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Last Man’s Club holds final meeting

RINGING THE BELL — New Cumberland Veterans of Foreign Wars 3526 Auxiliary Guard Terry Van Gilder rang the bell for each member of the Last Man Club during Saturday’s final meeting. -- Stephanie Ujhelyi

NEW CUMBERLAND — For 64 years on a certain day in November, a group of area veterans would gather to commemorate their service in World War II and their lives back home.

The Last Man’s Club met for the final time Saturday at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3526.

Club President Don King of Toronto was unable to attend and carry out his final duties, so VFW Post Commander Bill Ross stood in for him. King, who is the lone surviving member and was unable to attend due to poor health, was to oversee ceremonies that concluded with a final toast from a magnum of fine French wine that had been kept in storage for the final meeting.

As each name was read, either a family member of the deceased or VFW Auxiliary Guard Terry Van Gilder struck a bell with a doorknob before Ross went on to open the bottle and toast all the members at the event’s conclusion along with their loved ones.

Those in attendance discussed the partially filled bottle, which had suffered some dissipation after the cork having broke years ago, exposing the contents to air. As the years passed, the members met annually for dinner, where they would read the list of members who had died and toast them.

Verdicts on the wine were mixed, ranging from “it tastes like whiskey” and “we do have a nurse in the house” to “that was not bad.”

The families of the founding members were encouraged to bring memorabilia and to share the stories of the World War II veterans of the Last Man’s Club.

Membership in the club included “Doc” Fisher, Don Tabor, Lester Perkins, Nate Clark, Joe Fuller, John Greathouse, Bob McCrea, Leonard Watson, John Kuzio, Joe Hoder, Don King, Pete May, Burns McNeil, Gilbert Staley, Jake Baxter, Johnny Powers, Alex Gordon, Bud Mitchell, Jim Greathouse, Gerald Wilson, Max Clark, Ike Hill, Bob Clark, Fred Staley, Peck Blake, Sherman Bradley, Pat Kessel, Vince Zukowski, Jim Carson, Blaine Channing, Frank “Socky” Zamorsky, Bud Virden, Carl Garner, Joe Grieff, Welty Vulgamore, Meb Beatty, Bill Watson, Jack Bryan, Ernest “Poody” Anderson, Chet Spilecki, Chuck Byrne, Bob Herron, Edmond Garlick, Glenn Montgomery, Marion Chaney, James Luke, Jay Carse, Frank Vogel, Donald Hamilton, John Paul Jones, Alex Gordon, Harry Tate, John McCreight, John Dawson, Bob Myers and Henry Hill.

In the press release for the event, Maureen Vulgamore wrote “All veterans should be cherished, honored and thanked for the service of their country, and this small community of New Cumberland will do just that by celebrating the Last Man’s Club.”

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