Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s Flag Day ceremony. We respectfully retired the worn and tattered flags that were collected from our front porch and the Windham Post Office.
While it seemed there were fewer flags than in past years, the ceremony was no less meaningful. A special thank you to the Windham Hose Co. #1 for being on site to ensure safety, and to the Leto family for their help and support.
I’d also like to address an important matter concerning our veterans and their earned benefits. Veterans should never go into debt to access the benefits they’ve earned through service to our country.
Unfortunately, H.R. 3132, the CHOICE for Veterans Act of 2025, as currently written, would allow companies to charge veterans fees based on future benefits—potentially putting them into debt before they’ve received a single dollar.
The VFW has serious concerns about this bill. While we appreciate that the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs consulted us and included some safeguards, the fee structure remains a poison pill.
This legislation, if passed, would open the door for predatory companies—so-called "Claim Sharks"—to profit from our veterans under the guise of helping them.
This is a blatant cash grab, and we urge our legislators in the House to vote NO on H.R. 3132. Veterans should never have to pay for help accessing their service-connected benefits.
If you're a veteran needing help with filing a claim, please contact me directly at vfwpost1545@gmail.com. I will connect you with an accredited VA service officer who can assist you free of charge.
In closing, I’d like to share a personal reflection. With everything happening in the world and across our country, it’s hard to make sense of all the division we see on the news.
What happened to peaceful protests where no one gets hurt? From antisemitic demonstrations to anti-immigration and political unrest, it feels like truth is harder to find than ever.
I remember being ten years old, riding my bike to play baseball or swim in the brook. Life was simpler then. It would be nice if people could just get along—if we could come together instead of tearing each other apart.
Still, there are bright spots. We recently celebrated the U.S. Army’s birthday with a great parade, honoring our Army and all the brave men and women who serve—soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines alike.
Patriotism is alive and well. Our town will proudly hold its Independence Day parade on July 4th, and I hope to see many of you there.
Let’s not forget what brings us together as Americans.
This week the information regarding U.S. Army Sgt. Howard L. Hasselkus, 24, of Elmore, Ohio, who was captured and died as a prisoner of war during World War II, was accounted for Sept. 23, 2024. In late 1941, Hasselkus was a member of the 192nd Tank Battalion when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December. Intense fighting continued until the surrender of the Bataan peninsula on April 9, 1942, and of Corregidor Island on May 6, 1942. Thousands of U.S. and Filipino service members were captured and interned at POW camps. Hasselkus was among those reported captured when U.S. forces in Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. They were subjected to the 65-mile Bataan Death March and then held at the Cabanatuan POW Camp #1. More than 2,500 POWs perished in this camp during the war.
According to prison camp and other historical records, Hasselkus died Nov. 22, 1942, and was buried along with other deceased prisoners in the local Cabanatuan Camp Cemetery in Common Grave 807. In 2018, as part of the Cabanatuan Project, DPAA exhumed the remains associated with Common Grave 807 and sent them to the DPAA laboratory for analysis.
Although interred as an Unknown in MACM, Hasselkus’s grave was meticulously cared for over the past 70 years by the American Battle Monuments Commission. Today, Hasselkus is memorialized on the Walls of the Missing at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial in the Philippines. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for. Hasselkus will be buried in his hometown in August 2025. Keep all who paid the ultimate price for our freedoms in your thoughts and prayers along with those still serving our country. God Bless America.
Marc Farmilette, PDC – Commander VFW Post 1545
The Members of Post 1545. Windham Hose Co, #1 & the Leto family.
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