Welcome to Lee-Pearson Post 1786, Veterans of Foreign Wars!

As I embark on my second year as the Post Commander, I wanted to reflect on our accomplishments over the past year. It was a great and very productive year due to all of the outstanding support of our post members and the community! We achieved an unprecedented 117% in membership that put us at 6th in the nation for our division; a feat that has never been accomplished at Post 1786. We assisted hundreds of veterans in all stages of life with VA Claims, survivor benefits, car repairs, food security, transportation to medical appointments, cleaning up storm damage, visiting retirement homes, awarding scholarships, funeral honors support, and many other things. Our 4th Annual VFW Golf Scramble made over $11,000 which is the most we've ever made with our fundraisers. We have also begun the process to buy land to build a VFW on and it is a very exciting undertaking!!!

I want to express my gratitude to all of you for being a member of the VFW Post 1786, for your service in the armed forces, and continuing to serve afterward. I sincerely encourage you to recruit someone to join our post and if you are not a life member yet, please seriously consider upgrading.  

The most common misconception about the VFW is that we are focused on alcohol. We are quickly overcoming that old stigma. We are a service-oriented organization that is focused on the betterment of the community and ARE NOT a bar, we are a Veterans Service Organization. So please come join us!

Other than serving and supporting veterans in Manhattan, my top priority is to finish the land purchase that was started in the spring of 2026 and pursue construction as soon as we are financially able. This new Post Home will be a location that we can gather as veterans, host events, and also a place that the community can utilize for different events. We are not looking to have a bar/canteen at this time in order to keep costs down and to be fully welcoming to all veterans. Many are in recovery and I don't want them to feel like they can't come to the VFW.

Our post has earned the All-American distinction for the three years in a row, and I am committed to achieving this honor for a fourth year. This goal will require the effort of all of us, as well as your support for the various initiatives our post undertakes.

Thank you for your membership, and I invite you to join the other members of our post at any of our functions as we work together to advance our organization and the lives of veterans in the Manhattan area.

 Best regards,

Clay Rose

Post Commander, 2025-2027