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409 Main St - Savanna, IL 61074 Phone: 815-273-7090
Mission of the Veterans of Foreign WarsThe objectives of the
Veterans of Foreign Wars are fraternal, patriotic, historical and
educational; to preserve and strengthen comradeship among its members;
to assist worthy comrades; to perpetuate the memory and history of our
dead, and to assist their widows and orphans; to maintain true
allegiance to the Government of the United States of America, and
fidelity to its Constitution and laws: to foster true patriotism, to
maintain and extend the institutions of American freedom; and to
preserve and defend the United States from all her enemies, whomsoever.
VFW Post 2223 Men's monthly meetings are held the second Monday of
every month at 6:30 PM.
The Women's Auxiliary monthly meeting is held on the second Wednesday of
every month at 5:30 PM.
Memorial Day - May 30, 2011
Memorial Day in Savanna had us honoring our fallen comrades at the
Savanna Township Cemetery at the Veterans Memorial. Members
of VFW Post 2223 and the American Legion Post 148 participated in the
ceremony.
Click here for photos and more
information.
Support Our Troops with a Care Package
Pictured is Dave Cavanagh, Commander of the VFW Post 2223 and Paul Mayer, Commander of the American Legion Post 148 in
Savanna Illinois. This photo was taken as they were preparing Care Packages to send to our local men and women who are
stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
To participate and donate to the care packages, please see this list of items
that we can send to our troops - Click for more information.
Please drop off the
items at the VFW building in Savanna. We also are accepting cash donations to help purchase items too.
If you have a son, daughter or spouse who is serving in the war, please stop in and give us their mailing information so
we can add them to our care package list.
Scholarships
2008-2009 Voice of Democracy first place winner, Natale Szabo, accepts a $30,000 scholarship,
presented by VFW Commander-in-Chief Glen Gardner and Ladies Auxiliary President, Dixie Hild.
Voice of Democracy - Click for more information.
Patriot's Pen - Click for more information.
75 Years and Going Strong!
The Savanna VFW Post 2223 celebrated their 75th Anniversary on September 30, 2006. This was
an All Day Event including a Hog Roast, entertainment and well wishers
arriving throughout the day and evening. See
article on this site.
The VFW Post 2223 Annual Toys for Tots Drive
Drop off site for 2009 Toys for Tots drive are located at:
In Savanna: West Carroll High School, West Carroll Primary School, THE National Bank, Savanna Thomson State Bank,
Swiss Colony Inc., Elkay Mfg, Pamida and Dollar General.
In Mt Carroll: THE National Bank, Savanna Thomson State Bank, West Carroll Middle School and Cornerstone Chiropractic.
In Thomson: Savanna Thomson State Bank and West Carroll Intermediate School.
See the official Toys
For Tots website by clicking here.
The 2007 Toys for Tots drive was a huge success with thousands of toys
collected for the area's needy children
To see photos and read more please
click here.
How Much Pride? - Our US Dollar Bill, do you know how much pride
is shown on the US dollar bill? Click here to
see.
Who's on First? or Military Flags and Seals, the Order of Precedence
According to the Department of Defense Directive 1005.8, the prescribed
precedence of military flags is determined by service birthdays. The
appropriate order is given below:
Army Birthday --14 June 1775
Marine Corps Birthday – 10 November 1775
Navy Birthday – 13 Oct 1775-Abolished Feb 1781-Reinstated 7 Sep 1781
Air Force Birthday – 18 September 1947
*Coast Guard Birthday – 4 August 1790
*According to the Institute of Heraldry, and in keeping with the order
in which troops are listed in Department of Defense Directive 1005.8,
during peacetime the Coast Guard falls under the Department of Homeland
Security. During wartime, if the Coast Guard comes under the control of
the Department of Defense, then the Coast Guard flag would come before
the Air Force flag in order of precedence.
The more interesting part of the story is the history behind why that
precedence is observed by the Department of Defense.
Seniority of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps is obscured by the
divergent elements of the intentions of the Continental Congress as
compared to the realization of those intentions. Although the intention
of the Congress to establish an Army is apparent in several resolutions
of June 1775, the realization of those intentions was not effected until
01 January 1776 when General Washington stated in his orderly book,
"This day giving commencement to the new Army which in every point of
view is entirely Continental." Likewise the Navy which the Congress
created by resolution in October 1775 was not to be realized until
several months later. The process of procuring and outfitting ships as
well as enlisting and commissioning personnel was a time consuming one.
The commander in chief of the Navy and other officers were not
commissioned until 22 December 1775.
The Marine Corps, on the other hand, even though established by
resolution on 10 November 1775, was actually a force in readiness before
the Army or the Navy. Samuel Nicholas was commissioned a Captain of
Marines on 28 November 1775, a month before the first officer of the
Continental Navy was commissioned. In fact, the only facts that
correspond to the present parade order of Army, Marine Corps, and Navy
respectively, are the dates when their first officers were commissioned,
in June, November, and December of 1775. Indeed, the Marine Corps' claim
to being the oldest integral force in being results primarily from
fortunate circumstances. The Corps was much smaller and more closely
knit than either of the other services, and its origin was not
complicated by the existence of provincial and local forces already in
the field.
Thus, the Continental Marine force was all regular Marine from the
beginning during the period when the Army was an amorphous mass of mixed
Continentals and militia, and the Navy lacked ships. The Marine Corps,
therefore, could be considered the first truly "federal" armed services
branch of the United States of America. In any case, the present order
of parade precedence has become one of our foremost military customs and
as the foregoing has indicated, there is little evidence to support any
change in that order. The present order of parade precedence is defined
in DoD Directive 1005.8 as Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast
Guard.
Therefore, by analogy, the order of display of colors in any fashion, to
include service branch seals, should be in the same order.
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