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Ronny Knight, commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2005 in Marblehead, met national VFW commander-in-chief Carol Whitmore during her visit to Salem VFW Post 1524 on March 20.
Whitmore asked Knight about his post’s community service programs and efforts to welcome the public and engage non-veterans, Knight said. He described the post’s philosophy of treating VFW members as caretakers of a post that belongs to the broader community, a concept he said Whitmore responded to favorably.
Knight said he outlined the post’s Marblehead Militia Membership program, which seeks to grow non-veteran membership. Whitmore was encouraging of the initiative and urged the post to continue expanding it, he said.
The Marblehead post hosts events with local bands to raise awareness and funding for veteran and non-veteran causes, Knight said.
He described efforts tied to Company 2 Heroes, which provides PTSD service dogs for veterans, and the New England Center and Home for Veterans, which works to end veteran homelessness. Knight said he serves on the Company 2 Heroes board of directors.
Other events Knight cited include an annual Army vs. Navy game that supports Toys for Tots and Company 2 Heroes, Wreaths Across America, the Todd Norman Scholarship Fund, a Girl Scouts cookie sales event, a St. Patrick’s Day event and a save the Glover farmhouse event. He also mentioned the Lilly Jean Fund, which he described as supporting families of a fishing crew lost at sea from Gloucester, Massachusetts.
When Whitmore praised Knight’s individual efforts, he redirected the credit.
“No-No,” Knight said. “I have a Great Group of ‘Tom Brady’s’ some Veteran but mostly Non-Veteran that go above and beyond the call, and make it happen every day.”
Whitmore told Knight that in her travels she has seen posts with strong community support but also posts that have closed because of a lack of interest, Knight said. She encouraged continued engagement with veterans of the Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom eras.
Knight said he shared Marblehead’s history, which he described as the birthplace of the American Navy and Marine Corps aviation, and discussed Gen. John Glover, whose home and final resting place he said are in town.
Whitmore said the town’s background made it a fitting home for a VFW post and promised to visit Marblehead on a future trip, according to Knight.
Knight presented Whitmore with a Marblehead VFW challenge coin featuring the “Spirit of 76.”
Members of Glover’s Regiment also attended the event. Larry Sands led a gun salute for Whitmore, and Knight said she enjoyed learning about Glover’s history. Knight asked that Sands be contacted for the names of the other regiment members present and for additional quotes.
A biography sheet included with the materials identified Whitmore as having served in the U.S. Army from 1977 to 2013, including service in Iraq. She was elected commander-in-chief on Aug. 13, 2025, at the 126th VFW National Convention in Columbus, Ohio, and is described as the first woman and first Iowan elected to the position.
