DEPARTMENT HISTORY

History of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States in Delaware.

 

The history of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Delaware dates back over a century, heavily tied to the aftermath of World War I and World War II. The state organization operates under the national VFW charter - originally founded in 1899 and recognized by Congress in 1936 - serving as a pillar of camaraderie, legislative advocacy, and community outreach for Delaware’s overseas combat veterans.


Establishing Departments.

 

Under VFW General Order #1 issued October 1, 1920, tentative state departments were to be established. The Departments so formed were legalized under General Order #5 issued March 1, 1921. At first, some departments were provisional and as they grew ultimately became permanent. The Provisional Department of Delaware was established on August 9, 1930, under General Order #11.

 

The members of Delaware’s first posts, Post 475 and Post 615, met on August 9, 1930, to install officers for the Provisional Department.

 

Those officers were:

 

Commander – Paul Podolsky, Post 615 (Was appointed to first term and elected to second).

Senior Vice Commander – J. Harold Harrington, Post 475.

Junior Vice Commander – MAJ Russell Fisher, Post 615.

Quartermaster – George M. Bailey, Post 615.

Adjutant – Fred W. Gehrold, Post 475.

Inspector – Kenneth A. Drake, Post 615.

Chief of Staff – Lewis W. Zebley, Post 615.

Chaplain - LTC Samuel James Smith, Post 475 (Former National Chaplain).

Judge Advocate – E. Ennalls Berl.

Surgeon – Dr. Sigmund B. Pawlikowski (AKA Pawley or Palikowski)


Department of Delaware.

 

The VFW department system was created to handle activities within the states. Delaware posts are structured under the Department of Delaware. The Department of Delaware organizes state-wide veteran initiatives, coordinates legislative events, and oversees community programs:

  • Legislative Advocacy: The department actively organizes the annual Veterans Lobby Day at Legislative Hall in Dover, allowing Delaware veterans to directly advocate for health and benefit legislation before state lawmakers.
  • Community and Youth Outreach: The Delaware VFW funds local chapters of national programs, including the Voice of Democracy and Patriot's Pen youth essay competitions, and selects a state Teacher of the Year to honor educators who promote civic responsibility and patriotism.
  • Support Services: Partnering with the Delaware Office of Veterans Services, Delaware Commission of Veterans Affairs, and VFW National Service Officers out of the VA Regional Office in Wilmington, we provide free claims assistance to all local veterans, helping them navigate medical and pension benefits.

The Early Post-WWI Roots (1920).

The formal presence of the VFW in Delaware began immediately following World War I:

  • VFW Post 475 (Newark): Lt. J. Allison O'Daniel Post, chartered July 7, 1920. Lt. O'Daniel, a Newark native, was the first Delawarean killed in action during World War I when his plane crashed during a reconnaissance mission over France in July 1918. Post 475 established an Honor Guard over 75 years ago, which remains one of the oldest continuously active VFW Honor Guards in the United States, regularly performing hundreds of military funeral honors annually across Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
  • VFW Post 615 (Wilmington): Jacob Ferdinand Speer Post, chartered in 1921 (now defunct). PVT Speer was a member of the 358th Infantry Regiment, 90th Infantry Division. He was killed in France during World War I.

The Late Interwar Expansions (Mid-to-Late 1930s).

  • VFW Post 838 (Port Penn, later New Castle). The Colonial Post was established in 1934 and at some point, went inactive. Post 838 was reactivated on September 23, 1953, in New Castle. It is now defunct.
  • VFW Post 1207 (Dover): Currently the Granger-Adkins-Cubbage Post but originally established as Adkins-Cubbage Post in 1938 as the second African American Post in Delaware.
  • VFW Post 2765 (Wilmington): The Norman D. Scott Post was the first African American Post in Delaware, established in 1933 and defunct prior to 1971.
  • VFW Post 2863 (Richardson Park, later Wilmington): The Diamond State Post was organized on July 12, 1934. It is recently defunct.
  • VFW Post 2907 (Bellefonte): Pugh-Lenderman-Chalfonte Post, chartered in 1937.
  • VFW Post 2931 (Ellendale). The Raymond Reynolds Post was established prior to 1933. SGT Reynolds served with Company E, 327th Infantry Regiment during World War I. He died in France on October 7, 1918. Now defunct.
  • VFW Post 3238 (Camden): Clarence Vinson-John Chason Memorial Post, chartered in 1938.
  •  VFW Post 3257 (Wilmington). The Polish American Post 3257 was the first Polish American post in Wilmington established about 1935. It is now defunct.
  • VFW Post 3420 (Wilmington, later Newark): The General W. W. Atterbury Post was organized on December 3, 1935 and chartered in 1939. Initially established in Wilmington, Post 3420 was composed mainly of Pennsylvania Railroad workers.

African American VFW Posts in Delaware.

In an October 4, 1938 article in The Morning News, during the visit of Department of Delaware Commander Elmer L. Gray to VFW Post 3238, he announced the creation of a new post for African American veterans named Adkins-Cubbage Post in Dover. This would be the second post for African Americans with the first being Norman D. Scott Post 2765. The third African American Post in Delaware was Moss-Robertson chartered in 1958.

The Post-WWII Expansion (1945 - present).

While early posts like Post 475 and Post 615 served northern Delaware, the end of World War II in 1945 triggered a major expansion into central and southern Delaware as hundreds of thousands of service members returned home:

  • Sussex County Expansion: In 1945, World War I veteran James E. Wilgus Sr. chaired an initiative to bring the VFW to downstate Delaware. This led to the official chartering of VFW Post 7234 in Selbyville on May 18, 1946. Wilgus went on to serve as the Delaware State Commander.
  • Historic Coastal Posts: Around the exact same time, Rehoboth Beach VFW Post 7447 received its charter on May 19, 1946. In 1949, Post 7447 acquired and relocated the historic U.S. Life-Saving Service Boat House to serve as its official post home, keeping a unique piece of Delaware's maritime history alive.

The vast wave of servicemen returning home from global theaters in late 1945 necessitated the rapid growth of the VFW, especially into Sussex County.  In 1945, there were 13 Posts in Delaware. The year 1946 saw an increase to 29 Posts and by 1958, there were 31 VFW Posts. As of 1982, there were 35 Posts according to newspaper accounts.

  • VFW Post 3792 (Middletown): Sgt. William Lloyd Nelson Memorial Post, chartered October 2, 1945.
  • VFW Post 3920 (Wilmington): VFW Post 3920's namesake is Joseph Anthony Iannelli, Jr. who served in the Navy and died off the coast of the Anzio beachhead during World War II. The Post was established June 1, 1944, and is now defunct.
  • VFW Post 4961 (Seaford): Virgil Wilson Post, chartered November 25, 1945.
  • VFW Post 5447 (Wilmington): Hall-Burke Post, chartered in early 1946.
  • VFW Post 5892 (Hockessin): Bailey-Brennan-Chandler Post, chartered February 17, 1946.
  • VFW Post 6009 (Felton): Adams-Simpler-Ware Post, chartered March 10, 1946. Blue Diamond VFW Post 6921 (Harrington) was consolidated with Post 6009 in 2015.
  • VFW Post 6483 (Milford): Blue Hen Post, chartered April 7, 1946.

  • VFW Post 6687 (Houston). Installed on March 13, 1946, and named after William H. Marvel and William Taylor who both died in World War II. Now defunct.

  • VFW Post 6984 (Milton): Broadkiln Post, chartered in 1946.
  •  VFW Post 7006 (Wilmington). The White Eagle Post was the second Polish American Post in Wilmington established in 1946.  The Post is now defunct.
  • VFW Post 7234 (Ocean View): Mason-Dixon Post, originally located in Selbyville and chartered May 18, 1946. Post 7234 moved to Ocean View in the 1950s. This marked the first official VFW post footprint to serve southeastern Sussex County.
  • VFW Post 7422 (Georgetown). The Sussex Memorial Post was installed in May 1946.  The Post is now defunct.
  • VFW Post 7447 (Rehoboth Beach): Rehoboth Beach Post, chartered May 19, 1946. Chartered exactly one day after Selbyville to accommodate coastal veterans. VFW Post 7422 (Millsboro) consolidated with Post 7447 in 2019.
  • VFW Post 7478 (Greenwood): The Greenwood Memorial Post was installed May 22, 1946.
  • VFW Post 7494 (Lewes). The Breakwater Post was organized May 13, 1946, as the 27th VFW Post in Delaware. The Post is now defunct.
  • VFW Post 7582 (Milford). Wesley Fullman Post 7582's namesake is T/5 John Wesley Fullman, Jr. who died in World War II. He is buried in Belgium. The Post is now defunct.

  • VFW Post 7598 (Elsmere). The Blue Rock Post was established on May 28, 1946. The Post is now defunct.

  • VFW Post 8276 (Delmar): The Delmar Memorial Post was established in late Summer 1946. The Post is now defunct.
  • VFW Post 8801 (Smyrna): Newnam-Lee-Urban Post, chartered around 1947, was established to accommodate local population movements near the Kent and New Castle County border.

  • VFW Post 9224 (Ellendale). The Appel-Tucker Post was chartered March 16, 1947, as Delaware's 31st Post. The Post is now defunct.

  • VFW Post 9962 (Dover): Dover Memorial Post, chartered from 1950 to 2014.

  • VFW Post 6687 (Wilmington). The Moss-Robertson Post was the third African American Post in Delaware initiated May 3, 1958. Post 6687 was named after PVT Henry Franklin Moss, Jr. and PFC Paul Eugene Robertson both African Americans from Delaware that perished in the Korean War. PFC Robertson's body was never recovered. The Post is now defunct.

  • VFW Post 10437 (New Castle): The U.S. Postal Service Post was established around 1980. The Post is now defunct.
  • VFW Post 12741 (Wilmington): The Pearl Harbor Post was established on December 7, 1973, with 25 members, all survivors of Pearl Harbor. The Post is now defunct.

A Note on Post numbering:

1950s: Post numbers mostly below 7000.

1960s: Numbers climb into the 8000s and 9000s.

Late 1960s - 1970s: First appearance of 10,000-series posts.

1970s - early 1980s: Majority of 10,000-series posts chartered.

1990s onward: Very few new posts; numbers stabilize.

Some Posts were renumbered over time or merged with other Posts with the older Post number being retained.