At 105 years old, VFW Post 25 in Scranton aims for another century
Sep. 15—SCRANTON — Dating to 1917, a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in North Scranton that is one of the oldest in the nation hopes to last for another century, at least.
While many other VFWs in the nation have closed, merged or no longer have buildings because of dwindling membership, the nearly 105-year-old Theodore J. Wint VFW Post 25 is going strong and plans to expand its building at 2291 Rockwell Ave.
VFW Post 25 issued public notices in The Times-Tribune on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday seeking bidders for construction of an addition onto the rear of the building.
The organization will use grant funds for a project estimated to cost around $400,000, post Commander James Kuchwara said.
The post's building — originally a tavern — still includes a large barroom, a small kitchen and a small back room. An addition would have a basement, a full kitchen and larger disabled-accessible bathrooms accessible from both inside and outside for outdoor functions under a pavilion in a fenced-in yard.
The post hopes to break ground soon and have an addition completed by the new year or spring, he said. The addition will allow the post to better function and host events or gatherings of veterans and their families.
"We're trying to keep this place going another 100 years," Kuchwara said.
Since the 1899 inception of the VFW as an organization, over 12,200 posts have existed worldwide; there are 5,883 active posts, according to the national VFW headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri.
VFW Post 25 was chartered Oct. 3, 1917. Historical records indicate it was founded June 14, 1909, but members and the VFW national organization refer to the charter as the start. Early decades had members gatherings in bars, basements and kitchens. In 1945, they bought a four-story brownstone downtown at 320 N. Washington Ave. for a headquarters. In a 1955 news article, the group boasted 850 members. Fire destroyed the building in 1974 — that address is now a parking lot next to Abe's Kosher Delicatessen — and the group once again was without a home. Members then met at the Liederkranz Club on Lackawanna Avenue until buying their current Rockwell Avenue building in 1977.
Today, Post 25 has 540 members, of which 118 are veterans and 422 are social members, Kuchwara said.
While most of the veteran members of the post are Vietnam War veterans, the organization has some members of later wars and hopes to enlist more.
"We're trying to get younger veterans in here. All the VFWs need that or they're going to diminish," said Kuchwara, 72, of North Scranton, an Army veteran of the Vietnam War.
Post 25 is very active, with members regularly participating in various local veterans' events and ceremonies. The post operates a food distribution for veterans on Fridays. The post also sponsored the new Scranton Veterans Memorial Park in front of Scranton High School.
Post 25 also was instrumental in 2017 in getting the new bridge on Rockwell Avenue over Leggetts Creek named for Wint, a brigadier general.
Mike Gavin, 75, of North Scranton, an Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War, visits Post 25 every day and enjoys the camaraderie there.
"Basically, I like to celebrate my veteran heritage. My father was in the service, my brother was in the service," Gavin said. "It's always good to hang with people that are familiar with where you've been and what you've done and things like that. You have a lot in common, a lot to talk about."
Kuchwara hopes the building expansion project helps secure Post 25's future.
"I hope 100 years from now somebody is still running this VFW," Kuchwara said.
Contact the writer: jlockwood@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5185; @jlockwoodTT on Twitter.
