By DANNIE OLIVEAUX
Armithea “Sissy” Borel, national president for the Veteran of Foreign Wars Ladies Auxiliary, made a visit to Kitsap County recently.
Borel arrived in Port Orchard on March 23 to visit residents in the Washington Veterans Home at Retsil. While there, she enjoyed an ice cream social with veterans and staff. Later in the day she toured VFW Post 2669 in Port Orchard and the Veterans Memorial Wall.
On March 24, she made a trip to Lakewood and toured the Lake Golf Course. Borel returned to Bremerton to visit the Evergreen Park 911 memorial and dinner at VFW Post 239 with several elected officials.
Borel, 62, was born in the tiny town of Starks — a small town of 300 in the southwestern portion of Louisiana. She was one of five children that attended school in the town and graduated in 1969.
“My family was very close to each other and am very glad to say we still are,” she said.
Borel became involved in the VFW Ladies Auxiliary in 1993, after her father — a military veteran — died. Her mother invited her to join Post 4759 in Starks.
“I felt that I needed to give something back to society after having such a wonderful father for so many years and for my brother Shelton Ashworth’s life being spared from a mine explosion while he served our country in Vietnam in 1970,” said Borel.
It was long after becoming a Ladies Auxiliary member that Borel started asking questions about the programs sponsored by the VFW.
“I started asking questions about the programs our organization had and what we as members can do for our veterans, their families and our communities,” Borel said.
While at the post, Borel was elected as an officer in the Ladies Auxiliary and served as president on several occasions. She has also served as guard, conductress, chaplain, junior and senior vice president of District 5, along with attending state conferences and conventions.
“I asked more questions and was soon asked to run for the department offices also,” Borel said.
She served as the state president in 2004 to 2005.
“I would have stayed another term,” said Borel. “It didn’t feel like I was able to accomplish all I wanted to during just one year.”
In 2013, Borel was elected as the organization’s national president.
Borel said she is humbled to represent approximately 500,000 women who serve veterans daily as members.
“These ladies — the grass roots of the organization — are the most amazing and giving people I have ever met,” said Borel. “I know and appreciate the fact that it’s the work that each person does together and not just the work of one that makes our organization the success it is today. I am very lucky to have many of the past national presidents as mentors as I serve.”
Since becoming the national president, Borel has visited 48 states and will visit the remaining two in the near future. During her visits, she has met with the state presidents.
“The state presidents that I have to work with are fantastic and very hard working ladies,” said Borel. “We have two states that have achieved 100 percent in membership with all the others vowing to not stop until they reach that goal also.”
Borel said most of the Auxiliary’s membership is comprised of mostly World War II, Korean, Vietnam and Desert Storm female relatives.
“We are working hard to recruit the family members of the Iraq and Afghanistan, and all ladies who have family who have served on foreign soil or here in the ‘War on Terrorism,’ she said.
She said the largest hurdle is that most women don’t know that they are eligible to become members of the Ladies Auxiliary.
“We must get the word out to all ladies,” Borel said.
Borel said her personal feeling is that if a woman has a family member who gives her the eligibility to join the Auxiliary, that woman should want to honor that person’s service by serving other veterans and their families and continuing to be a voice or advocate for their benefits and entitlements.
“What greater purpose can anyone have?” she asked.
Borel said as she finished her term as national president, she looked back on goals she set for herself.
“My main goal was to meet the membership and thank as many as I could personally,” said Borel. “I also wanted to cut costs in any way possible and give back to the Ladies Auxiliaries who desperately need funds to work our programs and provide aide to our veterans.”
She said the organization needs to implement the complete use of technology and work smarter and more efficiently than they are doing now.
Borel headed a “Celebrating America’s Freedom Event,” where the incoming president chooses a different area of the United States where freedom was fought and won, and the women go there to host a patriotic program.
During her term, Borel said the organization has continued its involvement in standing up for veterans’ benefits and entitlements by writing, calling and visiting government officials; sending care packages, letters and much needed items to soldiers overseas and at their home bases; hosting deployment and welcome home parties; provided needed items to veteran hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities; raising money for scholarships for students; and providing Americanism programs in schools.
She said the group also worked hard to raise funds for cancer research.
Despite all the travel and work, her memorable moments are visiting the veterans.
“Having the opportunity to thank them, talk with them, hold their hand or even hug them was an absolute joy for me,” said Borel. “I have enjoyed many ‘war stories’ and will always remember the spark in their eyes as they shared their stories. I can’t forget the fact that at each visit there was time to socialize with the membership and that was always very special to me. I hope each veteran that I have met knows how much I appreciate them for the great service they provided for our country and the freedom they give each of us.”
Borel had the privilege of visiting Taiwan and exchanged ideas with the Minister of Veterans Affairs. While serving as the national vice president, she visited an VFW Ladies Auxiliary in Germany and was honored to dedicate a monument to the American soldiers in Schweinfurt.
Borel and her husband, Tony, who have been married for almost 40 years, have five children, 15 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.