CAMDENTON, Mo. — Changes are on the horizon for Camdenton’s Veteran’s of Foreign Wars Post 5923, as a new commander and other officers were installed in last night’s meeting. They will take command of their new offices in June.
With the election of a new commander, changes for the new post are often eminent. This holds true with the upcoming commander, Lance Kellogg, who is also Jr. Vice Commander of the 2nd District of the VFW.
“Internally, the direction of the post is going to change,” Kellogg said. “The direction of the post as far as events, revenue generating sources and donations to charities is determined by the motivation of the commander and how he wants to guide them based on his priorities,” he said.
Kellogg’s priorities are starting with the formation of committees for things such as events and housing, something that has never been done before. Housing will oversee the operation of the kitchen and the lounge.
The lounge is a new addition that is in the process of being set up for veterans who want to have a comfortable and quiet atmosphere to talk with other veterans.
“This will be a quiet and comfortable atmosphere where veterans can come in and visit, sharing like opinions with other veterans,” he said. “Often veterans don’t really want to share with other people that don’t understand, and with the VFW, someone else has been there, done that.”
Kellogg joined the Camdenton VFW post just a year ago, but first became part of the VFW in 1996. Kellogg said the VFW focuses on many things but its main focus is camaraderie. “[It is] a place where you can talk about your experiences with people who understand and have similar experiences.” Veterans need that, he said. “Even the younger ones.”
All veterans, regardless of the years in which they served, need support, Kellogg said. “The VFW is therapeutic for veterans that have seen war and been involved in war situations,” he explained.
That idea has helped set another of Kellogg’s priorities: to draw younger people. “In the past, the image of the VFW has been revolved around retirees, mostly the Vietnam era,” he said. “My direction is going to change to a more modern VFW. I want more Afghanistan, Iraqian…Desert Storm…a younger crowd so they can tell us what they want. The older veterans are retired and I think what we need is a taste of newness…that is the younger veterans…new blood, new ideas.”
With the goal of drawing younger veterans, Kellogg hopes to make the Camdenton post a more family-friendly place with family barbeques, concerts, picnics and such. The committee will help come up with ideas that will hopefully attract them, he said.
Kellogg has a plan in mind for direction of the Camdenton post, but he didn’t decide to take on the position just to create events. He wants to make a difference.
“One of the saddest things I see with the United States is we are losing our values.”
“When I look at it politically, our patriotism has declined. When I was in the service, patriotism was at the height of everything,” Kellogg said. “Now-a-days it has changed. It is disheartening... I want to change that.”
Due to his tour in Vietnam, Kellogg said he is an Agent Orange disabled veteran with a lot of medical problems. As his ailments persist, he becomes more and more aware of the struggles of veterans as they seek the benefits they deserve. He said there are many people out there like him; some are in even worse shape. Some have no limbs; many have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as well as other conditions — all the results of war’s harsh hand.
Kellogg said he hopes to provide support for veterans and help them regain some of the respect and benefits they deserve. “Veterans have these difficulties yet our VA system finds ways to not take care of them; I think the government in itself is doing the same thing,” he said. “This is one of the reasons I have an attraction to the VFW; because we are a strong mass… over one million strong. When there is a following, politicians listen. I want to try and make a difference, even as small as a commander.”
“People have a hard time understanding a veteran’s reaction to things,” Kellogg said. “Every veteran has some type of response or some type of effect left over from going into combat. Some people have really been affected by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and show it on an outward appearance but there are a lot of veterans such as myself that hold it in,” he said. “We don’t really tell anybody what is bothering us because we feel it is probably a weakness. And, actually, there are a lot suffering from the same thing.”
“I want to be where I can have some impact on the veterans because I really want to fight for veterans’ rights and benefits. That is why I am involved,” Kellogg said proudly. “And, some day I hope to be able to move up into the hierarchy of the VFW to help further this cause.”
The Veteran’s of Foreign Wars mission: To foster camaraderie among United States veterans of overseas conflicts. To serve our veterans, the military, and our communities. To advocate on behalf of all veterans. More information about the VFW is available at www.vfw.org.
