CAMDENTON, Mo. — The Camdenton Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5923 has a rich tradition of serving heroic veterans, military families, and the local community. Now, it has plans to expand its reach in the community, with a new facility, including a community center, kitchen, and bar.
The Camdenton Post has plans to construct a new building at the end of this year on the same property as its current post. Two-thirds of the funds have already been approved in the form of a loan, and the rest will be raised through various fundraisers.
The project will bring a new veterans bar and community center to the Camdenton post. According to Post 5923 Senior Vice Commander Ross Reinhart, the new building will be 7,500 sq. feet, with three different meeting rooms that can be used by the post and the public for a variety of uses such as weddings, Boy Scout events and other meetings for various organizations.
One-third of the top floor will hold a kitchen for food that attaches to a bar where sports fans can watch NFL and WWE on a big screen television, and a stage area for concerts and other entertainment. “The stage will be a place where we can showcase the talents of local bands by holding concerts,” Reinhart said. “The new center will be a ‘community’ center” for everyone to use.”
The lower level will house the meeting rooms. All post buildings are smoke free as of July 2014.
Helping Veterans
The post assists local veterans in many different ways, including helping them with their sometimes difficult Veteran’s Administration claims and supporting military charities.
The post also assists local veterans who are going through financial difficulties. Through the Veteran’s Relief Fund, the post can help veterans who are struggling with unemployment, emergency car repairs, medical issues, emergency rent and utility payments and more. The veterans do not even have to be a member of the post to get help.
“After all they have done for us, it is the least we can do for them,” Reinhart said.
The local VFW post also, as one way to honor veterans, holds a free holiday dinner for all veterans and their families on major holidays.
The current post bar, the “Bunker Bar and Grill” is a place where veterans can connect with one another.
“A veteran of a war has very few people who truly understand what he/she has been through,” Reinhart said. “Most people who have not been to war cannot understand where they are coming from. Veterans can come here and talk, and build friendships with people who have been through the same types of things they have, and not be judged or misunderstood.”
Proceeds from the post’s kitchen and bar are placed in a “Veterans’ Relief Fund” which benefits the many and diverse programs of VFW Post 5923. The programs include, but are not limited to:
- Missouri Veterans Homes
- Operation UpLink
- Military (Family) Assistance Program
- Relief of Local Veterans & Families In Need
- Various Community Charity Organizations
- All American
Beyond the above reasons, the local community has another reason to boast in its Camdenton VFW Post. The post was chosen to receive the distinction of “All American” by the National VFW. This award means the post is in the top 10 percent of the entire nation.
To win this award the post was required to excel in auditing paperwork, meet annual goals in membership and monies donated to charities, and hold events on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Veterans Day, all to honor veterans.
Community involvement
Besides the programs offered to veterans, the VFW in general is very active in the local community.
For students, it sponsors a Patriots Pen essay contest, the Voice of Democracy verbal essay contest, and art contests where students can win cash prizes and college scholarships.
The post also honors a high school teacher of the year. This year Dogwood Elementary School Teacher Victoria Luber won the title. She competed against 23 other VFW posts and she won local, district and state teacher of the year.
The VFW assists schools with school fundraising projects. Among those in 2013:
- Charity basketball game where a VFW team competed against a team from the Dogwood Elementary school. The post raised $1,600 in one night for the purchase of new flag poles. The school had been unable to hang an American and a Missouri flag on the pole together. The VFW gave the school a second flag pole. The rest of the money went towards back-lighting the flags.
- The post assisted the middle school with putting an American flag in every classroom in the building.
- The post helped with the integration of the Pledge of Allegiance into the school.
- The post organized a charity football game.
- The post held school Veteran’s Day programs
- Through a four week 50/50 raffle on Bingo night at the post, funds were raised to assist with the cost of transporting seventh grade students to the state capital, and more.
Reinhart wears many hats at the post, besides being a Veteran and Vice Commander he is the Adjacent Community Activities Chairman, School Liaison and New Building Chairman.
He also volunteers as a coach with Camdenton football and wrestling teams and he coaches his church softball team at First Family Church in Osage Beach. Reinhart is married to Tisha. Love for veterans runs in the family, as Tisha also serves as a school liaison for the VFW Post 5923 Women’s Auxiliary. The Reinharts have three children.
Reinhart’s father, First Class Jerry Reinhart, served in the Army and was medically discharged for multiple wounds he received while deployed.
“America is a good country and I was proud of my dad, and of his service. I found that I was physically and mentally able to defend our country so I wanted to do my part,” the younger Reinhart said. He enlisted at the age of 25.
Like many soldiers who went to war, Reinhart doesn’t like to talk about everything he experienced while in service. He was stationed at the Bagram Air Force in Afghanistan in 2010. He served in the 1140th Military Police Company as a Specialist. His job was to guard and protect military installations on the base.
“There were missions that required us to go off base and do visual protection. This visual reminded them of our presence, and made them think twice about doing something bad,” Rienhart explained.
“My time over there was an eye opening experience. I was able to see parts of the country of Afghanistan that most people don’t see in the news,” Reinhart said. He was struck by the lack of normal everyday infrastructure that people in America take for granted, such as phone lines, schools, hospitals and police protection.
“I believe the lack of infrastructure was one way the terrorists were able to take over that country.” He found the Afghani people to be polite, hospitable and happy. “They were very thankful we were protecting their people, training their physicians and army, and building hospitals and schools and other important infrastructure to help them become self-sufficient.”
Overall, Reinhart believes America did a good thing going into Afghanistan. “We went in to save ourselves and others from future terrorist attacks by terrorists who were making Afghanistan their home base. “It was an experience that I will never forget, and an experience I would do again if asked,” Reinhart said with determination. He is continues to serve our country as a Sergeant in the Missouri National Guard.
New Members
Due to aging World War II veterans, the post is seeking young veteran members. Leadership is working hard to find Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam veterans who are interested in helping their fellow veterans and the community.
“We need young people to be leaders and breathe new life into the VFW,” Reinhart said.
Reinhart would also like to see the post, and all the post does, become more widely known by the community. “The more people know about us, the more they will be willing to come and support our events, which in turn support our veterans.”
