‘A true brothership’: Members of local VFW work hard to keep mission alive

SOUTH PARK, Pa. — For years, many veteran groups waged a battle for survival as their ranks dwindled. Some of the most senior members passed away, and soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines weren’t signing up after service like they used to in the past.

But for the first time in a while, those numbers are turning around. And for one post in the South Hills, keeping their VFW vibrant has become a labor of love.

“I’ve been painting for quite a few years.” Mike Seybert said. “This is the biggest project I’ve ever taken on.”

Seybert majored in art at IUP, but the Clarion native never finished his degree. Instead, at age 21, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served during Operation Desert Storm.

“At the time it was more of a way to get out, you know, to start over, get some discipline, have a purpose,” Seybert said.

“I was drafted in 1968,” said Joe Couey, VFW Post 6664 & Vietnam Veteran. “I was just hanging out, not doing anything prior to that. It’s probably a good thing.”

“When I got drafted, I’d take the oath to my country, very serious. And...my dad was a World War II veteran. So, it’s all in here,” Glenn Connor, VFW Post 6664 chaplain.

Connor and Couey both served in Vietnam, coming home to a country fiercely divided over America’s involvement in east Asia.

“It wasn’t fun. It wasn’t fun at all to me,” Couey said.

Couey is from a military family. His father served in World War II and his son is a Marine. Couey said he’s put a difficult past behind him.

“I take a little pride in being a veteran, where I didn’t 50 years ago. I was proud of it, but I wasn’t accepted, but now I feel accepted,” Couey said.

Couey, Connor and Seybert eventually found their way to the Library Memorial VFW Post 6664 South Park. Over the years, their World War II comrades have passed on, leaving Couey and Connor as senior members. The men said it’s rare for younger servicemen to join their ranks.

“I’m probably the younger generation now at 53. I think a lot of that is just the fact that guys get out, they start their families, they have children, they have other responsibilities,” Seybert said.

Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of combat vets, with over 61,000 men and women, according to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. And membership has gone up by 670 in the past year.

Post 6664 has 101 members. They’re proud of their full roster and they make service a priority.

“We just had a 5K race for Children’s Heart Foundation. Just handed them a check for $3,000 last week, which is phenomenal,” Seybert said.

These men are also on a mission to reach out to veterans who could benefit by surrounding themselves with others who understand what they’ve been through.

“It’s just a camaraderie to where you have a true brothership,” Seybert said. “Know that we’re here for you to support you and your family in a way we possibly can.”

“They’re taking better care of the veterans that are coming on now, 52, 53 years ago. It’s a little different, but good, to see them young men getting the help they need,” Connor said.

Four decades after leaving his art studies for the military, Seybert earned his bachelor’s in business. These days, he’s using his passion for painting to promote military service.

“This post has been around for 75 years, and for people not to know that it’s a post, I wanted it to stand out,” Seybert said.

And for the first Fourth of July ever, a two-story American flag, impossible to miss, is on display.

“It really meant a lot to me, especially whenever, you know, it was finished, to stand back and look and say, ‘You know what...we’re on the map.’ The community knows we’re here,” Seybert said.

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