American Legion Field-Allen Post 148 celebrates veteran’s coffee anniversary

By David Tanguay

Special to The Windham Eagle

Looking back, it is hard to believe that five years have passed since the American Legion Post 148’s service officer, Chuck Whynot, approached the post adjutant about starting a regular Veterans Social Coffee at the Windham Veterans Center. 

He had indicated that he visited four to five “housebound” veterans each week and found that some of them just needed a place outside the home that was safe for them to go.  Initially established and advertised as a drop-off for ambulatory veterans to get out of the house and possibly allowing the veteran’s caregivers a little free time, the Veteran’s Socials are held from 9 to 11 a.m. each Wednesday morning at the Windham Veterans Center. 

Windham veterans observe the fifth anniversary
of the American Legion Post 148's weekly 
veterans coffee gatherings on Wednesday, March
24 at the Windham Veterans Center. Left is 
Windham Veterans Association President
David Rendall and Legion Post Service Officer
Chuck Whynot, founder of the popular weekly
event as they cut a ceremonial cake. 
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

The first coffee social was held on March 23, 2016, with six new veterans in attendance. The gathering was considered a success and plans continued for the weekly event which grew over the following years to about three dozen veterans. Many came for the camaraderie and coffee, others developed other interests such as playing cribbage and other board games.

Each Year, on the closest date to March 23, an anniversary cake cutting ceremony is held to honor the time that the veterans have had together. 

Strong bonds of friendship have been formed with many of the members and because of the coffee, on average, some 15 new veterans have joined the Field-Allen post and many of them have become integral members of the organization.

In March 2020, just two weeks before the fourth anniversary of the coffee, everything was halted because of concerns about the COVID-19 virus spreading in the community. This ended a 203-week run of the Veterans Coffee gathering without ever missing a single Wednesday. 

But in early April 2020, an interesting thing happened. Several of the Veterans Coffee members started coming to the WVC on Wednesday around 9 a.m. and they set up chairs in the parking lot at appropriate social distances to spend some social time together. They brought their own coffee and face masks. Obviously, the Veterans Coffee was not dead.

When the WVC was cleared in early summer by the CDC to resume hosting limited functions at the WVC, the Veterans Coffees returned with about a dozen local veterans in attendance. Since then, the coffees have continued unabated under COVID-19 social protocols of social distancing, face coverings, hand sanitizer and temperature checks at the door.

The Veterans Coffee has also provided the opportunity to honor some of our veterans by recognizing their birthdays, and through the presentations of Eagle Canes and Quilts of Honor. Everyone is looking forward to the time when they can visit their fellow vets unimpeded. 

On Wednesday, March 24, the veterans gathered and celebrated the fifth anniversary of the Veterans Coffee. And this time, there was a cake to cut. <