Avon VFW Post Elects Officers

AVON, CT - Members of the Gildo T. Consolini VFW Post 3272 have elected James "Jim" Hutton, a Vietnam Veteran, as the next Commander of the Post.

He was formally installed as commander on May 25, during the regular monthly meeting of the Post members.

Hutton joined the Post seven years ago and has served in several leadership positions including junior vice commander, senior vice commander, and POW/MIA chairman. He developed a Post budget, financial reports and the Post’s Bylaws. He also assisted with the Vietnam War commemoration at the Avon Free Public Library in 2013, including the drafting of a proclamation for approval by the Avon Town Council regarding the commemoration of the Vietnam War.

Hutton was voted by his peers as the Mike Anstey Outstanding Veteran of the Year for 2014.

“It has been a pleasure to work with Jim these past two years as Senior Vice Commander and I have full confidence in his abilities to take over as Commander of the Avon Post,” said Lee Wilson, outgoing Commander Avon VFW Post 3272.

Hutton served on active duty in the United States Air Force from 1963 through 1967. He was an aircraft maintenance officer, and served in several positions in both the Strategic Air Command and Pacific Air Forces. He was assigned to the 100th Bomb Wing, SAC, for two years during the height of the Cold War, first as a flight line maintenance officer and subsequently job control officer.

Hutton then spent a year at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Saigon, Republic of Vietnam, as the officer in charge of the Aircraft Ground Equipment branch of the 377th Field Maintenance Squadron, 7th Air Force, PACAF.

In his last year in the Air Force Hutton was assigned to the maintenance management branch at 15th Air Force Headquarters, SAC, at March Air Force Base, near Riverside, CA.

Hutton has received the Air Force Commendation, Vietnam Service, and Vietnam Campaign medals.

He was discharged from active duty in November 1967 with the rank of captain. He subsequently returned to his civilian job at the Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation, Rochester, NY.

He was a mechanical engineer there for almost 30 years, working primarily on commercial nuclear power plants. Hutton his wife, Ann, moved to Connecticut in 2005, following his retirement to be near their daughters and grandchildren. They lived in Avon for almost nine years before relocating to Hamden, in fall of 2014.

When asked about his plans as Commander for the next two years, Hutton replied, “We need to focus on growing the Post. VFW membership continues to decline as the World War II veterans pass on. We need to re-energize our traditional recruiting methods, increase participation by our existing members, and sponsor programs that will attract new veterans. We must succeed in these efforts, or Post 3272 will eventually go out of business, as so many Posts around the country already have.”

Photo caption: New post officers elected at their May meeting. They are, left to right, Lee Wilson, outgoing post commander and three-year trustee; Tom Voorhees, adjutant; Grant Hagedorn, past post commander and two-year trustee; Bob Nardello, junior vice commander; Jim Hutton, incoming post commander; John Caruso, judge advocate; Roy Walton, senior vice commander and past post commander; Don Perreault, quartermaster, Bill Newman, past post commander and one-year trustee; Tim Healy, chaplain; Mickey Bennett, service officer; and Bob Skeels, post surgeon.

Photo courtesy of Avon VFW Post 3272