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Family fun with a deeper purpose
Indian Head VFW raises funds for wounded soldiers
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff Photo by Gary Smith
Bill Sebrill takes a dive in the dunk tank during the Family Fun Weekend on Saturday.
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U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Tim Arnold of the Chemical Biological Incident Response Force at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division, rounded up some friends to help organize the Family Fun Weekend at the post on Route 210 in Indian Head. The event — which ran Saturday and Sunday, despite the rain — featured live music, a waterslide, moon bounce, horseshoe tournament, dunk tank and motorcycle and car shows.
But the event was created with more than just fun in mind.
Arnold, an Ohio native who has served two tours in Iraq and two in Africa, said some of the proceeds collected from the weekend event would be used to buy small comfort items for wounded military men and women at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Silver Spring and the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda.
‘‘We’re just going to get them some minor things to use,” he said. ‘‘They really don’t have a lot.”
‘‘A majority of the vets are on blood thinners. They cut themselves with regular razors and can’t stop the bleeding,” said Sgt. David Spier, who, along with several of his comrades, carved slices of roasted pig and scooped generous portions of potato salad, baked beans and coleslaw for guests throughout the afternoon. ‘‘We just want to get them some little things that will make their lives a little more comfortable while they’re in the hospital.”
Arnold and many of the U.S. Marines who organized and attended the event are members of Post 1800, which Arnold serves as junior vice commander.
‘‘The post has a lot of new members,” he said. ‘‘This is the best there is.”
Arnold joined the U.S. Marine Corps after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.
‘‘Sept. 11th had a lot to do with it,” he said. ‘‘I never want to be one of those guys who sat back and said, ‘I wish that I had served.’”
Arnold and his wife, Story, have two sons and are awaiting the birth of their daughter, who is due to arrive Sept. 11.
‘‘That’s awesome,” he said. ‘‘I’m really going to push for that. My daughter’s birth will give a little better meaning to the date.”
Sgt. James Watson, a New York native, served in South Korea before arriving in Indian Head. Throwing a party in his new hometown that will benefit fallen comrades in arms is an excellent way to spend a hot summer weekend, he said.
‘‘I joined the service because I want to give people a chance to live the life that they want to live,” he said. ‘‘And I’ve always wanted to be a Marine.”
Local residents said they hope the event becomes a yearly affair.
‘‘It’s great,” said Indian Head resident Gena Miller, who attended the event with her husband, Douglas. ‘‘They really made an effort to make it a family event.”
‘‘It’s fun,” said Andrea Brown of Accokeek. ‘‘There are a lot of different activities.”
Accokeek resident John Broadwater saw the bright balloons and American flags lining Route 210 in front of the post and decided to drop in to see what was going on.
‘‘I stopped to show my support of the post,” he said. ‘‘It’s a nice thing that they’re doing here.”
Post Commander Edward Cummings said the Indian Head VFW has been open to the public since it was established in 1930.
‘‘We play up to the public more than a lot of VFWs,” he said, adding he wants to hold the Family Fun Weekend again next year.
‘‘It’s good,” he said. ‘‘I’m going to try to have it as an annual event. It seems to be going really well.”
Three local bands playing classic rock and country tunes donated their time to provide live music for the event, including the Fort Washington-based band Four of a Kind.
‘‘We’re community-minded. We really do care about community causes,” said band leader Steve Berry. ‘‘We hope that having us here will help draw more people.”
Lance Cpl. Nolan Fandrich is not eligible to join Post 1800 because he has not served an overseas assignment yet, but that did not stop him from lending a helping hand during the event.
‘‘The post has done so much for the Marine Corps. I just wanted to help out, too,” the Georgia native said. ‘‘Indian Head is like my hometown. It’s a small town, and they have good people here.”
E-mail Nancy Bromley McConaty at nmcconaty@ somdnews.com.
