Braden River VFW dishes out thanks to East Manatee firefighters

Smoke was wafting from the back of the East Manatee Fire Rescue’s administration building off Lakewood Ranch Boulevard on Wednesday.

But there was no need to call for a fire engine. 

Dave Daily, commander of the Braden River VFW Post 12055, was grilling hamburgers and hotdogs on the screened-in porch. 

VFW post members were serving lunch to the firefighters and administrative staff as a way to say thank you. 

The post doesn’t have to carry any overhead because the fire district allows them to use its conference room free of charge. The post holds its monthly meetings in the administration building, keeps its trailer in the parking lot, and has a storage rack in the air conditioning closet.

“Their place is our place,” said East Manatee Fire Rescue Chief Lee Whitehurst. “It’s one less thing they have to worry about when raising money.” 

Without overhead, every dollar donated to the post is put back into the community, whether it be to aid a veteran or an up-and-coming service member. 

Helping fellow veterans is on a case-by-case basis. A veteran might need help buying a wheelchair or getting a ride to a doctor’s appointment. The post does whatever it can given the individual veteran's needs. 

But every year, the club awards four $1,000 scholarships to JROTC students — two from Braden River High School and two from Lakewood Ranch High School. 

The post has been giving away scholarships for nearly 20 years. The first Leo Perisian Memorial Scholarship was awarded in 2007. Perisan was a founding member of the post and a World War II veteran that served in the 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment. 

Although they’ve missed a few, the VFW members try to organize a luncheon at the fire station every year. 

In a roomful of firefighters and veterans swapping stories, lively conversation was served alongside the burgers. 

Retired Air Force Major Lee Waters had plenty of stories to tell from his days as a pilot carrying cargo that included presidential limousines and nuclear missiles, but he also had a story to tell from his old house in Country Creek.

About 10 years ago, he found a 4-foot diamondback rattlesnake eating a rabbit in his front yard.