News

The artillery gun was moved back to its place at the front of the building early on September 21, 2016. The backhoe and crane needed to move it were operated by WAVP Chairman Darrell Blasberg.

We are proud to introduce Sara Stephens as the first General Manager of the soon-to-be opened Veterans Center. WAVP Chair Darrell Blasberg says, "on behalf of the WAVP Board, we are delighted to welcome Sara to our team. With her background and expertise, she will be an excellent complement as we lead our organization to its next level."

Dedication services for the new building are scheduled for Saturday, October 8, 2016 at 11:00 AM.

Ms. Stephens was born in Cedar Falls, Iowa. She graduated from Waterloo East High School in 2000. She joined the United States Army in 2003 as an Army Reservist in a Military Police Unit. Her unit was deployed to Iraq in 2004. Upon her return, she remained in the Army Reserve until 2010.

Sara and her husband Cory live in the Waverly countryside with their two sons, Colton (9) and Wyatt (6). Cory serves the community as a police officer with the Waverly Police Force. He is also a current Army Reserve Career Counselor. Sara was previously employed with CBE Companies, Inc. of Waterloo, Iowa as a Project Coordinator. She is currently pursuing her degree in Business Administration at Upper Iowa University.

If you are able to volunteer to help with any part of this year's Memorial Day activities, including assembling the Flanders Field, the Avenue of Flags, placing small flags on graves, or the clean up/takedown of those items, please contact Janell or Rich Miller at 319-230-9144 or the WAVP at 319-483-9287. Leave your name, contact number, and time when you're available to help. Thank you.

Updated Mar. 28, 2016
Added a couple shots of the masonry work.

Updated Mar. 7, 2016
Still coming along nicely. Thanks again, Mike!

We have a few photos to share from the construction site of the WAVP Veterans Center. They're currently at the top of our gallery. These were shared with us by American Legion member Mike Kukral, along with a few photos from a September Honor Flight and the 9/11 Memorial in Green Bay, WI.

There's lots more to see in the gallery, and we'll crosspost what we can on our Facebook page. Speaking of which, there's even more to see there in the Visitor Posts sidebar, so thanks to everybody who's done outreach, sent photos, or even mentioned us in passing.

The following appeared on the front page of the August 13, 2015, edition of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier. It has been republished on this website with permission from the author.

Some didn't think it could happen.

But anyone with doubts this community would come together to provide a new home to be shared by multiple veterans organizations can now see proof.

The new Waverly Area Veterans Post is going up at 1300 Fourth St. NW overlooking the Cedar River on the site of the former Waverly Veterans of Foreign Wars building.

For those involved in the project, dating back to flooding seven years ago, it's a sight to see.

Updated July 2, 2015 with new times

WAVP Canteen hours have been adjusted. They are now 4-8pm Monday-Thursday, 4-10pm on Friday, and 2-10pm on Saturday. Beverages are available, but snack foods are not. Frozen pizza may be an option in the near future.

Thursday food night is now being filled quite well. If you and your friends are interested in getting on the schedule with an event from 5:30pm-7:30pm, call 319-483-9287 during canteen hours or email Michelle Ferguson ( ) for details and scheduling.

Future changes will be announced on this website as well as elsewhere.

The forms have been set, the reinforcement rods have been installed, and the concrete trucks are going by my house (I live on Fourth Street NW). It is now Friday afternoon, June 19, 2015. Construction has begun on the WAVP Veterans Center in Waverly, Iowa.

Stay tuned in for more to come. And if you are so inclined, you may still contribute financially to the endeavor. All donations are tax deductible and will be appropriately recognized.

Also, for those who might have missed it or do not live local, KCRG did a piece on the WAVP Veterans Center effort for their Our Town segment. You can read about it here or watch the segment below.

Thursday, May 21, 9:00 AM: Place small flags on veterans graves in Harlington Cemetery, while also setting up Flanders Field. Volunteers are needed and appreciate for both activities.

Saturday, May 23, 9:00 AM: Setup the Avenue of Flags at Harlington Cemetery. We will need lots of volunteers to help.

Monday, May 25: Memorial Day parade and service. Waverly AMVETS Post 79 is in charge of the program this year. All veterans service organizations will have a blended Color Guard for the parade. The parade begins at 10:30 AM from Waverly Civic Center, and participants should report there by 10 AM, ahead of the scheduled start.
Lunch will be served afterwards by the AMVETS Auxiliary at the Legion Hall north of the cemetery for those attending the service.

Monday, May 25, 2:00 PM: Gather flags from the graves at Harlington Cemetery
4:00 PM: Take down Flanders Field and Avenue of Flags at Harlington Cemetery. Help will also be needed to take down and store the flag poles.

Thanks in advance to those planning to come by and help out.
Have a safe weekend!

The following is an editorial from the April 29, 2015 edition of the Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, reprinted here with permission.

Sometimes, mergers just make a lot of sense. Whether that is in the business world, government services, school districts - or any number of entities - you weigh the pros and cons and move forward.

Last Week, a groundbreaking ceremony served as a symbol of determination of those who have worked and supported the concept of a new Waverly Area Veterans Post — a collaborative effort among members of various Waverly veterans' posts and the community at large.

"I want to say hello to you as a neighbor, but never have I been more proud as neighbor as I am today," said retired U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Gen. Evan "Curly" Hultman of Waterloo at the groundbreaking for the new post. "We serve together, all of us here today, and especially you guys and gals who have served our country, not just in the military but in so many capacities of life."

The following is an excerpt from a letter written by Mike Helm, the National Commander of the American Legion, about the upcoming Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day (March 30, 2015). You're invited to read the entire letter at this link.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, servicemembers returning home from duty in Southeast Asia were often greeted with protest signs, defamatory chants, spit and worse – a stark contrast to the way veterans returned home from battle after World Wars I and II. Thankfully, post 9/11 generation veterans do not have to duck into airport restrooms to change from their uniforms to civilian clothes as some Vietnam veterans were forced to do.

To this day, I don't understand why my fellow Vietnam veterans were ever treated like they were the enemies. But I am grateful that times have changed, that we welcome home with open arms our men and women who serve in harm's way and now, belatedly, offer thanks to those of my era, as well. Specifically, the annual celebration, Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day, recognizes this remarkable group.

Continued at legionemail.com ...

March 24: Updated with photos

The Waverly Area Veterans Post (WAVP) relocation committee would like to THANK the following volunteers that helped move equipment from the VFW to the American Legion Building for storage and prepare the Legion building for occupancy. Whether you helped one hour or spent several days, your assistance was and is appreciated. If we overlooked someone, please accept our apology and let us know so we can add your name to the list of volunteers.

Updated July 2, 2015 with new times

Hours of operation for the WAVP Canteen in the Waverly Legion Hall are Monday–Thursday 4PM–8PM, Friday 4PM–10PM, and Saturday 2PM-10PM. The entrance to the Canteen is the south door on the east side. Any change in hours will be announced when they are made. Any special hours will be announced with the event or activity.

Thursday Food Nights will be added in the future as they are planned and posted on the calendar. The only one currently announced is AMVETS Auxiliary for Thursday, March 26, 5:30PM–7PM.

The future of the à la carte menu is uncertain at this time. The necessary equipment and short order cooks need to be available. Plans are still to add it in the future and will be announced when added. Meanwhile ask the manager what alternatives are available.

The WAVP Breakfasts will continue on the second Saturday of every month from 7:30AM to 10:00AM.

For those who may be concerned about it, the Canteen has been approved for use for food and beverage service by the Black Hawk County Health Department.

The spaghetti dinner Friday, February 20, was considered a success with 75 attending. This is very good considering the advance notice was very short and publicity was minimal with not much more than "word of mouth." Sometimes good news travels fast and effectively. Just think what an ad or notice in the paper would have done.

It did get a short notice on this website. It wasn't much more than a day. Watch this space for more interesting things to come. The Thursday "Food Night" will gradually return. So will other menu options. Watch for announcements here and elsewhere.

We would like to point out the Calendar page we've recently added to the website. You can find it in the top menu in the 'News' dropdown. For the public, we hope you'll utilize this to keep track of upcoming events, ceremonies, and ways to interact with or assist the veterans in your community. For veterans and other members of the various Posts, it's an agenda to keep meetings and get-togethers in order.

Once you're on the calendar page, you can click on events to get basic what/where/when information, and sort events by Post by clicking the colored tabs at the top. Please bookmark it for future reference.

Vision Iowa approved a Community Attraction and Tourism grant in the amount of $675,000 toward the completion of the WAVP Veterans Center. Thank you, Vision Iowa board! The news was published in the Waverly Democrat Thursday, September 11.

Now comes the challenge to reach the fundraising goal so construction can begin next Spring. The question is no longer if we can begin construction, but when we can begin. Meanwhile fundraising continues to meet a goal completion date to receive the funding. Anyone interested in donating should contact Hank Bagelmann at 319-352-1198 or use the DONATE tab on this website.

We need to especially thank Carol Jahnke for her many hours and hard work in pursuing and acquiring this grant. Without that we probably would not have gotten it. She also did a lot to help the rest of us through the application process. Thank you, Carol!

Some changes are good, and we think this is one of them. If you haven't already noticed, the design of this website has changed. It should be easier to navigate and easier to find what you're looking for compared to the previous design. It should also display better on smaller devices, too. We hope you will visit our site often and we will keep giving you reasons for doing so, besides user friendliness and pleasing design.

We'd like your feedback. You may do so by visiting our Facebook page and leaving your comments. You may also visit the 'Contact Us' page and send your comments using the form there, or email our editor directly. If you have something to contribute to the website, whether it's pictures, a story, or a call to the community, those can be sent to our editor as well.

How are we doing?

Three Directors were reelected. They are Richard Miller by the Waverly American Legion, Jim Brandau by the AMVETS, and Darrell Blasberg for VFW. Their terms will be from 2014 to 2017. Terry Goro of the Marine Corps League chose to not be reelected. Robert Davidson was elected to succeed him for a term from 2014 to 2017. Jim Smith resigned after two years of his term and Hank Bagelmann was elected to serve the balance of his term from 2014 to 2015.

Two retiring board members were recognized and thanked for their service. It was also noted that one newly elected member of the board, Robert Davidson, was a previous member of the board and welcomed back.

At the board meeting following the general annual meeting the following officers were elected: Darrell Blasberg, Chairman; Carl Benning, Vice Chairman; Larry Buchholz, Vice Chairman; Richard Miller, Secretary; and Lee Schissel, Treasurer.

Sometimes pictures are worth at least hundreds of words. People preparing and enjoying the WAVP breakfast this past July 12 at the VFW Hall would be among those. Richard and Janell Miller in the kitchen preparing breakfast with obvious enthusiasm would be among those.

As Mike Kukral wrote, "Lots of smiles and full tummies." Please enjoy the pictures he shared.

10:30 AM —

Not so young retired members of the armed forces are already foot weary before the parade begins. The presence in the parade is still effective even if the mobility is a bit more mechanized. Along comes Frank Wilkens with the appropriate equipment and the problem is nicely solved and the presence of the color guard is still as effective and impressive.

Oh, and a trailer hitched behind the truck gave some of us a chance to follow close behind in the company of a very young lady chaperoned by her military father. I believe the last name is Hennings. At least we were convinced that there are those that respect us and are willing to continue where we had to leave off, retire or whatever.

The crowds along the way were great and convinced us that we are in a community we can be proud of and that shares that same feeling with those in the parade.

— A view from the parade

Grand Marshals this year represent the four Waverly veterans service organizations and the veterans service facility (WAVP). They are Bob Davidson (VFW), Ted Lanske (AMVETS), Roger Metzger (Marine Corps League), Richard Miller (American Legion) and WAVP Campaign Chairman Marvin Schumacher. This is a great tribute to the veterans in our community after the tribute to our auxiliaries last year. We thank them for the recognition and ongoing support for meeting the special needs of some as a result of their service.

In addition to the above we provide a color guard, collectively or individually, for all of the parades to patriotically lead the parade.

"Saluting Freedom" is the theme this year. The parade will line up on the grounds of Waverly Sales Company and begin at 10:30 am. Participants should arrive there by 10:00 am or soon after.

Frank Wilkens will have his military truck and trailer in the parade near the front and invites veterans not involved elsewhere to ride on it wearing identifying head gear if possible. It is preferred that you come as part of a group or have someone else drop you off there. Space for parking cars is very limited.

For more information visit waverlyheritagedays.com/parade.

It was supposed to be a surprise party. Did it succeed? Ask Nancy Edwards who was supposed to be surprised. Better yet read the following submitted by Neal Jarnagin, her co-worker who helped arrange it.

If we thought we knew Nancy Edwards, many of us didn't know her as well as we thought we did. Neal included the following in the invitation to her surprise retirement party. To give you a portrayal of her life the following is submitted with Neal's permission:

On the morning of Thursday, May 22, small flags were placed on the graves of all veterans in Harlington Cemetery. Eighth-graders from Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School were among those who helped and were recognized in the May 27th edition of the Bremer County Independent.

On Saturday, May 24, the Avenue of Flags was put up at Harlington Cemetery.

The Memorial Day parade was held Monday, May 26 at 10:00 AM, followed by a lunch at the Legion Hall north of the cemetery. That afternoon, the small flags were gathered and the Avenue of Flags was dismantled.

The WAVP extends its thanks to those who came out to help.