The Formation of
the Darien Post 6933
Veterans of Foreign Wars
A History
by George Mason, Post Historian
Foreword
The guns have stopped shooting.
World War II is over.
The Navy's ships have returned to their home ports with their sailors.
The hospital ships and troop transports have been bringing home the surviving soldiers, Marines, and airmen.
The service men and -women are being reunited with their families and loved ones, and once again they are civilians.
They are happy that their military life is behind them, and that they are the lucky ones to come back and get on with the challenges of civilian life.
Their military service life is behind them, but by no means is it forgotten. Each person has his memories; some good, and some not so good. Some went away from home as young boys, but grew up in a hurry and returned as men.
Those servicemen who returned wanted to do something so that their deeds would not be forgotten, and at the same time to do something for the community.
In the early part of 1946 some of Darien's veterans got together to talk about it. The result was the birth of Darien Post 6933 VFW. The following are some of the happenings.
The earliest meetings to form a new Post were in January, 1946. The meetings were held in the Hillcrest Restaurant, owned by Charter Members Benny Bruno and Angelo Galati. The restaurant was located on Hecker Avenue between the Noroton Heights Fire Department building and the Noroton Diner.
Not too many years later, the Hillcrest, then under new ownership and called the Sportsman, and the N.H.F.D. both were torn down to make way for the new Connecticut Turnpike (now I-95). That entire portion of Hecker Avenue was also relocated.
Subsequent organizational meetings were held in the Noroton Heights Firehouse in order to accomodate larger numbers of veterans attending. On March 25, 1946, temporary Post Officers were elected. In attendance were approximately 50 veterans. Principal speaker at the meeting was John Nicholson of Stratford, Commander of the Department of Connecticut VFW. Other speakers were Deputy Chief of Staff John Ryan of New Canaan, Department Junior Vice Commander James McGrath, also of New Canaan, and District Commander Aaron Dawson of Bridgeport.
On April 8, 1946, the following roster of permanent officers was elected:
| Commander | Harold J. Leavy |
| Sr. Vice Commander | Joseph Papp |
| Jr. Vice Commander | Benjamin Bruno |
| Quartermaster | Eugene Journalist |
| Trustee, 3-Year | James A. Abbott |
| Trustee, 2-Year | Harrison E. Fawcett |
| Trustee, 1-Year | Gordon W. Lindner |
Appointed officers:
| Adjutant | Harry F. Carlson |
| Officer of the Day | Angelo Galati |
| Quartermaster Sergeant | Steven A. Carter |
| Sergeant Major-Adjutant | William F. Coe |
| Guard | Harry W. Thorncroft |
| Color Bearer | Domenico Granata |
| Color Bearer | John T. Ofiero |
| Legislative Officer | Harrison E. Fawcett |
| Chaplain | Salvatore Mazzeo, Sr. |
| Historian | Hollis P. Cook |
Installation ceremonies were held May 13, 1946, at the Noroton Heights Fire Department. department Adjutant Dibble obligated the Officers. (Post 6933 was the 26th new VFW Post chartered in Connecticut since September, 1945.) The membership rolls for Charter members were then ordered to be kept open for 90 days.
The July 22, 1946 meeting was held at the home of James A. Abbott on West Avenue, Noroton Heights.
In the latter half of 1946, space was obtained at the former US Naval School. Meetings were held in the former library.
Most of the furnishings (chairs, couches, kitchen utensils, piano and pool table) came from the former USO Headquqarters, which was located in the former deMaine car dealership (where August Brothers' Getty Station now stands) at the corner of Noroton and West Avenues. It is estimated that about 70,000 sailors (counting repeats) used the USO facilities during its five-year existence.
There were two veterans from the First World War among the Charter Members: Hollis P. Cook and Salvatore Mazzeo, Sr. Harold J. Leavy served in the Second Nicaraguan Campaign of 1926-27. The remainder were World War II veterans, but several were also veterans of Nicaraguan Service. (Later, two veterans of the Spanish-American War, Ernest Groat and Benjamin Albrecht, would become members of Post 6933.)
In November 1946, the Post received its colors, donated by the Mitchell Dairy Company, with whom Commander Leavy was associated.
On November 7, 1946, the Ladies Auxiliary held its first election of officers. Installation of this roster took place Sunday afternoon, January 12, 1947 at the Veterans' Clubhouse on Noroton Avenue:
| President | Virginia Leavy |
| Senior Vice President | Mildred Zwart |
| Junior Vice President | Constance Abbott |
| Secretary | Julia Lasko McCaffrey |
| Treasurer | Evelyn Kerrigan |
| Musician/Trustee | Ada Coe |
| Conductress | Ruth Lutterman |
| Chaplain | Helen Howe |
| Guard | Jean Zwart |
| Patriotic Instructor/Trustee | Mary McClelland |
| Historian/Trustee | Gladys Stevens |
Finding a Post Home
In April 1949, installation of officers was held at the Halfway House (currently Giovanni's II) on the Post Road on the Stamford/Darien Town Line.
The 1950 installation of officers was held at the Twin Terrace Restaurant (most recently a Scot/Sunoco gas station) on the corner of Hecker Avenue and the Post Road.
In March of 1950, the former chapel at the Fitch Home for Soldiers was purchased from the State of Connecticut for a nominal amount. William Pratt was involved in the negotiations with General Rex DelaCourt, who represented the State. Legal counsel was given by Philip Morehouse and Eugene Venn. The building had to be moved from its current location, and a site was found across the street, on the west side of Noroton Avenue on a site measuring 100 feet by 170 feet, purchased from the Wilson Estate. The contract for building the foundation for the building was awarded to the Sutton Building Company of Norwalk. The Reverend Lawrence McCall Horton of the Noroton Presbyterian Church desanctified the chapel.
The building was then moved across Noroton Avenue in May of 1950, by E.L. Monroe Company of Norwalk.
Thomas Kerrigan recalls that a Town Hall official had declared that the chain link fence surrounding the Fitch Estate could not be taken down in order to move the former chapel. Somehow, during the night before the move was to take place, that critical portion of the fence disappeared, thus allowing the move to continue.