The Wenatchee Valley VFW Post 3617 provides many direct veteran services, honor and color guards, ongoing education and support to area schools, scholarships and community awards, as well as support of our Active Duty Adopted Unit.
The Post also participates in numerous annual events, including Veterans Day Parades and school assemblies, the Wenatchee Apple Blossom Parade, Memorial Day Ceremonies and Buddy Poppy distributions, as well as Wreaths Across America.
Our weekly Bingo has been discontinued, but we conduct other fundraisers throughout the year as needed. We recently completed the development of a new Veterans Memorial built in front of the Douglas County Law & Justice Center on 19th Street, which was dedicated around Memorial Day 2020.
We also offer comradeship and a sense of belonging to any and all veterans within the North Central Washington community, through casual meetings, public gatherings, support projects, or volunteer service.
POST HISTORY
VFW Post 3617 was first chartered in 1983 and evolved from an older Post in Waterville, Washington, that traced its roots back to the early part of the last century, with veterans of the First World War. Seeing the need for representation of veterans who lived in the western parts of Douglas County, the Post was chartered on January 1st, 1983, in East Wenatchee with 18 founding members.
In those early days, the members met at the East Wenatchee Grange Hall on Sunset Highway. In 1990, with the Post membership growing to 100, it was decided to look for a place to call our own. Fundraising efforts started, and some members even mortgaged their own homes to establish a line of credit to buy a property that we could call ours. One of the primary leaders spearheading this immense project was then-Post Commander Dean M. Baughman.
The East Wenatchee Garden Club building, and associated property, located at Baker Avenue and 11th Street NE was purchased in 1991. Soon after, renovations began to convert the facility for use by our Post. New electrical, bathroom facilities, and an upgraded kitchen project were part of the many changes necessary to make the facility serviceable to our needs. A major addition of 1000 square feet to extend the north side of the primary structure was added, and included a much-needed general office area.
In June 2014, VFW Wenatchee River Post 10445 consolidated into our post and the post was renamed Dean Baughman River Post 3617. Post 10445 was originally founded in 1922, and under the VFW National Bylaws, our combined Post adopts the oldest founding date, so our Post founding date is now 1922.
Our post now serves all the Wenatchee River Valley from Leavenworth to Cashmere, to Wenatchee, south to Malaga, as well as serving north to Entiat on the Chelan County Side of the River and to Bridgeport, Mansfield, Waterville, Orondo, East Wenatchee, and Rock Island on the Douglas County side of the River.
On September 16th, 2015, the Post made a name change to more accurately reflect the area we serve by voting to change our name to Wenatchee Valley VFW Post 3617. We also adopted a gender-neutral standing for our Post & Auxiliary which is now the Wenatchee Valley VFW Post 3617 Auxiliary.
