The Needham Veterans of Foreign Wars, Lt. Manson H. Carter Post 2498, hosted its annual dinner and game night for Boston-area paralyzed veterans at the Post’s building on Junction Street Tuesday. Needham VFW has held this event for more than twenty years.
Twenty-three paralyzed and disabled veterans from the Brockton VA hospital, accompanied by nurses and volunteer assistants, arrived at the Post building in special coaches and were welcome by the Post members.
Facilities manager and chef Lynwood Hamilton served up a full dinner including medallions of beef, mozzarella cheese and tomato salad, fresh rolls and vegetables. Dinner was topped by delicious chocolate ice cream sundaes.
After dinner, the guests played card games with VFW volunteers at specially set up tables to accommodate the wheelchairs. Each guest also received a gift bag from the Post containing items from the Boston Bruins and New England Patriots, who generously donated items for the event. The disabled veterans left at 7:00 p.m., boarding coaches for the trip back to the Veterans hospital in Brockton.
“I wouldn’t miss this for anything. Thank you, Needham vets,” one guest told Post Chaplain Tom Keating.
Michael Raymond, the newly-elected Post 2498 Commander and Army veteran of Operation Desert Storm was pleased with the response. “Our mission as Veterans of Foreign Wars members is to take care of our brothers and sister veterans who have served their country, and be advocates for help for them and their families. This dinner is one of the ways we complete that mission.”
The VFW post also sponsors scholarships for high school students through the Voice of Democracy and Patriots Pen speech competitions, and their function hall is used by folks needing a venue for their events. The Post is located at 20 Junction Street, Needham.
Photo by Dana M. Storrs
