VFW serves up free burgers, hot dogs on the 4th

Fred Young Park was a busy place for about three hours on Independence Day as members of VFW Post 3596 served a free burger and hot dog picnic meal to people to honor the birth of the United States.

Veterans decorated the grounds with several American flags, some of the vets donned patriotic colors, including a Stars and Stripes top hat on Jered Littlefield, and member Dave Tupper handed out red poppies, a symbol of peace that became popular after World War I after someone discovered it was said to be the only flower to grow in the desolate European former battlefields. The lunch was free, but the VFW took donations for the poppies.

"This really brings the community together to celebrate our Independence Day," said Heather Allen, the post's quartermaster and one of a dozen members working at the event. Gary Jenson once again served as cook for the hamburgers and hot dogs, as he as done for the last 10 years and boasts of losing only one burger during the entire time. The post paid for all the food, including potato and macaroni salads, chips, drinks, and they supplied the condiments, onions, tomatoes and five pounds of cheese, said Allen, a veteran of the Air Force. Jenson cooked 75 pounds of hamburger and 50 pounds of hot dogs.

Post 3596 has been putting on an Independence Day celebration at Fred Young Park for over 40 years. Based on the number of plates they handed out, Allen figured they served 257 people. "We see a lot of the same people every year and that's good. I think they appreciate it," said VFW member Joe Eisenbrandt. Guests included Plains resident Glen Rummel, an Army Cold War veteran, and Korean War Army veteran Dean Piper of Hot Springs. "I've had a lot of people say thank you and that they appreciate we do this," said VFW member Charles "Ole" Oelschlager, who has worked the event for the last 15 years.