VFW Post 10178 in Englewood is putting on its first Appreciation Luncheon for local First Responders on May 19th, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Englewood REVIEW caught up with Danny Fuson, Post Officer, to talk about the event and give readers a closer look at what this VFW chapter stands for and the important service they provide to the community.
When asked how long the luncheon tradition has been going, Danny didn’t hesitate. “This is our first year doing it.” Danny has worked with Chief Easton and Sheriff Hoffman on ceremonies for Loyalty Day and when the First Responders Monument went up at Veterans Park. Those kinds of ceremonies are familiar territory, but hosting a cookout just for the first responders is new.
Events at the post draw all kinds of crowds. “In September, the snowbirds aren’t here yet, but we still have a decent turnout.” The post itself counts 256 members, plus about 200 in the Auxiliary. Things pick up during the season, especially when they host their rib and chicken dinners, which always bring in a crowd.
Danny’s not new to the VFW, far from it. He transferred down to Englewood in 2017 and stepped into the commander role in 2018. “On and off altogether, I’ve been commander going on my seventh year, because I just became commander again for next year.” Twenty-nine years with the VFW.
So what keeps him coming back? “I care about the veterans,” Danny said. The post partners with groups like the EPIC Community Resource Center of Englewood Florida. When a veteran needs a ramp built, the VFW provides the funding for materials, and the EPIC Center provides the labor. “It’s support for the veterans in our local area and the veterans who come down during the season. We get them all together for the camaraderie,” he said.
Things have changed a lot since he first arrived. “My first three years as commander, we revamped the whole place inside, made it more inviting, more family-oriented. Now we’ve got pool, air hockey, and corn hole games. We’re planning movie nights.” Most importantly, though, is giving veterans a home, a place that actually feels warm, where they know the camaraderie matters.
“It’s not what it used to be,” Danny said. “We’ve cleaned it up, and it’s non-smoking and family-oriented.”
The Auxiliary, he explained, has been a lifeline. These are spouses or family members of veterans who served during wartime, and they “support us whole-heartedly. That’s their purpose—to serve the veterans and help with the post.”
Danny himself put in 20 years in the Army. “I joined in ‘75 and retired in ‘94.” His family is military through and through; three brothers all served in Vietnam, two in the Army and one in the Marines. “I saw what they went through, and a lot of the old Vietnam vets. It was kind of shameful when they came back. People treated them terribly. Even a lot of VFW clubs wouldn’t recognize them. That’s all changed.”
Now, on March 29th every year, the post hosts a Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day ceremony. They run the Pearl Harbor Day event too, usually with a flyover. “For Memorial Day, we’ll be at the cemetery.” Danny handles the flag placement. He’s done it for about ten years, putting flags at the old Lemon Bay Funeral Home cemetery. “My health’s starting to decline so I’m trying to find someone to take over. The ground’s tough up there: rock, sand, oyster shell. I made my own long drill bit to get the flags in. If there’s a way, we’ll find it.”
As for Memorial Day, the post partners with Lemon Bay High’s Navy Junior ROTC, led by Darren Glaser, a retired Navy captain and the post’s senior vice commander. “The cadets bring up their sabers for the Gold Star families. I’m recruiting people from each branch of service to help place wreaths.”
So, if you’re a veteran living nearby, Danny hopes you’ll stop in, especially as the post looks to the future. “We’re very inviting. It’s all about camaraderie and bringing more veterans into the fold. We’ve lost 14 members this year already, and most are snowbirds or older, but we’re building something here.”
There’s another reason to celebrate. “The post is making the All-State Award, which is high in the state. And we’re also going to be presented with the All-American Award through the National VFW, which is hard to get. I mean, that’s one of the highest awards you can get through the VFW. My wife and I will head to the National Convention this year, in Reno, to get the award for our post.”
The VFW has scheduled the Appreciation Luncheon for First Responders for Tuesday, May 19th, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 550 N. McCall Road, Englewood. All first responders are welcome to come out, relax, and enjoy some good (and free) food and solid company.
Want to volunteer? Whether you want to man the grill or help plate food, reach out to Sarah at (941) 949-7759. They’d love the help. Click here to check out their website.
