Fairfield’s VFW invites public to submit photos of veterans

FAIRFIELD – The Veterans of Foreign Wars in Fairfield invites the public to submit photos of veterans for inclusion in its Wall of Heroes.

The VFW, located at 121 E. Broadway Ave., has rows and rows of photos of service members from Jefferson County from their time in the military. The photos blanket the north wall of the bar, and most of the wall space in the adjoining game room.

Paul Riepe, quartermaster of VFW Post 2271, said the VFW’s collection of photos has grown steadily over time. He said the organization hasn’t it advertised it much, but now wants the public to be aware of it, especially since the VFW is open to the public.

The VFW bar and restaurant had traditionally been open only to VFW members. Riepe said that, as the organization’s membership shrunk, it decided to open the bar to the public a couple of years ago.

“Now that we’re open to the public, we want them to know they can bring in a picture [of a veteran] to put on the wall,” Riepe said. “We’d like to put up as many as we can.”

The VFW was founded in 1899, and the Fairfield chapter started in 1919. In a previous interview, Riepe said it was not officially incorporated until 1943, and named Dimmitt-Vorhies Post after two local servicemen who were killed in action in WWI — Clifford Dimmitt and Clifford Vorhies.

Among the services that the VFW provides to the community is putting up 560 flags in Fairfield’s Central Park for Memorial Day, Independence Day and Veterans Day. The task is such a huge undertaking that the VFW has gotten assistance from Fairfield Park and Rec as well as community volunteers, including middle school and high school students.

Riepe said he’s been active in the local VFW ever since he returned to Fairfield in 2000. He proudly sports a “Vietnam Veteran” cap from his time in the U.S. Navy, which began in 1959 when he was a senior in high school. He was a structural mechanic for P-2V aircraft, which involved patrolling atomic bomb tests in the South Pacific. After serving from 1959-63, he re-enlisted from 1966-82 as an aviation electronics technician, working radio and radar.

His service took him to Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. He was part of a team that interdicted ships bringing weapons into South Vietnam and the South China Sea.

Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com