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Our post is named in honor of Lance Corporal Thomas Rivers.
Lance Corporal Thomas Rivers
Lance Cpl. Thomas Edward Rivers Jr. was born March 19, 1988. He joined the Marine Corps on June 11, 2007 and became an infantryman. On Nov. 9, 2007, Rivers reported for duty with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines.
While serving with 1st Platoon, Alpha Company, Rivers deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from July 2008 to February 2009.
In 2010, he deployed again to Helmand province, Afghanistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Rivers, a Hoover, Ala. native, passed away, April 28, while 1st squad was performing a mission to prevent the enemy from firing at Patrol Base Sofla.
Rivers set up security in a compound just north of Sofla after covering watch for a fellow Marine moments before. When he took over watch, he triggered an anti-personnel improvised explosive devise.
His squad quickly held security and cared for Rivers, and Lance Cpl. Matthew Proctor, a team leader with 1st Squad, 1st Platoon, Alpha Company, 1st Bn., 2nd Marines, RCT-2, made his way to Rivers and began talking to him.
Just so happens, two nights earlier, Rivers read Proctor his life verse from Psalms 91. Proctor took it upon himself to recite it to Rivers as they talked before Rivers succumbed to his wounds.
"Rivers was a religious man. He could often be found reading and praying Psalms 91," said Capt. Jeremy Wilkinson, a 34-year-old from Cambridge, Ohio, and the company commander for A Company, 1st Bn., 2nd Marines, RCT-2. "The loss of Lance Cpl. Rivers is tragic, but his efforts will impact generations through lives saved and the good he did."
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A Brief History of the VFW
The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), formally the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, is an organization of United States war veterans who fought in wars, campaigns, and expeditions on foreign land, waters, or airspace as military service members. Established on September 29, 1899, in Columbus, Ohio, the VFW is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. It was federally chartered in 1936.
Eligibility to become a member of the VFW
VFW membership eligibility consists of three criteria:
Citizenship – must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. national.
Honorable Service – must have served in the Armed Forces of the United States and either received a discharge of Honorable or General (Under Honorable Conditions) or be currently serving.
Service in a war, campaign, or expedition on foreign soil or in hostile waters. This can be proven by any of the following: – an authorized campaign medal (see other side for a list of qualifying medals and badges) – receipt of Hostile Fire Pay or Imminent Danger Pay (verified by a military pay statement) – service in Korea for 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days
Recognized Campaign Medal. Am I Eligible?
This information is usually available through a veteran’s DD-214. If other information is needed or if a veteran’s DD-214 is not complete, they can contact the National Personnel Records Center at 314-801-0800 or online at http://www.archives.gov/veterans/evetrecs/ to request more information.
• China Service Medal
• American Defense Service Medal
• European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
• American Campaign Medal
• Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
• Army of Occupation Medal
• Navy Occupation Service Medal
• Korean Service Medal
• Navy Expeditionary Medal
• Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal
• Vietnam Service Medal
• Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
• Southwest Asia Service Medal
• Kosovo Campaign Medal
• Combat Infantryman Badge
• Combat Medical Badge
• Combat Action Ribbon
• Combat Action Medal1
• Combat Action Badge
• SSBN Deterrent Patrol Insignia
• Korea Defense Service Medal
• Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
• Afghanistan Campaign Medal
• Iraq Campaign Medal
• Inherent Resolve Campaign Medal
• Air and Space Expeditionary Service Ribbon WITH GOLD BORDER2
• Purple Heart
• Korea Duty (Service in Korea for 30 consecutive or 60 non-consecutive days)
• Hostile Fire Pay or Imminent Danger Pay
1 also known as the Air Force Combat Action Medal 2 also known as the Air Force Expeditionary Service Ribbon with Gold Border
Presidential Connection
The eight U.S. presidents who were members of the VFW: Theodore Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford and George H. W. Bush.
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