by Rachel Hunter
The 79th Silas Wainwright VFW Post 6338 Anniversary Dinner & Dance will be held on Saturday, March 8 at the VFW Hall, 100 W. Main Street, Gouverneur. The event includes: cocktail hour (5 p.m.), pot roast dinner (6 p.m.), awards ceremony (7 p.m.), and dance featuring The Common Revolution (8 p.m. to midnight). Tickets are now available for purchase, $15 each, at the VFW Post 6338 during regular hours of operation.
The event will honor Veteran of the Year George Griffith of Gouverneur, and Auxilian of the Year Jeff Platt of Gouverneur. The announcement was recently made by Silas Wainwright VFW Post 6338 Commander Roland Roderick.
Veteran of the Year
George Griffith of Gouverneur has been selected as Veteran of the Year. Griffith graduated from Gouverneur High school, and enlisted into U.S. Navy in 1968. He went to Vietnam on a destroyer, the USS Agerholm. “We did plane guard, and went up the Mouth of the Mekong. We shot five-inch rounds. We shot a lot there. We would shoot all day, and unload ammo all night at sea.” Griffith served for three years, ten months and then returned to his beloved hometown of Gouverneur, NY. He was employed at Seaker Chevrolet in Gouverneur, iron works in Virginia and Gouverneur, Harrisville Manufacturing, and enjoyed a 30-year career at the Natural Dam paper mill.
Griffith joined VFW Post 6338 in 1968. Griffith told the Gouverneur Tribune Press that his father paid his membership while he was overseas. “I have been a member ever since,” he said. “I was always worried about not getting the membership paid. But then I won the life membership here a few years ago.” Griffith is now retired, and enjoys volunteering at the VFW Post 6338. “I just came here to help,” he said. Griffith serves as an assistant to Quartermaster William Randall, and helps the VFW Post 6338 with bookwork, writing checks, and counting the gambling tickets. As of press time this week, the hunt for the Queen of Hearts is still on. The jackpot is now over $55,000. The next drawing is Friday night, 6 p.m., at 100 W. Main St., Gouverneur.
Griffith encourages all North Country residents to apply for membership at the Silas Wainwright VFW Post 6338 in Gouverneur. For more information, call 315-287-4682 or stop by 100 W. Main St., Gouverneur during regular hours of operation.
George Griffith married Nancy Faye Marcellus on August 1, 1969, at the Gouverneur VFW Post rooms. The couple enjoyed nearly four decades of marriage, before Nancy passed away in 2008. The couple raised three children, Laura Schneller of DePeyster, Bryan Griffith of Gouverneur, Sarah Griffith of Gouverneur, and have grandchildren. Griffith is now in a relationship with Barbara Laidlaw of Gouverneur.
While he believes himself to be “no hero,” Griffith looks forward to celebrating the 79th Anniversary of the Silas Wainwright VFW Post 6338 with family and friends.
Auxilian of the Year
Jeff Platt of Gouverneur, a retired U.S. Air Force veteran, will be presented the Auxilian of the Year honor.
Platt worked as a telecommunications specialist and scientific laboratory technician. He went to basic training on December 10, 1973. He separated on December 31, 1993, and entered retired status on January 1, 1994. He retired after 20 years of military service. His first assignment took him to Okinawa, Japan. He was stationed at Fort George G. Meade in Maryland, cross-trained at McClellan Air Force Base in California, and Patrick Air Force Base in Florida. He received a National Defense Ribbon with a Battle Star for being a Vietnam-era veteran who served during Operation Desert Storm. He also has a commendation medal, and many awards.
“I was never in theatre of operations, so I am not eligible for the VFW,” Platt said, explaining that he belongs to the VFW Auxiliary at Post 6338, James Maloy American Legion Post 65, Heuvelton AmVets Post 1997, and the Air Force Sergeants Association.
Jeff Platt told the Gouverneur Tribune Press that he joined the Silas Wainwright VFW Post 6338 Auxiliary on October 16, 2015 under his eldest brother, Charles “Clifford” Platt, a life member of the VFW Post 6338, who was stationed at Korea. Platt has served the local post as conductor (2017), president (2018-2024), and senior vice president (2025), and a two-year trustee. At the district level, he has taken on the roles of senior vice president, president, treasurer, three-year trustee. At the state level, he is currently serving as Department of New York Assistant Chief of Staff for District 9. Platt also serves as the Scholarship Chairman and Youth Chairman for the VFW Post 6338 Auxiliary. He also takes great pride in the VFW Auxiliary’s support for veterans and families throughout the North Country region.
Jeff Platt has two children who live in Florida, four granddaughters, and a grandson. He is looking forward to the 79th VFW Post 6338 Anniversary Dinner and Dance on March 8, and celebrating with friends and family.
Mr. Platt encourages all youths to participate in the Illustrating America (Kindergarten to Grade 8) and Patriotic Art (Grades 9-12) contests. The deadline is March 31, 2025. For more information, call 315-287-4682 or visit vfwauxiliary.org. All submissions must be made through the Silas Wainwright VFW Post 6338 Auxiliary.
Anticipation is high for the 79th Silas Wainwright VFW Post 6338 Anniversary Dinner & Dance on Saturday, March 8. Purchase tickets now to ensure your seat. Stop by the VFW Hall at 100 W. Main St., Gouverneur for more information. The public is invited and encouraged to attend. Doors will open at 8 p.m. for those who would just like to see the free show from local band, The Common Revolution. For more information, call 315-287-4682.