Veterans of Foreign Wars Adopts USS Cole

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By Lt. j.g. Kelley Anderson, SURFLANT Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The national chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars officially adopted USS Cole (DDG 67) in a ceremony onboard the ship July 18.

Edward Banas, Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief of the VFW National, represented the organization at the adoption ceremony.

"I don't believe we can ever repay our military men and women for their service," said Banas. "As a National representative of the VFW, to you, the crew of USS Cole, I say, 'we love you, we support you, and as you complete your missions, we intend to honor you as part of this century's first American Military Heroes.'"

As part of adopt-a-unit program, in which the VFW forges a relationship with military units around the country by encouraging local VFW chapters to adopt these units, the organization offered to adopt Cole.

Cdmr. Kevin Sweeney, Cole's commanding officer, accepted the offer and invited VFW representatives on the ship for a ceremony.

Rear Adm. Jay Foley, Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, also attended the ceremony.

"The VFW has been a voice for veterans for more than a century," said Foley. "It is the nation's oldest major veteran's organization. Through direct community involvement and programs to raise money, the VFW supports veterans and their families."

The mission of the VFW is "to honor the dead by helping the living." It has several foundations, such as the Buddy Poppy program, in which veterans sell the red buddy poppies as a symbol of remembrance, and the VFW foundation, in order to raise money.

The VFW Foundation relies on public donations to support programs that promote citizenship, education, and volunteerism, and facilitate aid for veterans and their families in need of medical, rehabilitative, educational and employment services.

For more information on the VFW, go to www.vfw.org. For more news from USS Cole (DDG 67), go to www.cole.navy.mil. For more Navy news, updated around the clock, visit the Navy NewsStand at www.news.navy.mil.