This year for VFW Day of Service, Post 12150 in New Haven, Connecticut, contributed by helping pick up trash and debris along the shoreline of a local park dedicated to the service of Vietnam veterans.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park, also known as “the V,” sits along the Long Island Sound – an estuary of the Atlantic Ocean, between Long Island, New York, and Connecticut.
VFW Post 12150 Commander Bryan Standish, kneeling, former VFW Department of Connecticut Commander Melvin Hewston, left, and future VFW Department of Connecticut Commander Charlie Pickett, right, team up on May 3 in New Haven, Connecticut, to help clean Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park. The group looks forward to exploring new ways to contribute to VFW Day of Service. “The V is a go-to site for a lot of the things we do,” Post Commander Bryan Standish said. “Including our Memorial Day ceremonies.”
Standish, along with Post 12150 founder and future VFW Department of Connecticut Commander Charlie Pickett, joined other members of the Post, as well as members of the New Haven American Legion in cleaning up the shoreline. Standish describes the two organizations partnership as being “an unofficial combined Post.”
This year for Memorial Day, the Post will be joining together at Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park for a ceremony ushering in Pickett as the new VFW Department commander. He will be the first Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran serving as in the position.
“We hope to institutionalize the cleaning of Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park each year for Day of Service,” said Standish. “As well as explore additional ways of contributing.”
This article is featured in the 2025 May issue of Checkpoint. If you're a VFW member and don't currently receive the VFW Checkpoint, please contact VFW magazine at magazine@vfw.org.