In support of National PTSD Awareness Day, we are supporting a March starting with signups at 8.30 am and March start commencing at 9 am from the Darien VFW (205 Noroton Ave Darien) to Westport VFW Post 399 on Sunday, June 27th. This event is hosted by Norwalk VFW Post 603 with a goal to increase awareness of veteran Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). For planning, the goal is to end march in Post 399 parking lot around 12pm. We will setup tables with water, Gatorade and post event refreshments. Additional information is available by contacting ctvfwpost603@gmail.com.
A public talk will be held on Sunday, July 11, 2021, at 2:00 pm at VFW Post 399, 465 Riverside Ave, Westport CT. The talk is sponsored jointly by the Japan Society of Fairfield County and the Joseph J. Clinton VFW Post 399, and will describe the contributions of Japanese-Americans to the U.S. Military during World War II. This event will also be available as a live, online event on Zoom. For either in-person or Zoom attendance, please RSVP to japansocietyfc@gmail.com or call (203)-431-0697. Following CT state rules, unvaccinated individuals must continue to wear masks inside the VFW building. The event is FREE, but donations in-person or via the JSFC website www.japansocietyfc.org are encouraged.
“Go For Broke” was the motto of the Army’s 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in the history of the US military. The commander and most company grade officers were Caucasian; the rest of its officers and enlisted men were American-born Japanese called “Nisei” (NEE- say), or second generation. The phrase “Go For Broke” originated in Hawaii. It was used in the game craps, meaning to wager everything on a single roll of dice. The US Postal Service recently issued a “Go For Broke” commemorative stamp. It recognizes the contributions of Japanese-Americans who served in the U.S. Army during World War II, including the 100 Infantry Battalion, 442nd RCT, Military Intelligence Service (MIS), the 1399th Engineer Construction Battalion, and Nisei women in the Women’s Army Corps.
“Thousands of Americans of Japanese ancestry waged war against their parents’ homeland in World War II as members of the U.S. Army’s Military Intelligence Service, using their knowledge of the enemy’s language and culture to give America a priceless edge that shortened the war and saved countless lives. From Guadalcanal and the Aleutians to Okinawa, the MIS soldiers served in every major battle and campaign of the war against Japan, gleaning vital information from prisoners and documents, flushing caves, fighting as infantrymen.”
– MIS Veterans Club of Hawaii, http://www.misveteranshawaii.com/
VFW Post 399 recently completed a Game Room renovation project that membership hopes will both encourage veterans and guests to spend more time at the Post and make that time more enjoyable. The renovations started in April, completed in May and was unveiled prior to Memorial Day. A special thanks to Home Depot Foundation for their generosity in donating the drywall materials, Santos Interiors LLC for interior work/renovations donation, VFW Post 399 Life Member Tom Renzuella for expertly painting the room and VFW Post 399 Auxiliary Member, Dennis Rohrmoser for organizing construction logistics. We can’t to all, we can’t do it alone and without help we can’t do it at all!
