Welcome to GROVER KING VFW POST 1115 AN "ALL-AMERICAN POST" 1999-2000-2001 701 WEST STUART DRIVE in HILLSVILLE, VIRGINIA Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1952, Hillsville VA 24343 (276) 728-2911 e-mail us: vfw1115@ls.net WHAT IS THE VFW? fax us: (276) 728-0049 MEMBERSHIP AND ELIGIBILITY COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES CALENDAR OF EVENTS OUR OFFICERS OUR LADIES AUXILIARY GUN SHOW & FLEA MARKET LINKS TO OTHER VFW AND VETERAN SITES FLAG ETIQUETTE ABOUT US Grover King VFW Post 1115 of Hillsville is one of nearly 200 VFW
Posts in the State of Virginia and one of 11 Posts in the 5th District, which
encompasses a large part of Southwest Virginia. It all began for us on May 15, 1935, when 27 veterans of World War One, one from the Spanish-American War and one local leader became Charter Members of the state's 37th Post of the VFW. They decided the Post should bear the name of Carroll County's first serviceman killed during the First World War, Grover C. King, who died on the battlefield in France July 15, 1918, three days short of his 28th birthday. At first, the Post held its meetings in the courthouse. Construction began in June 1954 on the organization's first building. The first meeting in that new facility was held January 17, 1955, and it was dedicated in July, 1956. By 1961, costs of the building were paid in full and the Post held a special note-burning ceremony. In 1966, the VFW purchased land adjacent to the Post Home, primarily to provide additional parking space. A disaster struck on January 15, 1968, when an explosion in the Post Home destroyed much of the facility. The VFW then decided to construct a new, larger building to accommodate all of its growing needs, and the result of this planning is today one of the premier facilities in Hillsville and Carroll County - the VFW Post Home on West Stuart Drive, also known as "The Carroll County Activity Center." In 1967, this building and the extensive grounds around it became the site of what is today the largest Gun Show & Flea Market east of the Mississippi River. This event on Labor Day weekend has helped to put Hillsville on the national map. VFW Post 1115 finished the 1999-2000 year as officially the largest in the state for membership with 1,465 members, indicating that the organization was stronger than ever at the start of the new millennium. During the year 2000-2001, members of Post 1115 were proud to have one of their own as the VFW State Commander. Ray Chappell, who served in the United States Navy from 1954 to 1974 and who served three consecutive terms in the early 1990s as Post Commander, was the first member in the 65-year history of Post 1115 to serve in the highest elected office in the Department of Virginia. He served in Korea and five tours in Vietnam. That year also, for the second straight year, VFW Post 1115 was named an "All-American Post." To keep the membership informed of its activities and programs provided by the VFW, Post 1115 has an award-winning newsletter, "The Blue Ridge Bugle", which has been judged the #1 VFW publication in the state 8 of the last 20 years to win the Clair B. Poff Trophy each time for that distinction. Veterans Day 2005 at VFW Post 1115 HOW TO FIND US The VFW Post 1115 complex consists of the main Post building,
including lobby/dining area, large kitchen, spacious gymnatorium with bleacher
seating and stage, meeting room and offices; Veterans' Monument; large paved
parking lot; main outdoor picnic shelter; and massive outdoor grounds with
several other kitchens and other permanent facilities used for the Labor Day Gun
Show & Flea Market. We are in Hillsville, Carroll County, just a few miles north of the Virginia and North Carolina line. If you are coming from the north or south, take exit 14 off Interstate-77 and we are 1.9 mile east of the interchange. By way of Route 52 from north or south, or by way of Route 58 from east or west, we are exactly half a mile west of the Routes 52/58 intersection - the main intersection in the Town of Hillsville. The VFW complex is on the south side of Route 58 (West Stuart Drive). Please enter through the side gate near the Veterans Monument. Please be sure to visit our host: 61 Caprine Lane - Independence, Virginia 115 1/2 West Grayson Street - Galax, Virginia 1-888-258-5110 or (276) 773-3419 or (276) 238-8430 |
