Here’s what I think happened: In May of 1932, the wives of Joplin war veterans who had recently formed Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 534 decided they needed to get their husbands organized. The women formed the post’s Ladies Auxiliary to make sure the guys did something besides drink and swap stories.
OK, that may not be true, but I’m pretty sure longtime VFW members will concede that auxiliaries have made and continue to make significant contributions to veterans all across the country.
Teresa Barker is president of the auxiliary at Earl J. Bruton VFW Post 534. She said there are about 140 members in the auxiliary and that its membership, especially since the May 22 tornado, continues to grow.
“We have been adding at least two members every month,” Teresa said.
Primarily as a result of veterans returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the membership rolls of the VFW in general have begun to get younger, Teresa said.
“Most ladies don’t know that the auxiliary is not just for the wives (of veterans),” she said. “It’s also for mothers, sisters and children. Any family member of a veteran who is over 16 is eligible to join.”
Teresa said members of the auxiliary are constantly on the go. They regularly visit people at the Missouri Veterans Home in Mount Vernon and several times a year put on a dinner for them.
“They actually get to have a beer, which is nice for them,” Teresa said.
Auxiliary members visit hospitalized veterans, raise money to help veterans, and serve as a sort of clearinghouse for veterans and their family members needing information about a variety of concerns. Recently the women’s auxiliary teamed up with the men’s auxiliary to provide a ramp for a veteran’s home.
Teresa said the auxiliary last March received word that a veteran was in a local hospital by himself.
“He had nobody to visit him, and his birthday was on St. Patrick’s Day, so one of our members and her husband took him some corned beef and cabbage and a cupcake, and they visited with him,” she said. “It just made his day.”
Teresa, of course, is proud of the work auxiliary members do, but she said the response of the entire local VFW after the tornado is something she will never forget. Immediately after the storm, the VFW building at 110 Veterans Way was turned into a distribution center, and members began handing out clothing, supplies and food to storm victims.
“We worked seven days a week, 12 hours a day for almost four weeks solid,” she said.
In the two weeks immediately after the storm, the VFW post provided 400 families with food, served more than 2,500 meals to storm victims and volunteers, and — working with the local chapter of Disabled American Veterans — transported 350 people to area medical centers.
The VFW Post 534 Ladies Auxiliary will celebrate its 80th anniversary this Saturday at the veterans hall. The celebration gets under way at noon. All VFW members, members of the women’s and men’s auxiliaries, and family members are invited to attend. The picnic-style party will feature free food and soda. Beer will be available for a small fee.
May 2011 Joplin tornado
Mike Pound: VFW auxiliary to mark 80th anniversary
- May 2011 Joplin tornado
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FACES OF RECOVERY: 176,869 volunteers help put Joplin together again
They initially came in droves, pouring into Joplin by the thousands during the months following the May 2011 tornado to clear debris, clean up damaged homes and businesses and distribute donations of food, water, clothing and other necessities.
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SLIDESHOW: One year later, One day of unity, updated
Photos from a day of events commemorating the May 22, 2011 tornado anniversary
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Therapy dogs
Any question that Louie was bred to put people as ease is put to rest when the golden retriever trots over to where a visitor sits and puts his head on their knee, the dog’s eyes filled with a gentle affection.
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Nova Kluseman and Jeanne Morrow
Nova Kluseman has staked her claim on Wednesdays at the Mercy medical office clinics where she volunteers. The staff at Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri will know it’s Thursday when they see Jeanne Morrow walk through the door.
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Greentree Community Church
Every two months, Joplin plays host to some now-familiar faces. They’re members of Greentree Community Church in St. Louis, and they have “adopted” the city as one of their mission projects since the tornado.
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Virginia Laas
Virginia Laas isn’t an accountant or bookkeeper by trade. But when the tornado caused significant damage to Joplin Schools, and subsequently spurred a massive landslide of donations to the district, Laas voluntarily stepped into those roles to fill a need that administrators were too busy to handle.
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Rebecca Williams
Two years after the tornado, Rebecca Williams remains committed to helping people around the world keep up with the progress that has been made in Joplin.
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Community Outreach Team
While it didn’t yet have a formal name, the seeds of Freeman Health System’s Community Outreach Team were planted in the hours following the tornado.
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Jewish Disaster Response Corps
“Tikkun olam” is Hebrew for “repairing the world,” and the concept — of service to others, of helping those in need — is prevalent in Judaism.
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Dorothy Maples
Dorothy Maples always felt a calling to volunteer, whether it was participating in a fundraiser or giving a hand to help someone in need.
- More May 2011 Joplin tornado Headlines
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