Post #293 is still active for the moment, but White said the organization is also finding it hard to keep the doors open because of a lack of interest in membership.

“We’re in the same predicament as the VFW,” White said. “We just don’t have enough active members to keep the doors open. We’re dying off, we’re getting too old to drive anymore, and the younger men just don’t seem interested in joining.

“It’s happening to posts all over the country – we’re not the only ones to have this problem.

“I would like to say we always had great support from the city and Mayor Angela Raiborn. We never really saw the mayor at any of our functions and ceremonies until she became mayor.

“We very much appreciate her interest and the support the community has shown us over the years, too.”

White said the American Legion post actually owns the building it and the VFW occupy—having leased the space to the VFW.

The property was donated to the Legion in 1946 by Texas Department of Transportation and ownership would revert back to the department.

“We just can’t afford to keep the building open anymore,” White said.

White said post 293’s members will make the decision to surrender its charter or not within the next few months.

Rusk American Legion Post 293 next meets at 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 26, at the post, 1001 E. Fourth St., Rusk.

Veterans who have been assigned to at least one day of federal active duty service any time during the eligibility periods (as determined by U.S. government) and received an honorable discharge/discharge under honorable conditions; or are currently serving in the U.S. military are eligible for membership in the American Legion.

The current eligibility period from is from August, 1990 – Present and includes the current war campaigns.

All current active duty military are eligible for membership.