Renewal of Department and National Convention hospitality room.

UPDATE April 20, 2025: Instead of purchasing a hospitality room at the 2025 VFW National Convention, VFWCT is planning with Eastern Conference partners for the “Big East Blast” at the VFW Whitehall Memorial Post.

UPDATE: April 20, 2025: The 2025 Uniform Polo is of universal design with \\VFW logo in two colors with CONNECTICUT in the same color as the stripes.

JULY 20, 2024:

VFW Connecticut moved to an in-house website (https://vfwct.org) from the subscription service.

COMMUNICATIONS: Improve VFWCT webpage, passive information sharing, separation of general email from important communications. Add a calendar function for posts to share social events (community calendar). [Google sheet integrated into website for realtime program reporting; digital submission of activities].

PROGRAM REPORT: Improve activity reporting by posts and cataloging by VFWCT by moving program/audit/administrative reports to Google Sheets and embedding the live documents on the VFWCT.org website.

COMMUNICATION: Better website, making members and posts feel more included.

MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM AWARDS: Realign, simplify, and review Commander’s Membership Program awards and incentives.

UPDATE: 21NOV2023 VFWCT Commander Richard DiFederico appointed outgoing Adjutant/ Quartermaster Ron Rusco as Service Officer. He has passed 18 courses and is now an accredited service officer.

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SERVICE OFFICER: Search, screen, and hire a permanent and competent VFW Connecticut Service Officer for competitive compensation.

As the largest and oldest war veterans service organization in America, the VFW has a long history of supporting service members, veterans, and their families. Arguably, a vital part of that support is the Department Service Officer.

Fortunately, the VFWCT service office (VA Newington, 555 Willard Ave. Newington, CT 06111) is running smoothly with Service Office Claims Consultant Linda Ciccone and temporary Service Officer Richard DiFederico. Both are competent, experienced, and accredited service officers. 

Unfortunately, the Department of Connecticut has not had a permanent service officer for more than four years.

By VFW National Bylaws, the Department Commander appoints the service officer. Ciccone isn’t a veteran and not eligible to hold the position. DiFederico keeps being used as a temporary solution as a quick succession of replacements are hired and leave.

The VFW Department of Connecticut must prioritize and resolve this issue by offering competitive compensation (new state employees start at a minimum of $65,184 and generous benefits) to a competent VFW member. 

For comparison, Massachusetts has one primary service officer who’s office is in the Massachusetts State House and four, part-time and paid, regional service officers for different areas of the state.

SALES TAX EXEMPTION: Seek to make IRS Section 501 (c)(19) veteran service organizations exempt from state sales tax.

UPDATE April 20, 2025: After Feb. 26, 2025 public hearing including submitted written testimony, bill was not approved (held) by committee.

HB05065: AN ACT EXEMPTING CERTAIN SALES TO MILITARY AND VETERANS-RELATED ORGANIZATIONS FROM THE SALES AND USE TAXES.

UPDATE: July 26, 2024

A VFW Special License Plate Committee was formed by former Commander Richard D’Federico to investigate and possibly create a new special VFW license plate in Connecticut.

Unfortunately, after six-months of seeking interested comrades to subscribe to a mailing list, interest was not sufficient and the committee made their final report and shelved the project.

UPDATE April 20, 2025: In the wake of the 2025 SVC Training, the leadership structure of the VFW lends to one-year terms. Instead, Departments should develop a gradual-increase-of-responsibility model where the JVC and SVC gain increasingly more responsibility and see the job as a three-year committment.

Improve continuity and competition for department-level officer positions by reducing the top positions to two and increasing terms from one year to two years (submitted).

In interviews, Connecticut veterans largely support the Connecticut DVA cemetery system over a national one. Additionally, the Calverton National Cemetery covers all but the far northern corners of Connecticut within the VA-policy of 75-miles.

NATIONAL VETERAN CEMETERY (https://www.cem.va.gov/find-cemetery/state.asp?STATE=CT): Connecticut does not have any VA national cemeteries. However, it has three veterans cemeteries that are operated and maintained by the state (Connecticut State Veterans Cemetery, Middletown; Colonel Raymond F. Gates Memorial Cemetery, Rocky Hill; Spring Grove Veterans Cemetery, Darien (Closed)). The nearest open VA National Cemetery (has space available to accommodate casketed and cremated remains) is Calverton National Cemetery on Long Island (53 miles from New Haven) and then the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne, MA (165 miles). [Maine has Acadia National Cemetery. There are no open VA National Cemeteries in New Hampshire, Rhode Island or Vermont.]