On a windy afternoon, more than 100 people gathered at Arnold VFW Post 2593 as the organization raised the American flag on a pole that it lost one year ago to the day.
Post 2593 held a flag dedication ceremony March 14 to celebrate its new 50-foot pole, which replaced the one that was destroyed when a tornado ripped through Arnold.
“It means the world to the VFW Post to have the support of the community,” Post Commander Greg King said. “We had a devastating loss, and this makes up for it, seeing the community rally around the VFW. You couldn’t ask for a better city, fire department, police department, city council and mayor. I think everyone is doing a great job.
“There was not a dry eye in the house, and the wind was just right.”
King said the flag was dedicated to all of Post 2593’s members, and to Vernon Wilke, a 101-year-old World War II Army veteran who fought at the Battle of the Bulge.
“I’m proud,” Wilke said. “I’m taken back to my Army days.”
Grant Wilke, Vernon’s son and a member of the VFW Auxiliary group, said it was a great honor for his father to have the pole dedicated to him. King said Post 2593 gave Vernon a plaque that said the pole was dedicated to him.
“The post here means a lot to him,” Grant said. “All of its members are amazing people. They think he is amazing too, and that is why they did what they did. He is the oldest Post member. He is part of the Greatest Generation, and there are not many of them left. It is an honor for my dad, and the Post sees it as an honor that he is active, too.”
The ceremony also served as a thank you to the first responders for their service during the tornado, King said.
Arnold Police Sgt. Vince Koenig, who is a Marine veteran, told the crowd about what first responders did the night of March 14, 2025, when an EF-2 tornado touched down near Clayton Huskey Road and traveled north along Old Lemay Ferry Road before going through Arnold and into south St. Louis County.
Koenig told the crowd how officers responded to a crash on I-55 north of Richardson Road that killed a 51-year-old St. Charles woman during the storm before the tornado came through the city.
He also said officers were at the Fox Chase Apartments, where the roof came off and the outside stairwell collapsed at one of the buildings, to help residents. He said one officer who was patrolling the city said his vehicle was moved about 30 feet by the wind during the storm.
Koenig said it was nice that Post 2593 thanked first responders and invited them to be part of the ceremony.
“I was happy to be here,” he said. “I am a veteran myself. I love the VFW. It means a lot to me personally.”
King also recognized Post 2593 member Derik Liebenstein for what he did after the tornado ripped the VFW’s flagpole from the ground and sent it across Church Street into the Holy Family Catholic Parish’s cemetery.
He said Liebenstein ran across the street while it was still raining and retrieved the flag without hesitation.
“All I could think of is the red, white and blue and how that is the symbol for all military and first responders,” Liebenstein said. “I believe it was my calling to go get that and get it back into the building.”
Liebenstein said the flag was still in one piece when he picked it up, but it was in tatters. He said he was happy to see a new flag raised on a new pole, which was installed in January. King said the new pole cost $10,000.
“This is fantastic,” Liebenstein said. “This is something that we live by. The red, white and blue is something that we can all gather around with a common theme and mission to support one and other. Without that, it is kind of like we are lost.”
The ceremony, which lasted about seven minutes, featured 12 people raising the flag as taps played. After the flag reached the top of the pole, the Pledge of Allegiance was said and then the national anthem was played to a mix of veterans and active military personnel saluting and others putting their hand over their heart.
Along with King and Koenig, Arnold Mayor Bill Moritz; Chris Gooch, Scout master for Troop 557; and Quincy Myrick, VFW state commander, spoke during the ceremony with the trio sharing what they remembered about the night of the tornado, the importance of the flagpole being back or just thanking the VFW for inviting them and offering their services for any future events or projects.
“It is such an honor to be part of the ceremony and to see the community be so involved in the VFW and envelope the VFW in their arms,” Myrick of House Springs said. “It is wonderful when the community appreciates the veterans of foreign wars.
“It is devastating when something like that happens. Your heart breaks. There is nothing to us veterans that is more sacred than our flag. To lose the way we display that to our communities and members, it is just heartbreaking. When we are able to recover and do an event like today, it is heartwarming. It kind of renews our faith and reverence we have for our flag.”
VFW Auxiliary President Terry McAfee said having the American flag raised on the 50-foot pole again make the Post feel like it is whole again.
“When you first see the flag as a veteran, it makes you think about others,” he said. “You think about the ones who came before you, the ones who will come after you and the ones who are currently serving. It is a symbol of our country and what we fight for and stand for.
“It is what gives us all hope and respect for our past and future.”
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