Page 10 - Aerotech News and Review, October 30, 2020

VFW Post 3000

by Larry Grooms 3000’s Auxiliary lists 265 members who are quali-
special to Aerotech News fied as immediate family members of American
veterans who served in foreign wars.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3000 members Post 3000 official Tim Bryant said the VFW’s
are no strangers to dangers or living on short ra- core value is the phrase, “vets serving vets and
tions. At some past time, each faced and overcame their families,” so it was especially painful when
enemies and obstacles even more threatening than the state imposed a quarantine on veteran resi-
the anti-virus orders which disrupted their com- dents and spouses living in the Pete Knight Veter-
munity service work for much of the year. ans Home in Lancaster and the Barstow Veterans
Headquartered at 4342 West Ave. L in Lancast- Home. Bryant said the retirement home residents
er, VFW Post 3000 began the year 2020 with a full have not been allowed to see visitors since March
list of regular social activities, support missions 2 due to COVID pandemic restrictions.
for needy veterans and their families, and com- Still, VFW Post 3000 is working creatively
munity service projects benefiting youth. to provide services. VFW Auxiliary District 5
The first blow to the Post schedule fell in early President Sherree Bryant is leading a letter writ- Andrews, Richard Short, Henry Weaver and Fred Hill, and also hosted free dinners for veterans and
March, when state and county government orders ing campaign from the Auxiliaries in the district Villa. During peak periods prior to the pandemic their families at Christmas and Thanksgiving, as
closed indoor gatherings for meetings, dining and and also from local school students to send thank- outbreak, the Honor Guard provided 10 to 15 full well as shipping Angel Tree gifts to active duty
entertaining. you letters to all veterans and spouses in the Pete military honor services a month at Veterans Cem- military and veterans’ families in the Antelope
Other health restrictions quickly followed, pos- Knight and Barstow Veterans Homes. The goal eteries, including Arvin and Riverside National Valley.
ing challenges to Post leadership to modify, limit is to have letters arriving by Veterans Day and cemeteries, Joshua Memoria Park, Lancaster Dis- Due to the fact that many Posts around the
or temporarily discontinue some activities. De- beyond. trict Cemetery, Miramar NAS and Mt. Whitney in country are currently restricted, some regular
spite restrictions, the Post bar remains open, and Activated, but currently less busy due to in- Arvin and Riverside County. projects are restricted, including fundraisers to
outdoors steak nights and third Sunday brunches frequent funeral services, is the VFW Post 3000 Pratt, who previously served as Post 3000 and pay ongoing operational costs, including rent,
continue. Post 3000 reports having 462 members, Honor Guard Team, comprised of members Larry VFW District 5 Chaplain, also organized VFW utilities, staff, dues, fees and funding for ongo-
all having served overseas in wartime. Pratt, Bruce Carroll, Everett Bean, Dan Gordon, Post 3000’s Grace Veterans Fellowship, which do- ing state and national VFW projects such as the
In addition to the regular VFW members, Post Ron Guyadeen, Steve Cronk, Mac Bennett, Chris nated, over a five-year period, more than $150,000 student scholarship essay competitions Voice of
to directly support veterans and their families
across the Antelope Valley and beyond. Democracy and Patriots Pen, and the Homeless
Duane Svoboda, 2020-2021 post commander, Veterans Fund, Wheelchair Games, National
said ongoing charitable activities and services Home, and others.
to veterans and their families include temporary VFW Auxiliary District 5 President Sherree
homeless housing, services for funeral, burial or Bryant and VFW District Commander Tom Pug-
cremation, medical co-pays and nutrition and liese of Lucerne Valley organized brisket dinner
health services. fundraisers to share among posts and auxiliaries
Because of its proximity to Edwards Air Force in the region struggling to meet their obligations.
Base, VFW Post 3000 also continues to provide Prior to the shut-down, Desiree Deville vol-
direct support for active duty members stationed unteered at the Pete Knight Veterans Home, the
there. That support has included: Post held bi-monthly Pizza Poker nights. On Sept.
• Airfare for a military member from an over- 12, Patti Adams and Karen Fournier, VFW Dis-
seas duty location to participate in the memorial trict 5 Conductress organized a drive to provide
for a fellow active duty member at Edwards;
• Home furnishings for a newly married airman 75 food baskets to veterans and families in need.
first class; They secured fresh-frozen chickens from Vallarta
• Paying transportation and housing costs for Supermarkets, along with additional food supplies
an Army Vet from Pennsylvania to California to from the Veterans Resource Center in Palmdale.
receive alternative medical treatment due to com- The baskets were delivered to VFW families
plications from the Burn Pits while stationed in in Palmdale, California City, Boron, Mojave and
Courtesy Photo Afghanistan. Rosamond. The next VFW Post 3000 and District
VFW Post 3000 is located at 4342 West Ave. L in Lancaster. For more information, call 661-943-2225. For more than a decade, VFW Post 3000 spon- 5 Auxiliary food drive is under way for Thanks-
sored an Easter Egg hunt for children in Quartz giving.

Unpacking future

of supersonic air

travel

The vertical tail – often also called a rudder — of NASA’s X-59 Quiet
SuperSonic Technology airplane is unpacked from its shipping crate after
delivery to Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility in Palmdale, Calif.
Assembly is taking shape there in anticipation of the X-59’s first flight some
time in mid-2022. Made of an aluminum alloy, the vertical tail’s pale green
color comes from a corrosion-protecting coating applied to the bare metal.
The structure will be placed atop the single F414-GE-100 jet engine to
form the X-59’s tail and contribute to the aircraft’s overall height of 14 feet.
Designed to produce quiet sonic “thumps” when flying supersonic, the
X-59 will be flown over select communities to measure public perception
of the sound. Results will be given to regulators to use in determining new
rules that could allow commercial faster-than-sound air travel over land.

Lockheed Martin photograph by Jim Banke

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