Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4340 Closes After 54 Years in Brandon; Distributes Checks

Fifty-three years after its 1957 opening, the “William H. Bullock Memorial Post 4340 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States” — the identifier adamantly requested by two of the post’s most active members — has come to the end of the road in Brandon.

Blame an aging membership, which for some means issues of health and mobility.

Blame members who no longer live in Brandon, and therefore cannot attend the meetings.

Blame a younger generation of veterans, who are busying raising families and holding down jobs or weren’t quite able to find a fit between the post and their interests in social activities.

Or just reason that with time, some things last and others don’t.

Reportedly, it’s a combination of the above that prompted the remaining members of Post 4340 to vote Feb. 3 for closing the post, which met at Brandon Veterans Hall on Clay Avenue. Remaining post interests will merge with the VFW Post 8108 in Riverview.

“The people who were there, who were able to attend, agreed at that last meeting that it was the right thing to do,” said Dick Weaver, an Air Force veteran of both the Korean War and the Vietnam War. “Two of the guys, their wives had to bring them, because of age. It’s jus another thing that happens (in life).”

Weaver said 12 members were in attendance at the last meeting, representing a post of 117 members, many of whom have since moved out of town. At one time the post had 240 members, he added.

“I personally didn’t want to be the guy who turned off the lights,” said Vietnam veteran Frank Krzanowski, who joined the post in 1991. “But we had to make a decision and we had to make a decision that was in the best interests of our members and the community.”

Weaver, who joined Post 4340 in 1993, attended the Community Roundtable meeting Feb. 10 with Krzanowski, both of whom were adamant that the post’s full name be printed.

Together the two men have been distributing checks to community groups and organizations as they account for the closing of post accounts. So far, money has been donated to the Haley House ($500); the Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce’s Military Affairs Committee (for the MacDill Education Fund); and to the friends of MacDill family assistance ($1,000).

Another seven groups will receive checks, Weaver said, in addition to the two checks given at the roundtable meeting.

Weaver and Krzanowski gave a $3,000 check to Honorary Mayor of Brandon Lisa Rodriguez, on behalf of the not-for-profit Center Place Fine Arts & Civic Association, for whom Rodriguez ran her charity race and holds her job as marketing director.

And a $2,000 check was given to the Community Roundtable to help fund the Maureen Krzanowski Memorial Scholarship, which kicks off this year with a $500 scholarship to a college-bound high school senior. Maureen Krazanowski, Frank's wife, died May 6, 2006 and was a long-time member and past president of the Roundtable Charities of Greater Brandon, more commonly known as the Community Roundtable (and formerly known as the Presidents Roundtable).

The roundtable serves as an umbrella organization for area charities and non-profits and runs the annual Honorary Mayor of Brandon race, the Greater Brandon Fourth of July parade and the annual Community Affairs Dinner.

“All donations were made with the concurrence of the membership and they felt, due to the drastic funding cuts that Center Place has had over the past couple years, that they could use the money,” Krzanowski said. “A large percentage of their programs are kid-friendly art programs, which are needed in the community, and they’ve been good to us as well. They’ve been a great community partner over the years.”

Rodriguez said she was “blown away” by the post’s largesse.

“It’s always a nice surprise when we get a check of this size for our programs,” she said. “This will come in hand, especially now with the economy the way it is and corporate cutbacks. Donations are getting tougher and tougher to find.”

Weaver and Krzanowski noted some VFW Post 4340 initiatives over the years:

• More than 300 awards given to Eagle Scouts.
• Veterans of Foreign Wars medals given to ROTC members at Armwood, Bloomingdale, Brandon and Newsome high schools.
• The annual "Voice of Democracy" contest for high school students.
• The annual "Patriot's Pen" contest for middle school students.