Post Update:Palm Coast VFW Post 8696 continues to abide by The VFWState Commander and the Florida Governor’s, “Shutdown Order” due to the Covid-19 pandemic, by remaining closed for day to day operation.

I am still making daily visits to the Post to maintain necessary equipment, respond to voice and emails and pay the bills.We held the elections of Post officers last month and the following officers were elected: Commander - Keith Tremblay, Sr. Vice Commander -TBD next meeting, Jr. Vice Commander - Tom Piekarski, Quartermaster - Peter Kennedy, Chaplin - Lorenzo Nacci, Judge Advocate - Peter Almasy, Surgeon - Dave Kilpatrick, 3 year Trustee – Patrick Donnelly, 3 year House Committee Members-- Joe Kowalsky and Deidre Wright.The current District 19 Commander, John Hanley, performed the installation of these officers.Thank you to all the loyal dedicated members who stepped up to meet the required Post officer position requirements.Appointed officers and committee chairmen positions will be finalized and named soon.The AmVets clothing and shoe collection boxes, out front of the Post, are now open for donation of items. We get paid by the pound for those items and is currently our onlysource of income. So, if you were thinking of cleaning out your closets of items that are out of style or no longer fit, then now is the time!Planning the steps necessary for opening the Post are in the works so, as soon as we get the authorization from the State Commander we will be ready.Stay safe by washing your hands, practice your social distancing and respect others by wearing face masks. Spread love, not the Virus.Hope to see you all soon.Please support the post and local Veterans.Thank You.Keith Tremblay, Commander VFW Post 8696

Hello my sisters andbrothers,

I hope you are all doing well.I would just like to say thank you to all of you for your support over the last 3 years. You all have made it easy for me to be your president and I want you to know how much I

appreciate everything you have done to help the Auxiliary. I may not be the president any longer but I am still here if you need anything.

I would like to congratulate Shirley Cortese on her new position as the President of VFW Auxiliary 8696. And also a big thank you to all the members that stepped up to take positions as officers and to help Shirley this year.Everyones help is needed for this Auxiliary to runsmoothly. And I know what you have done for me so Shirley is in very good hands.

In these trying times, we don’t know when we will get back to whatever the new normal will be. The Post is still closed and I do not know when it will reopen. We are hoping to have the Auxiliary meeting on June 17th at 4pm in the big room but I will let you know for sure once we figure things out. So stay tuned for more information.

If you need a ride please feel free to call me at 720-988-3138.

We will also post on Facebook once we know what we will be doing.

If anyone has any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to reach me.

RespectfullyChristine PadovanoVFW Auxiliary President

BIRTHDAY BLESSINGSHappy Birthday to the following auxiliary members whose birthdays occur in JuneJudith Back-Zack Marion MarroneMelissa Bentley Millie MaximBernice Blaskey Dorothea MayneHilda Brazil Melissa McLellanJune S. Carlson Shirley NestorPeggy Carter Marisa NievesRosemarie Del Bene Kathleen PapsonJanet Donnelly Melanie PartelowMabel Eagan Alice SpangenbergDorothy Halevy Josephine TantalaCynthia W. Holt Dorothy TimmermanRose Jackson Rosanne VastanoImani Kinshasa Irene WadeGrace Knapik

Any additions and/or corrections can be made by calling 386-586-7742.Kathy Enriquez, Membership

Your Auxiliary Chaplin isKari McDonald. Pleasefeel free to contact her

with any information aboutAuxiliary members. (386)

246-3285 or email,MCKARI59@GMAIL.COM

To the graduates of 2020. This graduation year is like no other we have ever had. Most will not have the large graduation ceremony or large graduation parties.

The workplace is shrinking, and there is a pandemic raging through the world. It is a challenging time.

You are the future of this country, and the world. You can make a change and make this a betterplace to live.

You have seen the error's that have been made, and you can bring change.

All the parents, grandparents, and family members are proud of you and wish you the best in the coming years.

Holiday's

This past month on May 25th was MemorialDay. This was probably the first time in Post 8696 history that there was not an official ceremony.

And next month, July 4 will fall on a Saturday. A time for cookouts, parties, and socialgathering. With the Covad-19 virus those plans are mostly on hold.

No one likes to self quarentine, and stay at home, it is not the human nature. We are social people and need to be with others. But this is what we must do to keep the virus from spreading. The sooner we can beat this virus, thesooner things can get back to normal, or the “New Normal” whatever that mayb be.

June 4, 1944 - During World War II in Europe, Rome was liberated by the U.S. 5th Army, led by General Mark Clark. Rome had been declared an open city by German Field Marshal Albert Kesselring amid Allied concerns the Germans might stage a Stalingrad-style defense that would devastate the historic 'Eternal' city.

June 4, 1972 - An express train packed with more than 600 people rammed into a stalled train at full speed in the main station of Jessore, Bangladesh, killing 76 and injuring over 500 persons.

June 4, 1989 - The Chinese government ordered its troops to open fire on unarmed protesters in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The protest had started on April 16 as about 1,000 students marched to mourn the death of Hu Yaobang, a pro-reform leader within the Chinese government. Despite government warnings, pro-reform and pro-democracy demonstrations continued for a month drawing ever-larger crowds of young people, eventually totaling over a million persons. On May 13, three thousand students began an eight-day hunger strike. The government imposed martial law on May 20 and brought in troops. On June 2, in their first clash with the People's Army, demonstrators turned backan advance of unarmed troops. However, in the pre-dawn hours of June 4, the People's Army, using tanks, machine-guns, clubs and tear gas, opened fire on the unarmed protesters. Armored personnel carriers then rolled into the square crushing students still sleeping in their tents. The Chinese government later claimed only 300 died in theattack. U.S. estimates put the toll at over 3,000. Following the massacre, over 1,600 demonstrators were rounded up and jailed, with 27 being executed.

June 5, 1968 - Robert F. Kennedy was shot and mortally wounded while leaving the HotelAmbassador in Los Angeles. The shooting occurred after a celebration of Kennedy's victory in the California presidential primary. He died at 1:44 a.m., June 6, at age 42, leaving behind his wife Ethel and eleven children, the last one born after his death.

President John F. Kennedy had named his brother and campaign manager, Robert Francis Kennedy, to the post of U.S. Attorney General in 1961. Robert served as the president's closest confidant. After the assassination of JFK, Robert remained as Attorney General until 1964, when he resigned to make a successful run for the U.S. Senate from New York. Allied with the plight of the poor and disadvantaged in America, he spoke out against racial discrimination, economic injustice and the Vietnam War. In March of 1968, he had announced his candidacy for the presidency. And with the win in California, appeared headed for the nomination.

June 6, 1944 - D-Day, the largest amphibious landing in history, began in the early-morning hours as Allied forces landed in Normandy onthe northern coast of France. Operation Overlord took months of planning and involved 1,527,000 soldiers in 47 Allied divisions along with 4,400 ships and landing craft, and 11,000 aircraft. The Germans had about 60 divisions spread along France and the Low Countries. American forces landed on two western beaches, Utah and Omaha, while British and Canadian troops landed farther east on Gold, Juno and Sword beaches.By the end of the day 150,000 Allied soldiers and their accompanying vehicles had landed with 15,000 killed and wounded.

VFW Post 8696VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS 47 Old Kings Rd. N. Palm Coast Fl 32137 (386)446-8696 P.O. Box 351003 Palm Coast FL 32135Post Fax 446-4474

Post E-Mail vfwpost8696@pcfl.net June 2020Post Commandercmdrvfw@pcfl.netPost website: www.vfw8696.com An Association of Veterans Who Have Fought America's Foreign Wars on Land, at Sea, and in the Air