Jul 09, 2020
Despite the novel coronavirus’ stronghold over daily life, VFW Post 4372 in Odessa, Texas, continues finding ways to help veterans, active-duty troops and the community.
The Post’s latest task consisted of rounding up food and supplies for an Army unit quarantined for 14 days after returning from a scheduled six-month deployment to South Korea in June.
While some of the active-duty members have a home to use for the quarantine, 173 of the returning soldiers find themselves confined for 14 days at base housing in Fort Hood, about 314 miles east of Odessa.
With help from VFW Posts across Texas, the soldiers can expect clean fitted twin bed sheets, bath towels and pillows.
Post 4372 leads the efforts along the Permian Basin, making the 624-mile round-trip to deliver such supplies to the active-duty troops. As of mid-June, the Post has secured a $500 donation from a company in Greenwood, Texas, and rounded up three-dozen pillows.
“It gives them clean sheets and a peace of mind that the community still cares about them,” said Kobes, who has been the commander of Post 4372 for 11 years. “On the big note, the guys that are coming back are eligible for this organization. Hopefully, they’ll start to see what has happened, and we can get them to see what we do for the community.”