Hometown VFW Honors Vets with Dinner

Hometown VFW Post 9773 served an early Thanksgiving feast for some heroes on Sunday afternoon.

Nine veterans from the Central Blind Rehabilitation Center at Hines Veterans Hospital were bused to the post for a home cooked turkey dinner with all the trimmings and a floorshow by singer Dave Majestic.

“This is more than I thought it was going to be,” said Joseph Gant, a Vietnam-era vet from Flint, Mich. “I’m talking about the people out here greeting you. It’s beautiful.”

The Hometown VFW is one of three area posts in addition to Burbank and Oak Lawn that hosts a dinner for healing vets by giving them an afternoon out of the hospital. Many of the vets that attended Sunday’s dinner in Hometown were from out of state, taking part in Hines’ rehabilitation program for visually impaired veterans.

The men took home goodie bags stuffed with robes, shirts, toiletries, fruit and money to spend in the hospital canteen.

Another outing for Hines vets is planned for next April at Johnson-Phelps VFW Post 5220 in Oak Lawn.