Valerie Cassity - Special to the Sun

Last weekend, Sept. 28-30, over 100 people of all ages convened at the Hungry Gulch Campground in Wofford Heights for the Veterans of Foreign War (VFW), Post 7665, 10th District’s annual campout.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, with its Auxiliaries, includes 2.3 million members in approximately 8,400 Posts worldwide. Its mission is to "honor the dead by helping the living" through veterans' service, community service, national security and a strong national defense.

Past VFW Post 7665 Commander Dennis Boudreaux

According to their website, the VFW's voice had been instrumental in establishing the Veterans Administration, creating a GI bill for the 20th century, the development of the national cemetery system and the fight for compensation for Vietnam vets exposed to Agent Orange and for veterans diagnosed with Gulf War Syndrome. The VFW also has fought for improving VA medical centers services for women veterans.

The VFW 10th District spans 300 miles of Eastern Kern and Inyo Counties, and includes Lone Pine, Ridgecrest, Boron, California City, and other small towns. The campout is a way for the veterans to reconnect each year and reminisce while getting some quality family time. There was dancing to live music both nights of the campout, which didn’t die down until midnight, and plenty of family activities during the day, such as a kids fishing derby and a visit from Smokey Bear.

This year, the VFW District honored their former Commander, Dennis Boudreaux, by officially renaming the campout after him. Boudreaux, who passed away recently, began the annual 10th District campout 14 years ago.

Boudreaux moved to the Kern Valley in 1979, and remained here until he passed away earlier this year. He was the commander at the Lake Isabella VFW for five years, and in addition, Boudreaux held the District Commander position for one year, and held a State Officer post for another year.

A Vietnam veteran, Boudreaux was born and raised the Texas/Louisiana border, where he learned Cajun cooking from his family, something he enjoyed sharing with his friends at the VFW. Every year, Boudreaux would prepare the Cajun fish fry on the Friday night of the campout, a tradition his son-in-law, Bill Sheckells, continued this year. 'It’s an honor to his memory, using his special recipe so that everyone here can still enjoy his food,' said Sheckells.