Roswell VFW Gets Revitalized

publication date: May 26, 2008

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author/source: Jamie Woodhead / STAFF

By Jamie Woodhead / STAFF

Those who attended the Roswell Veterans of Foreign Wars meeting on May 19 had much to celebrate and plenty of ways in which to do it. VFW Post members, families, and friends let loose in the Canteen, a bar in the newly refurbished Post Home. Along with the new Canteen, the Post showed off its new lighting and floors. It was not just the furnishings of the Post, however, that have been revamped. Nearly every aspect of the Post, from its leadership to its morale, has been revitalized.

Newly elected Post Commander Bill Mitiu credited Bob Baker, the Post Commander for the past two years, as the one that brought the Post back to its former prominence.

“There was no chain of commandment,” Mitiu said. “The people that were running the Post weren’t even Veterans.  And they were embezzling thousands of dollars, too.” Mitiu, who made four trips to Iraq, went on to say, “The Post was really bad. Baker brought structure back to the Post. Morale is up, and service has skyrocketed.” 

All members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars have been in combat, and the Roswell Post 7583 has men who have fought in wars ranging from World War II to Iraq. The Post was founded on June 9, 1946, and former Commander Baker described the Roswell Post as very community involved.

“We were escorts for a dance for the Retirement Home on Green Street,” Baker said. “We also donate money to and supply rifles to Junior R.O.T.C.” 

The ultimate goal of the Post is to become an All-State Post. Mitiu would also like to increase membership of the Post and increase community service. He described one of the Post’s main projects to be “working with the Wounded Warrior Project, which pays for prosthetics for the wounded.”

All Post members have seen combat, so they are not ones to shy away from arduous tasks like rebuilding their Post Home. In fact, it was the former soldiers themselves who repainted the building and installed the new flooring.

Members of the Roswell VFW felt that two years ago was the lowest point for the Post, but Baker believed that “this Post is on the road to recovery.