Service support groups see rebirth as younger vets join

  • Schuyler Kropf
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  • Posted: Thursday, November 11, 2010 12:01 a.m.
    UPDATED: Friday, March 23, 2012 1:13 p.m.
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In a place where most are two, three or even four times his age, 21-year-old Marine reservist and Iraq War veteran Brandon Gotterbarm (left) and fellow Marine Mike Czyrnik celebrate the Marine Corps' birthday Wednesday at the James Island VFW post. 'Most
Wade Spees /In a place where most are two, three or even four times his age, 21-year-old Marine reservist and Iraq War veteran Brandon Gotterbarm (left) and fellow Marine Mike Czyrnik celebrate the Marine Corps' birthday Wednesday at the James Island VFW post. 'Most

Last month, five veterans of the Iraq War became members of a VFW post on James Island. Most are decades younger than their gray-haired, craggy-faced elders.

In West Ashley, a fledgling branch of the American Legion is doing everything it can to recruit members in their 20s and 30s, stressing its efforts as a service support group.

"The cliche that it's old hands who get together and have a couple of drinks and shoot pool, it's well past that," said Joe Hayes, 45, a retired chief signalman who left the Navy in 2006 after a 22-year career.

Instead of telling stories about storming the beaches of Normandy or fighting on destroyers in the far Pacific, a growing number of today's American Legion or Veterans of Foreign Wars service group members come from the Reagan-era Cold War, the sands of Iraq or the steep mountains of Afghanistan.

Across the nation and in the Lowcountry, a revitalization is under way of these post-service gathering sites: In short, it's not your grandfather's post anymore.

One example is James Island's VFW Post 445 on Camp Road. Of its 400 full-time members, close to 20 percent -- a significant one in five -- can trace his military service to the post-9/11 years.

"It's to feel connected to something bigger than ourselves," said Scott Dow, a Coast Guard veteran who at age 40 is among the younger members of the James Island VFW.

Another example is Legion Post 208, West Ashley, which launched last year at a time when Legion and VFW halls around the country were reported shutting down regularly, largely due to the loss of their aging memberships and dwindling funds needed to keep the sites running.

Today, the group meets inside a Sam Rittenberg Boulevard church and has about 60 members. But even reaching that figure wasn't easy. Only about 6 percent of the U.S. population under 65 ever served in the military -- largely a reflection of the shrinking size of the military's human ranks that began with the downsizing after Vietnam.

Some said they joined because the post-9/11 mood of the country seemed right, as opposed to when they enlisted or left the military.

"When I came back it was a different era," said David Ferrara, 51, a retired Marine Corps sergeant and recent member of the West Ashley Legion post. His service is pegged to the decade immediately after the Vietnam War

when wearing a uniform in public sometimes drew stares from civilians.

"I came back after Vietnam and people didn't think of the military like they do now," he said, adding "like heroes."

Both groups say their focus is strongly on public service. Hayes joined Legion Post 208 to help support vets down on their luck and to spread the word about what type of assistance is available through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

"It's not only the older veterans that need help," he said. "I've helped vets in their 20s and 30s who are living in the woods and under bridges."

Women also have joined in. Pam Brown, 46, was in the Air Force Reserve from 1984 to 2003 and is an active member of the West Ashley Legion. Joining was an easy choice, she said. "I think we've always been involved, or else we wouldn't have joined the military," she said. "We're still trying to serve."

Another reason for the rebirth is that veterans from the war on terror seem more at ease about stopping by much quicker after their experiences, as opposed to their Vietnam-era counterparts, said Ron Hennion, senior vice commander at the James Island VFW.

After Vietnam, "it took about 15 years before people started coming in," he said.

The same trend was seen in Korean War vets, other post members said, adding that assimilation back into civilian life decades ago wasn't treated with as much support as it is today.

"It's better here than going to the VA hospital," said Air Force veteran Jerry Youngberg, 64, who served in the Vietnam theater and said the appeal for younger vets to join the VFW is to be around those who can relate to similar experiences, who have been "there." The post is arguably the oldest in Charleston.

"Everyone wants the organization to continue for years," Hennion said. "No one wants to see us shrivel up and die."

Veterans Day events

Various Veterans Day activities are planned around the Lowcountry for today's holiday. Among them:

North Charleston: The city's Veterans Day celebration will start at 10:30 a.m. at Park Circle and will be followed by lunch. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has selected North Charleston as a regional host site for this year's Veterans Day observances. This year's lunch will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Felix C. Davis Community Center. Guest speaker will be Gen. James Livingston, one of 87 surviving Medal of Honor recipients.

Charleston: The African American Historical Alliance will hold a Veterans Day commemoration at 10:30 a.m. in honor of U.S. Navy veteran Henry Benjamin Noisette. It will be held at the Friendly and Charitable Society Cemetery, near the corner of Mechanic and Oceanic streets in Charleston. Noisette, a Charleston native, was in action against Confederate batteries aboard the USS Huron in the Stono River during the war. The hour-long program will feature the unveiling of a Civil War veterans marker by his descendents.

Patriots Point: A meet-and-greet with veterans and museum volunteers on board the Yorktown will be held 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Visitation is free for veterans and active-duty military. Standard costs apply for others. A series of portraits by local photographers of York- town veterans will be on display.

James Island: The Lowcountry Senior Center Chorus pays tribute with favorite patriotic songs, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The Lowcountry Senior Center, 865 Riverland Drive, next to James Island County Park. Call 762-9555. Free. Seating is limited.

Moncks Corner: The town will hold its Veterans Day Parade at 10:15 a.m. Parade starts at the Train Depot and follows Main Street. A ceremony at the new Veterans Memorial will be at 11 a.m.

North Charleston: Trident Technical College is hosting a Veterans Day Program at 10:30 a.m. to honor the contributions made by U.S. military personnel and veterans. Col. Martha A. Meeker, commander of the 628th Air Base Wing of Joint Base Charleston, will be the guest speaker. A reception will follow the program. The event is free and will be at the main campus on 7000 Rivers Ave. For more information, call 574-6777.

Charleston: Crisis Ministries, cadets from The Citadel and members of First Scots Presbyterian Church will host a meal in the shelter's soup kitchen. Homeless veterans staying at the shelter will go to the front of the line for a special meal. Regular service will take place as usual, serving approximately 180 individuals in need.

On Television: South Carolina Educational Television will air a new documentary, "South Carolinians in World War II: A Time to Fight" premiering at 9 p.m. with Episode One. The documentary begins with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and follows 22 South Carolina veterans through training at The Citadel and Fort Jackson and into the deserts of North Africa and skies over Europe.

Reach Schuyler Kropf at 937-5551.