VFW Post 3272 Names 2017 Outstanding Veteran

From VFW Post 3272: The Gildo T. Consolini VFW Post 3272, Avon, Connecticut awarded the annual Milton “Mike” Anstey Outstanding Veteran Award for 2016 to Past Post Commander Grant Hagedorn at their monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 26th.

The Outstanding Veteran Award is presented annually to a veteran in Post 3272 who best demonstrates the outstanding leadership, commitment and service to the Post. It is named in honor of veteran Mike Anstey who served as Post Quartermaster for 19 years.

Hagedorn joined the Avon VFW Post nine years ago and rose through the ranks to the positions of Senior Vice Commander prior to being elected as Post Commander for 2012 to 2014. He is currently serving as a 3-year Trustee of the Post. He has been active with the Post’s annual Buddy Poppy Drive, writes and publishes the Post’s monthly newsletter, participates in the VFW visit to lay wreaths at Avon’s cemeteries the morning of Memorial Day, helped organize a special recognition banquet for WWII veterans in 2012 and was an organizer for subsequent banquets at Farmington Woods. Grant always has some new technology to share with the Post which has moved them further in social media outlets. He was the Keynote Speaker in 2013 on Veterans Day on the Town Green and named All-State Commander that same year. He also served on a committee that worked with State Senator Kevin Witkos on having the bridge over the Farmington River on Route 44 named in honor of Gildo T. Consolini, who served in WWII and was the first Avon native to die in battle. The Avon VFW Post is named in his honor.

“Grant’s work on behalf of all Veterans, and especially those of the Avon Post, has been outstanding. This was an award that was truly deserved and I would like to personally thank Grant for all the hard work he has done,” stated Jim Hutton, Commander Avon VFW Post 3272, at the award ceremony.

Grant Hagedorn served on active duty in the United States Navy from June 1979 to May 2000. He is a retired Chief Petty Officer (Submarines) holding the retired rank of Chief Fire Control Technician, FTC(SS), USN Retired. While on active duty he served aboard the USS George Washington Carver SSBN 656, a ballistic missile submarine and the attack submarines USS Minneapolis-St Paul SSN 708 and USS Memphis SSN 691. His military decorations include the Qualified Submarines Silver Dolphin Breast Insignia, SSBN Deterrent Patrol Pin (3 Patrols), Navy Achievement Medal (4 awards), Meritorious Unit Commendations (3 Awards), Good Conduct Medal (5 Awards), Navy Expert Pistol, National Defense Service Medal and the Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. Ashore he served at the Naval Submarine School in Groton, CT. Grant spent nine years in the Navy Reserves. His wife, Lori, serves on the Post’s Auxiliary and his son, Grant Hagedorn, Jr. served one tour of duty in Iraq in 2010.

Image Courtesy of VFW Post 3272