Lou Roane, Quartermaster, VFW Post #3296, sitting atop the 2009 Suzuki King Quad® 400cc 4x4 automatic 4-wheeler to be raffled Dec. 18.
Lou Roane, a man who can’t retire
By Alannah Allbrett
Lou Roane, Quartermaster of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #3296, is a man who doesn’t know how to retire. He served as a police officer in San Diego, CA for 12 years and retired from that. He served twenty years active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps and retired from that. He served fourteen years as a supervisor at the correctional facility (ICI-O) (hiring inmates to work within the prison) and retired from that. Almost four years ago, Lou stepped up as Quartermaster to the VFW for what was supposed to be a year.
In his career in the Marines, Lou did embassy duty while in San Jose, Costa Rica (1964-1966); served in the infantry in Viet Nam along the Demilitarized Zone (1967-1968); and served in Japan in (1975-1976). He also served in the Military Police and as a Drill Instructor in San Diego, CA.
Lou filled the QM position in Orofino because, “I was the only one with computer experience at the time that the office was becoming computerized,” he said. He has been holding this position for three years because no one has joined with computer experience. He is responsible for, “the building, the grounds, the money, membership, pay, and operational records.” Jim Unger, a former Quartermaster, now assists in the office as well.
History
In 1999 the Post celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The men who founded the organization were veterans of the Spanish-American War. In May of 1935, Post 3296 was founded by some World War I veterans. They chose to call it the Harold Kinne Post in memory of the first soldier from Clearwater County to lose his life in World War I. One of Idaho’s most well known Governors, Cecil D. Andrus, was also a member of the Orofino post.
What exactly does the VFW do? They assist veterans with electric bills, gas, rent, food – whatever needs they can supply. They conduct veterans’ funerals when requested, with full military honors, which Lou Roane said, “is an honor to do.” A new Idaho State Veterans’ Cemetery was opened on 10101 N. Horseshoe Bend Road in Boise, a 76.5 acres site. The first veteran to be interned there was from Orofino: Brandon Titus.
With 281 members, Post #3296 would like to have more of the younger veterans who have returned from Desert Storm, the Gulf War, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Lou said, “Their focus is usually on taking care of their young families.” The VFW’s newest member is Aaron Ehlinger who served in the Army in 2002. To be eligible for assistance, a veteran must have served his country during a combat period in a foreign field. Today’s generation of soldiers are awarded the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal – one of the most recent medals along with the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and the Iraq Campaign Medal.
The VFW receives no federal funding or grants, but relies primarily upon donations, dues, and fund raisers such as the popular food basket drive held each year in December. Another well known drive is the Veterans Day poppy sales held each Nov. 11.
Bingo is held every Thursday evening (early bird 6:45 p.m. and regular 7 p.m.). Bingo was shut down over the summer but has now resumed with approximately 15 to 30 people participating. A special fund raiser was the raffling of whiskey-barrel water fountains created by Steven Lee. A drawing was held Oct. 5, Bonnie Thomas and John Garrison were the lucky winners.
Each year, the Ladies Auxiliary holds a chili feed to assist the VFW. They are known as the “backbone of the VFW volunteer efforts.”
4-wheeler raffle
To help support the good work of the VFW, citizens of Orofino have the opportunity of purchasing $10 raffle tickets for a 2009 Suzuki King Quad® 400cc 4x4 automatic 4-wheeler, worth approximately $5,400. The monies raised will go to support the building fund to replace the heating system in the Orofino post. The drawing will be held Dec. 18. One need not be present to win.
Lou, and his wife Shirley, have a son attending LCSC and a daughter at U of I – both business majors.
Lou also wears another hat: he is the Veterans’ Service Officer for Clearwater County. But that’s another story. It is Orofino’s good fortune that he is a man who does not know how to retire.