Incoming Commander Jason Grove for VFW Post 7665
Photo and Story by Catherine Stachowiak
In Honor of National Military Appreciation Month the Kern Valley Sun interviewed the new commander of the Kern Valley Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 7665, in Lake Isabella. Incoming Commander Jason Grove officially takes office, on June 18.
Grove grew up in the Kern Valley. Grove has been cooking breakfasts, as a volunteer in the VFW kitchen, along side Everett Evans, for several months of Honor Flight Breakfasts.
Grove served 11 years active duty and served as an Army Infantryman. He said, “I actually started out training horses for the Army. I was a member of the Old Guard out in Fort Myer Virginia. So my job was to conduct full honor funerals at Arlington National Cemetery. I’ve got 678 funerals at Arlington in five years. I buried (former Mayor of Palm Springs and Congressman) Sonny Bono,” he said.
Grove conducted the last rides in funeral processions. Grove rode in the inaugural parade in 1998. “We were also an escort to the President,” he said.
He also worked fighting fires for the US Forest Service for 9 years.
The VFW is working in concert with Gary Zuber, founder of Kern Valley Honor Flight Breakfasts, to get more resources to the valley for Veterans, with VA representatives coming to the VFW bringing answers to local veterans and hearing about veterans’ needs in the valley
Grove said, “We are now open seven days a week, and we have the kitchen open and
serving food as well. We have Memorial Day activities coming up at the end of the month, May 27th.”
