The Veterans of Foreign Wars John A. Berri Post 6309 will celebrate its 75th anniversary and honor founding commander and World War II veteran Al Gagliardi on March 15.
Founded in Gilroy in 1946, the VFW Post 6309 is a patriotic veterans’ organization that fosters camaraderie among veterans of overseas conflicts. Its mission is to serve the veterans and the community and to advocate on behalf of all veterans.
“It’s an honor to serve our country and community,” said VFW Post 6309 Commander Al Alciati, who will be presented with the Diamond Anniversary Award Citation from the state VFW commander at a small ceremony on March 15. “It’s a testament to all of our veterans that through the VFW we have continued to serve for 75 years.”
One veteran who has served his country and community longer than most is Gagliardi, 97. He served in World War II and helped establish the local VFW post, now known as the John A. Berri Post 6309. Gagliardi served as the first commander and remains an active member today. Berri was the first Gilroyan to give his life in the defense of his country during WWII.
“It’s an honor to have Al Gagliardi still active in our post,” said Alciati, who will present him with a plaque from the Post and another from the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors for his service. “He has such a sense of history; he remembers everything. Plus, his sense of humor keeps us on our toes.”
To be eligible for the VFW, a veteran must have served in the Armed Forces of the United States on foreign soil or hostile seas, and be issued a campaign bar issued by the United State Congress.
Post 6309 provides financial assistance for homeless veterans, supports the Gavilan College Student Veterans Club, and hosts events to celebrate veterans, such as Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
With nearly 300 members locally, the VFW also serves the civilian community by providing toys and dinner for an annual children’s Christmas party, scholarships for local students, donations to local school programs, charities and more.
“Regardless of what branch of the military you served in, service becomes a way of life,” said Alciati of veterans. “So we’ve continued to serve our community, though in a quiet manner.”
The Veterans of Foreign Wars was formed in 1899 and chartered by Congress in 1936. It is dedicated to veterans’ service, legislative advocacy, and military and community service programs. Worldwide there are more than 2 million VFW members.
Life of service
Al Gagliardi, who grew up in the prune orchards in northern Gilroy, was a part of the infantry that landed on the island Kiska to retake it from Japan in August 1943.
He was later reassigned to the 147th Infantry as a 50-caliber machine gunner. The infantry was attached to the 5th Marine Division in Iwo Jima and later went to Okinawa.
“When people ask me what I did, I tell them I dug a lot of latrines, and I did a good job with them,” he says with a chuckle.
For his heroic efforts he was awarded the Bronze Star and “other medals for normal things,” he said.
Gagliardi returned to California in 1946 and became a charter member of both the American Legion Post 669 and VFW Post 6309. He served as commander of the VFW from 1946-47 and the American Legion from 1954-55.
Gagliardi joined the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department in late 1948 and retired in 1977. He started volunteering for the Gilroy Rural Fire Department in 1947 and worked as a volunteer for the Gilroy Fire Department from 1951 to 1971. He continued to serve his community as part of the city’s Wipeout Watch Graffiti Abatement program well into his retirement. He also served as the Memorial Day Parade Grand Marshal in 2010.
Al and his wife, Betty, will be married 74 years come December 2021. Together they had three girls, the youngest who died as a teenager of cancer.
