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The formation of post 7507 in Fountain Hills, Arizona was the result of several veterans spending their winter months in a little community with little social activity available. Under the leadership of out of state VFW members, sufficient interest prompted an application for the establishment of a VFW Post. The application was submitted with 39 charter member signatures and approved on the 17th day of February 1988...thus VFW post 7507 was duly formed.
In the early days meetings were held in the employee lounge of Bank One, now Chase Bank, and we were at that location for several years. Coffee meetings were held at various places and our community involvement included volunteering for monthly street cleaning assignments. The Veterans Memorial Parkway designation was another important recognition “step forward” for our post. Our only fund raising project was an annual garage sale. Buddy Poppy Day sales were a major effort and challenge for our small post...volunteers sufficient to man the various business locations in a town required many duty hours. Successful participation at the local schools with with the voice of democracy and Patriot Pen programs resulted in District and state winners. The Veterans in the classroom program, initiated by our Post is well received by students and teachers alike. Over 7000 students have attended these informative WW2 and Korea Veterans presentations, at schools throughout the Valley. During 2003, our Veteran friends in American Legion Post 58, invited us to move our meetings in a larger space in their Legion Hall, which we accepted with appreciation.
Major fund raising activities include the VFW golf tournament and the Beer Gardens held during the Town’s great fair in February and the Art Festival in November. The primary application of these funds are to serve Veterans and their families in need. The Town’s Veterans Memorial was the culmination of the fund raising efforts of VFW Post 7507, American Legion Post 58 and the Town of Fountain Hills. Today, the Memorial stands among the best of the Nations Veterans Memorials with new additions such as the life size statute of the flag saluting WW1 veteran. As members of the Memorial Committee, we closely monitor proposed additions to insure a high standard of excellence as expected by the community and veterans alike.
The Post is well represented at Town ceremonies conducted for Memorial Day, Veterans Day and Pearl Harbor Day. Our impressive uniformed Post Color Guard leads the Town Thanksgiving Parade, which is the only such parade in Arizona.
VFW Post 7507 has been named an “All State Post” several years and also received national awards for membership and community service. In 2006, we moved into our own Post Headquarters on Saguaro Boulevard, which although modest in size, provides for our current space needs. Our membership continues to grow but most importantly, the majority of our members are actively involved in Post programs and projects. Post 7507 membership can look proudly to their past and with confidence in their future. |
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