Sgt. Charles A Fricke VFW Post 805
223 West First Street, O'Fallon, IL 62269 618-624-6575 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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2021-2022 Post Officers:
Commander: John Pietrusinski
Senior Vice: Karen Ridge
Junior Vice: Kipp Reed
Quartermaster: Jim Stover
Chaplain: Ron Gilreath
Judge Advocate: Sandy Doucette
Surgeon: Steven Taylor
1st Year Trustee: Mike Weller
2nd Year Trustee: Chad Christopherson
3rd Year Trustee: Roger Witek
Adjutant: Michael Bouquet
Service Officer: Sandy Doucette
COME JOIN US FOR OUR 100th Anniversary Celebration July 24th events start at 12.
History of the Post:
The history of VFW Post 805 began on 25 July 1921 when twenty-five (25) original charter members of the United States of America Veterans of Foreign Wars mustered as a local VFW organization under the name Erwin L. Dann VFW Post 805 in Waterloo, Illinois. That date was nearly fifteen (15) years prior to the initial chartering of the National VFW organization by the 74th Congress of the United States on 28 May 1936. Sergeant Erwin L. Dann, the initial namesake of Post 805, was born on 16 March 1896, and as a resident of Waterloo, IL, enlisted in the 1st Missouri National Guard on 19 June 1916 during World War I. In May 1918, he deployed overseas and participated in the initial American Expeditionary Force (AEF) battles of St. Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in France, which is still the largest military offensive maneuver in US history involving 1.2 million American service members. Sergeant Dann was killed on the very first day of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive on 26 September 1918 at the age of twenty-two (22) years old. Having assembled with SGT Erwin L. Dann as their namesake on 25 July 1921, VFW Post 805 then sponsored the repatriation and interment ceremony of SGT Erwin L. Dann’s remains three and a half years after his death on 5 March 1922 at the Waterloo Illinois City Cemetery. So began 100 years of exemplary VFW Post 805 service to foster camaraderie among United States Veterans of overseas conflicts; to serve fellow Veterans and their families; and to serve our military and our communities. Several years later on 8 June 1927, VFW Post 805 moved to East St Louis and consolidated with VFW Post 1299 from Belleville, Illinois, which initially mustered on 18 December 1924, and VFW Post 1300 from East St Louis, which initially mustered on 25 February 1925. The consolidated organization carried forth with the name Erwin L. Dann VFW Post 805 from East St Louis based on VFW organizational tenure.
Parallel to the ongoing service of VFW Post 805 in East St Louis, and after returning home from World War II, eligible Veterans mustered separately in East St Louis, Illinois on 15 October 1946 to form SGT. Charles A. Fricke VFW Post 8475. The namesake of VFW Post 8475 was selected as part of an effort to honor one of eighteen (18) fellow employees of the Alcoa Aluminum Ore Factory in East St. Louis that had perished during World War II. Given the significant list of nominated honorees from the Alcoa Aluminum Ore Factory that were killed during World War II, and given all were truly worthy, Veterans from VFW Post 8475 blindly drew the name of United States Army Sergeant Charles A. “Chub” Fricke as their original namesake. Sergeant Fricke was born in 1924 in East St Louis, Illinois. Upon entering the U.S. Army, he deployed to Italy where he engaged in several World War II combat operations. Sergeant Fricke was wounded twice prior to his final engagement during the intense Battle of Anzio as part of the Italian Campaign during World War II. During that battle, Sergeant Fricke was mortally wounded by a mortar shell on 13 May 1944, just weeks prior to Germany’s capitulation and the American breakout to retake Rome, Italy on 4 June 1944. He ultimately succumbed to his injuries four days later on 17 May 1944 at the age of twenty (20) years old. He now rests in Mount Carmel Cemetery in Belleville, Illinois. After calling East St Louis home for thirty-five (35) years, SGT. Charles A. Fricke VFW Post 8475 experienced a catastrophic fire at their home facility on Pershing Boulevard, East St Louis, Illinois in September 1981. They then purchased their new home at 223 West First Street in O’Fallon, Illinois on 26 December 1981. Notably, that same building had recently been the home of Walter Alexander VFW Post 3468 for twenty-nine (29) years. Walter Alexander Post 3468 initially mustered in O’Fallon, IL on 26 June 1946 and purchased the facility at 223 West First Street in O’Fallon, Illinois on 15 February 1950. After surrendering that facility in 1979, and after struggling to coexist in O’Fallon, Illinois with SGT Charles A. Fricke VFW Post 8475 for two years, the dwindling membership of Walter Alexander VFW Post 3468 disbanded on 23 February 1983, whereupon many of the remaining members transferred to SGT Charles A. Fricke VFW Post 8475 in O’Fallon, IL. On 29 April 1987, and after having sold their home facility on Bunkum Road in East St Louis, Illinois, SGT Erwin L. Dann VFW Post 805 consolidated with SGT Charles A. Fricke VFW Post 8475 in O’Fallon, Illinois. The consolidated organization carried forth under the name SGT. Charles A. Fricke VFW Post 805 of O’Fallon, Illinois. This new name continued to honor and memorialize the heroic sacrifices of SGT Charles A. Fricke while maintaining the VFW Post 805 numerical designation based on VFW organizational tenure. Moreover, VFW Post 5165, which initially assembled on 4 April 1975 in Swansea, Illinois, later consolidated into SGT Charles A. Fricke VFW Post 805 in O’Fallon, Illinois on 19 March 2007. Once again, the consolidated organization maintained the SGT Charles A. Fricke name and Post 805 designation due to organizational tenure. That organizational name and designation continues to this day.
Our Accomplishments:
Our post is one of the most active and successful posts in the state. We recently we awarded the title of All State for 2015-2016, 2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2020-2021. We have been awarded the coveted title of “All American Post” for 2009-2010, 2010-2011, 2011-2012, 2013-2014, 2017-2018 and 2020-2021). All American status is meant to recognize outstanding units and is based on participation in VFW Programs as well as membership gains by Posts, Districts and Departments. We also were awarded the national Outstanding Community Service Award in 2018 and 2021. This award is only given to less than 1% of the posts in the country. If you are a veteran and meet the required qualifications, we need you on our great team. Please click the link or stop on by and talk to us!
https://www.vfw.org/oms/NewMember.aspx