A Salute to Dartmouth VFW Post 9059

Dartmouth Memorial VFW Post 9059 on Cross Road has been part of the Dartmouth landscape for 75 years, and its leaders hope to continue its work in the community for many more years to come.

The VFW Post will celebrate its 75th anniversary with a dinner on Sunday, June 5 at 1 p.m. Tickets are $20 per person, and can be purchased at the club after 12 noon. During the event, the Post's 75 years of service to veterans and the community will be recognized by the Massachusetts VFW organization.

Post Commander Joseph Toomey joined Townsquare Sunday this week to discuss the history of the Post, and some of its plans for the future.

Toomey is an Air Force veteran and served on the Dartmouth Planning Board for 25 years. He now works for the U.S Department of Defense in Newport, Rhode Island.

Toomey has been affiliated with Post 9059 for more than 25 years and will begin his third year as Commander in June. He sees the VFW as a place where older veterans can share information with younger vets about benefits, experiences and life in general.

"When you are younger, you think you don't really need some of the services through the VA and other agencies, but they are more important as you get older," he said.

Toomey said Post 9059 has a long record of service in the town of Dartmouth, from placing flags on the graves of veterans for Memorial Day and Veterans Day, to annual donations to the Council on Aging, and toy collections and parties for children at Christmas.

As for the next 75 years, the Commander says he wants to see the Post continue to be there for veterans while also growing its numbers.

"We would like to get our membership up, and recruit new members who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Gulf War, and have someone to take over when we retire or pass on," he said. "We need to keep the VFW alive because it is important for the town of Dartmouth and those who have served."

Post 9059 Commander Joseph Toomey's interview can be heard here:

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