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The 844th Engineer Battalion left their home of Knoxville, Tenn., to the sounds of cheering, heartfelt goodbyes of an appreciative community. They headed to Fort McCoy, Wis., for training. Once there, the 844th would officially become part of the 926th Engineer Brigade in a “Changing of the Patch” ceremony.
Even though they couldn’t accompany them all the way to Wisconsin, the VFW Department of Tennessee wanted to make sure that the same wave of support followed them across the country.
The 844th Engineers is the adopted unit of the VFW Department of Tennessee. While the Department wanted to send its own members to the ceremony, the distance between Tennessee and Wisconsin posed a real challenge.
That’s when Tom DeHoog, VFW National Military Services Chairman, Tennessee, got an idea.
“I reached out to our National Military Services Chairman in Wisconsin, Dave Behrend, to see if VFW members from his state could attend the ceremony,” explained DeHoog.
Behrend referred DeHoog to VFW Post 1382, Tomah, Wis., whose members were more than happy to help.
On April 19, in snowy conditions, members of Post 1382 proudly represented VFW as the 844th joined the 926th Engineer Brigade.
“It meant a lot to have VFW here, especially when you consider what went into their participation,” noted Maj. Lawrence McKiernan. “We’ve built a really strong bond with VFW. We’re so grateful for all the support and assistance.”
“Our presence showed that VFW can reach across this country to do whatever it takes to support our troops,” concluded Behrend. | 
