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PITTSBURG —
Sherri Anderson, Pittsburg, wants to help veterans and their families any way she can.
As new Third District Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary president, she should have many opportunities for service.
Originally from Parsons, Anderson said she joined the organization around 1982 in Clear Lake, Calif. Though her husband at that time was in the military and a VFW and American Legion Member, Anderson chose to join under the service record of her father, Francis LeRoy Collins.
VFW membership eligibility requires that the veteran has served overseas during an operation or conflict and has been decorated with an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, a campaign medal or ribbon. It is the largest American organization of combat veterans.
“My father was a World War II veteran and served in a medical unit,” Anderson said. “He was in a body collection company that picked up the bodies of the dead. I went into the medical field for him.”
She followed in her mother’s footsteps in the VFW Auxiliary.
“My mother, who died Feb. 22, was a VFW Auxiliary life member and served as president of two posts in California,” Anderson said.
She moved back to California and lived in Mound Valley for a time. In 1997 she became a lifetime VFW Auxiliary member. She married Eugene Kenneth Anderson, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, in 1998. He died on May 21, and will be buried June 29 in Fort Scott National Cemetery No. 1.
“I helped Robert M. Wheeler Veterans of Foreign Wars 1158 re-activate its auxiliary around 2002,” Anderson said. “I was auxiliary chaplain for five years, junior vice commander for a couple of years, then senior vice. I was asked to be Third District chaplain and served for two years, then junior vice for a year and senior vice for two years. Now I’m president and I’ll take office at the end of June.”
Theme for her year in office is “Rock-n-Roll Angels of Kansas,” and her motto is “We are here for our veterans and their families.” Slogan is “Lets honor our veterans.” Her flower is the Buddy Poppy, and her colors are red, white and blue. Anderson’s official songs are “Lean on Me,” “God Bless America” and “Welcome to My World.”
She’ll attend the department school of instruction July 6, 7 and 8, and hopes to also go to the national convention at Reno, Nev., if the finances can be worked out.
“Then I’ll start doing inspections,” Anderson said. “I have to visit each post in the Third District.”
Sherri Anderson, Pittsburg, wants to help veterans and their families any way she can.
As new Third District Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary president, she should have many opportunities for service.
Originally from Parsons, Anderson said she joined the organization around 1982 in Clear Lake, Calif. Though her husband at that time was in the military and a VFW and American Legion Member, Anderson chose to join under the service record of her father, Francis LeRoy Collins.
VFW membership eligibility requires that the veteran has served overseas during an operation or conflict and has been decorated with an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, a campaign medal or ribbon. It is the largest American organization of combat veterans.
“My father was a World War II veteran and served in a medical unit,” Anderson said. “He was in a body collection company that picked up the bodies of the dead. I went into the medical field for him.”
She followed in her mother’s footsteps in the VFW Auxiliary.
“My mother, who died Feb. 22, was a VFW Auxiliary life member and served as president of two posts in California,” Anderson said.
She moved back to California and lived in Mound Valley for a time. In 1997 she became a lifetime VFW Auxiliary member. She married Eugene Kenneth Anderson, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, in 1998. He died on May 21, and will be buried June 29 in Fort Scott National Cemetery No. 1.
“I helped Robert M. Wheeler Veterans of Foreign Wars 1158 re-activate its auxiliary around 2002,” Anderson said. “I was auxiliary chaplain for five years, junior vice commander for a couple of years, then senior vice. I was asked to be Third District chaplain and served for two years, then junior vice for a year and senior vice for two years. Now I’m president and I’ll take office at the end of June.”
Theme for her year in office is “Rock-n-Roll Angels of Kansas,” and her motto is “We are here for our veterans and their families.” Slogan is “Lets honor our veterans.” Her flower is the Buddy Poppy, and her colors are red, white and blue. Anderson’s official songs are “Lean on Me,” “God Bless America” and “Welcome to My World.”
She’ll attend the department school of instruction July 6, 7 and 8, and hopes to also go to the national convention at Reno, Nev., if the finances can be worked out.
“Then I’ll start doing inspections,” Anderson said. “I have to visit each post in the Third District.”
That will take a fair amount of traveling. The Third District encompasses posts in Pittsburg, Baxter Springs, Parsons, Coffeyville, Independence, Arkansas City, Columbus, Fredonia, Chanute, Oswego, Winfield, Sedan and Chetopa.
Anderson has projects she’d like to work on locally, including making VFW more visible in the community.
“A lot of people don’t know we’re here for them, but we are here for the veterans and their families,” Anderson said.
Local auxiliary members sell Buddy Poppies in May and November, with funds used to help veterans and their families.
“We visit veterans and widows of veterans in local nursing homes and take them little gifts at Christmas and Valentine’s Day,” Anderson said. “At Christmas every year we also go to the hospital and give little gifts. Sometimes we’ve had enough to give to not only the patients but also the staff and visitors.”
She said that auxiliary members also make lap robes as well as scarves and hats for patients undergoing chemotherapy at the Via Christi Cancer Center.
“We’re often in need of yarn and fabrics to make blankets,” Anderson said.
The auxiliary is also active in the community, and donates to the Pittsburg Salvation Army and Wesley House. Some money also goes to cancer research and to the VFW National Home for Children, which provides a state-licensed residential program for children of service members who need a place to live, as well as offer housing for spouses and children of deployed military members.
“I’ve had local veterans say that they’d like to have a Veterans Hospital, or at least a clinic, closer to home because a lot of those older veterans can’t drive long distances,” Anderson said. “I need to get with our doctors here and see if they can pull something together.”
She’d also like to get younger people involved in VFW, such as children of those who have served recently.
“I’d like to start a junior group for girls aged 5 to 15,” Anderson said. “When they’re 16 they can join the auxiliary if they want. I’d like to see our post back up and active.”
