Save the date: 2023 Homeless Memorial Vigil scheduled for Dec. 21 in Everett
The Snohomish County’s Veterans Homelessness Committee invites the community to join in honoring and remembering those who have tragically lost their lives while experiencing homelessness at the 2023 Annual Homeless Memorial Vigil, with an emphasis on veterans. According a news release, this event is scheduled for 5:15 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21, at the county’s outdoor…
Lynnwood man hosting ‘mourning tree’ for those who have lost someone to addiction
Since 2019, Lynnwood resident Patrick Crosby has been honoring Gold Star families and military veterans who were killed in action with a Christmas tree memorial on his front yard at 6406 208th St. S.W. In previous events, families and individuals had submitted photos, cards and letters to him which were then adorned on the tree….
Operation Military Family, Comcast help close digital divide for veterans
Edmonds-based Operation Military Family and Comcast said they are continuing their partnership to bridge the digital divide among veterans, including working with and supporting several other veterans organizations in Washington state. According to a news release, Comcast will donate $20,000 and 100 laptops to Operation Military Family to help address the needs of veterans and…
Heroes Among Us Luncheon celebrates and remembers veterans
Hundreds of veterans and their families were the guests of honor at Friday’s first Heroes Among Us event sponsored by the Lynnwood Event Center and City of Lynnwood. The event treated attendees to lunch and cake between visits to the Veterans Resource Fair, which provided veterans with information about valuable assistance available to them. The…
Purple Heart recipient James Reeff of Brier honored during national tribute event
U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal (LCpl) James Reeff of Brier, a Purple Heart recipient, was recently honored as one of the nation’s 2023 Purple Heart Patriot Project honorees. Reeff represented his fellow Purple Heart heroes as Washington’s representative at the multi-day tribute to the courage and sacrifice of America’s combat wounded, according to a news…
Mill Creek to host Veterans Day ceremony and parade
The City of Mill Creek is hosting its annual Veterans Day Ceremony and Parade on Friday, Nov. 10. The parade, sponsored by Amazon, begins at 11 a.m., winding through Mill Creek Town Center from L.A. Fitness (15024 Main St.) south to City Hall (15728 Main St.), and will last about one hour. The parade will…
World War II veteran flies ‘One Last Mission’ before his 99th birthday
Mountlake Terrace’s Roy Wagner was one of 52 veterans who received a tour of Washington, D.C., in Sept. 2023 called “One Last Mission.” Wagner, a World War II vet who served in Europe, was honored by Puget Sound Honor Flight one month before his 99th birthday with a trip to Washington. The event was hosted…
VFW Post 8870 announces student essay contest
Edmonds-based Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8870 is again sponsoring its student essay contest, which is open for all students residing in the Edmonds and Mukilteo School Districts. Students attending private schools or being home-schooled are eligible to enter the contest. The Youth Essay Program is for students in grades 3-5. It requires an essay,…
Support 7 receives donation of American flags
The Edmonds Peter Puget Chapter of the Daughters of The American Revolution recently donated American flags to the nonprofit organization Support 7. The flags will be used to honor veterans at death scenes. Founded in 1981, Lynnwood-based Support 7 is a team of trained volunteers that supports victims and survivors of trauma and crisis…
Sponsor spotlight: Edmonds Memorial Day ceremony to honor Purple Heart recipients
The annual Memorial Day ceremony at the Edmonds Memorial Cemetery is a meaningful and moving event. It takes place this year on Monday, May 29, at 11 a.m. All members of the community are welcome and asked to attend. When Edmonds Mayor Mike Nelson proclaimed Edmonds a “Purple Heart City” late last year, the members…
Reminder: Edmonds College to hold 10th annual Memorial Day ceremony May 25
Edmonds College will host its 10th annual Memorial Day Ceremony both in person and virtually on Thursday, May 25. The public ceremony will start at 2 p.m. at the college’s Black Box Theatre. At 2:45 p.m., guests will be led to the Boots to Books Monument for an assembly of the Battlefield Cross and a…
Heroes’ Cafe Director Gary Walderman honored during recent Mariners’ Salute to Service night
Heroes’ Café Director Gary Walderman of Edmonds was honored by the Seattle Mariners last month for the work the Lynnwood-based organization does to honor, celebrate and assist local veterans. The award was made during the Mariners’ Salute to Service Night April 22. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Walderman was nominated by Edmonds resident Monica McNeal…
Veterans invited to submit art for ‘Painting Away the Trauma II’ event at Shoreline CC April 26
Puget Sound-area veterans engaged in art therapy are encouraged to submit entries for the upcoming “Painting Away the Trauma II” art exhibition presented by WA AmeriCorps Vet Corps and Shoreline Community College on Wednesday, April 26. Free and open to the public, the event is hosted by Shoreline Community College’s Veteran & Military Student Services…
VFW Post 8870 announces Freedom Scholarship for graduating HS seniors
VFW Post 8870 is once again offering its Freedom Scholarship to graduating high school seniors. To qualify, a student must have at least one sibling, parent or grandparent who is a U.S. military veteran and must also reside within the boundaries of either the Edmonds or Mukilteo school district. Students who live in school district…
State women veterans forum, veterans town hall Feb. 1
The veteran community is invited to a Women Veterans Forum from 9-10 a.m. and a Veterans Town Hall from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at the Armed Forces Reserve Center in Vancouver, Washington. This double event is being sponsored by the Washington State Governor’s Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee (VAAC) and the…
High school football player scores big for local veterans
Readers may remember our story last summer about Edmonds-Woodway High School defensive linebacker Moses “Mojo” Martin and his innovative plan to turn his football accomplishments into much-needed support for the Heroes’ Café program for local veterans. The idea — hatched by Mojo and his dad Earl Martin — was to allow people to pledge…
Inslee appoints David Puente, Jr. as director of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs
Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed David Puente, Jr. as the director of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA), effective Feb. 1. WDVA serves Washington state’s veterans and their families by connecting them to benefits earned while serving in the military. Puente is an Army veteran, serving in the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command…
Comcast donates laptops to veterans at Edmonds College
Comcast recently donated laptops to several veterans services organizations and groups in Washington state in partnership with Operation Military Family. Leadership from each organization met with Comcast at the Edmonds College Veterans Resource Center to receive the 40 laptops and share stories of the impact they will make for the veterans they serve. The organizations…
State veterans affairs director announces retirement
Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) Director Lourdes E. “Alfie” Alvarado-Ramos will be retiring effective at the end of January. Alvarado-Ramos joined WDVA in 1993 as the associate superintendent of the Washington Soldiers Home. She then became the superintendent of the Washington Veterans Home, and later served as the agency’s sssistant director and deputy…
Public invited to sponsor wreaths for Wreaths Across America event in Monroe Dec. 17
For the second year in a row, Monroe-based Ward Roney Jr. VFW Post 7511 and its auxiliary invite the community to usher in the holiday season by remembering the fallen heroes who fought for our freedom. The post is partnering with Wreaths Across America, a nonprofit organization that coordinates wreath-laying ceremonies at more than 3,400…
Operation Military Family receives donation from Comcast during Military Appreciaton Month
In honor of Military Appreciation Month in November, Comcast has again partnered with Edmonds-based Operation Military Family. Comcast has donated $20,000 and 200 laptops — along with a digital skills guide with each laptop — to support military and veteran families in Washington. Comcast has a long history of supporting military families in communities. Since 2011,…
Lynnwood’s Northwest Veterans Museum to be open on Veterans Day
The Northwest Veterans Museum will be open on Friday, Nov. 11, to celebrate Veterans Day. The museum is an all-volunteer nonprofit corporation dedicated to honoring those that have served in the nation’s military. The museum is located at Lynnwood’s Heritage Park, 19921 Poplar Way, Lynnwood. Veterans Day hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The museum’s…
State ferries to honor veterans Nov. 11 with whistle tribute, flying of U.S. military service flags
At 11:11 a.m. on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, all operating Washington State Ferries vessels underway will sound their whistles in tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of the people who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. In a first this year, all operating vessels on Veterans Day will fly the flag of one of…
Larsen visit to Edmonds College highlights efforts to improve veterans’ access to higher education
U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen met with Edmond’s College administrators Thursday to discuss ways to improve access to higher education for U.S. military veterans. As more students return to in-person learning, the number of veterans enrolling in college is still lower than pre-pandemic levels, said the college’s Veteran Resource Center Director Matthew Durke. The Veterans Resource…
Edmonds College to host 10th annual Veterans Day celebration on Nov. 8
Edmonds College will host its 10th annual Veterans Day celebration in person and virtually on Tuesday, Nov. 8. The event starts at 2 p.m. at the college’s Black Box Theatre and is free to the public. Veterans will be honored throughout the celebration, with special recognition given to Native American vets. Phill Allen, a U.S….