Servicemembers give back to veterans, families during holidays [Video]

JACKSONVILLE, Ark. — Membership in the Veterans of Foreign Wars is specific. It welcomes servicemembers who saw combat overseas, but during the holidays at Post 4548 in Jacksonville, the doors open so wide that it feels like everyone is a member.

“This is how we give back to our veterans and the families of our deceased veterans, and [how] we also support the community,” said Post Commander Marc Calcaterra, describing the annual plan to distribute meal boxes for Christmas.

“The baskets are the general food items needed for Christmas dinner: turkey, ham, potatoes, carrots, everything to make a Christmas dinner,” he said before noting, “Everything except the cooking.”

Some of the members could handle that job too if …