Village Veterans license plates are available for $15. Contact Charlie Alfier for your plate before they run out.
Save the Date of Saturday, November 22, 2025 for the Annual Car & Craft Show! Volunteers are needed! Please contact Cindy Alfier or Charlie Alfier if you can help.
Vietnam Veterans Honored at Veteran’s Park with Students from Tohopekaliga High School’s Naval ROTC Honor Guard
March 29, 2025: veterans and community members gathered to honor Vietnam Veterans and those who lost friends and family in the Vietnam War. Chaplain Jean Bower opened the ceremony with prayer and President Cindy Alfier spoke about this special memorial and presented pins to those directly affected by the Vietnam War that had not already received one. Sargent at Arms Charlie Alfier recalled his experiences in returning after being an Vietnam veteran who served in Vietnam and the hostility he and others faced. Naval ROTC Students from Tohopekaliga High School, led by Chief Mark Antoniazzi, did a wonderful job performing Honor Guard excercises. These students were a big help in setting up and dismantling the chairs. Thanks! A photo album of the memorial is now posted under the Photos pull down menu.
Member Jean Bower Honored with Lifetime Membership
March 25, 2025: President Cindy Alfier presents a Lifetime Membership to member Jean Bower for her overwhelming generosity of donations of all types to the organization. Jean donates flags & other monetary gifts, is often the cashier at events, helps with the Bingo Burger events and volunteers in every way she can. Thanks Jean!
Vietnam Veterans Day at Veterans Park
Come join us at 10 am on March 29 at Veterans Park for a memorial for our Vietnam Veterans. The NJ/ROTC “Sea Cadets” Honor Guard Drill Team will perform. This drill team is from Tohopekaliga High School. Remembering Vietnam Veterans is a deeply emotional and vital act of recognition, one that honors not only their service but also the extraordinary challenges they endured both on the battlefield and in the aftermath of war. For many, the Vietnam War was a crucible of chaos and sacrifice, fought in dense jungles and unfamiliar terrain under relentless physical and psychological strain. These men and women faced a determined enemy, harsh conditions, and the constant specter of loss—over 58,000 American lives were claimed, with countless others wounded or forever changed. For the veterans themselves, being remembered can be a lifeline—a validation of their sacrifices and a reminder that their service mattered. This act of remembrance isn’t just for the veterans still with us; it’s also for the families who lost loved ones, for the comrades who carry survivor’s guilt, and for a nation that must learn from its past.
Thank you to Ed Jackson!
Thank you to Veteran Ed Jackson for volunteering his DJ-ing abilities at numerous Village Veterans’ events. Mr. Jackson, at right, shown DJ-ing at the Good Samaritan Village St. Patrick’s Day Party.
Looking for Yard Sale Items
The Good Samaritan community will be having a yard sale on April 5th. If you have items to donate to a “veterans” table, please contact any one of the club officers or by email villageveteransassociation@gmail.com.
The Wall That Heals Exhibit
This year, The Wall That Heals, a three-quarter-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., be on display in Kissimmee at Kissimmee Gateway Airport, open 24 hours a day from March 13 – 16, closing at 2 pm on Sunday, March 16. The event is free and open to all. The memorial will arrive with an honorary escort on March 11th, followed by assembly before its opening to the public. This visit is sponsored by American Legion Post #10. If you can volunter to help set up and break down the exhibit, please sign up at https://www.kissimmee.gov/Parks-Recreation-Events/Events-Festivals/The-Wall-That-Heals-Kissimmee. A bus from the Community Center to the exhibit will leave 9:30 am on March 13th.
