For the love and defense of their country.

They are the motivating factors that led so many to volunteer to serve in the U.S. military, be it Army, Navy, Marines or Air Force.

Locally, the VFW Harper Erdman Post 1548 in Libby and the American Legion & Auxiliary Austin Reedy Post 97 are teaming up in an effort to better support area veterans, their families and recognize their sacrifices.

“We’re all here for the same reason, to honor and support our vets and their families,” said Kari Boardman. “I’m proud to partner with the VFW, we’re all about the same mission.”

Boardman is a relatively new member of American Legion Auxiliary, brought in by 30-year member Patty Burlingame. Boardman quickly bought in to the mission of the Legion Auxiliary and its work. In the spring of 2025, Burlingame, Boardman and Cathy Neff, Auxiliary volunteers, were attempting to locate deeded grave sites purchased by the American Legion in 1941. The search turned into a project to identify military veterans who are interred in the Libby City Cemetery.

Boardman said she wants the public to let the Legion Auxiliary know if deceased veterans don’t have a flag on their headstone, as the search only identified military designate headstones. Boardman said one of the reasons the Legion is happy to partner with the VFW is it is responsible for placing VA headstones. It’s another method to ensure no veteran is missed.

Jerry Richardson, the acting Commander of American Legion Post 97, served his country from 2008 to 2016 in Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the U.S. Army. He’s very appreciative of the Auxiliary’s work.

“They’ve done a wonderful job and they’re amazing,” Richardson said. “They’ve put in a lot of work, research and time to honor those who have served.”

Gordie Hull, a member of the VFW Post 1548, served in the Gulf War in Saudi Arabia. He was a munitions builder and retired as a Master Sgt. after 21 years. He moved to the area five years ago and has been active in handling flag duties for the VFW. 

“I went to a Memorial Day event and I wanted to see who was responsible for the placement of flags in the cemetery after seeing some World War II vets’ burial sites without flags, so that’s how I got involved,” Hull said.

Libby Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Charles Berget posted information to current and former Army National Guard personnel. The effort for this project really encompasses military members past and present, who take care of their own.

Burlingame and Cathy Neff are two Auxiliary members who had many family members in the armed forces. For them, their involvement is much more than preparing for Memorial and Veterans days.

“Through newspaper and obituary research, that gave us names of so many vets of the Civil War, Spanish American and Indian Wars who settled in Troy and Libby,” Burlingame said. "Many war vets are responsible for the early settling of Libby and Troy. 

Burlingame said their research and work to preserve the history of veterans included reading obituaries in newspapers. 

“That’s where you got the real stories,” she said. “These folks sacrificed and died for us and they were proud to serve their country,” she said.

“They really built these communities and were involved in many service organizations for many years - they never really gave up the idea of service,” Boardman said. 

Hull echoed that sentiment, “We have a saying at the VFW, that we still serve, even after we hang up our uniforms and boots.”

The ties of family and military also are strong among the groups. Neff and her husband Gary both served in the Navy while Burlingame’s dad was in World War II, her brothers were in the Air Force and Navy in the Vietnam War and her husband served in the Army. Both Burlingame and Boardman have had family members serving since the American Revolution.

Boardman’s husband, Mark, retired after 32 years in the Army with a deployment to Iraq in 2005.

Neff said part of her service as Chaplain for both the Legion Post and Auxiliary, is sending sympathy cards to family members of veterans who have passed. 

“I’m on Schnackenberg’s email list so I can keep track of them,” Neff said. "It is another safety net to capture the names of veterans to be added to the database to ensure they receive a flag."

Their other mission is to let area veterans know they are welcome at both posts, regardless of which war they fought in or branch of service. 

“There are many ways vets can be active and involved,” Boardman said. “It helps bring back that sense of purpose and the focus on service and missions takes focus off any problems they may be having. There is a camaraderie in these organizations that is so valuable to well being.”

National figures show that 22 veterans die by suicide every day. In Montana, it has one of the highest rates of veteran suicide at 40 per every 100,000 vets.

“You can’t come back to the civilian world without the support of others who served, loved ones and communities. The transition to civilian life is often lonely and difficult, so one of the hopes of our work is to fill that gap,” Boardman said. Hull and Boardman both want to focus on recruiting and retaining members of both organizations.

“Before it was called the National Guard, citizen soldiers fought for our freedoms, two years before we were even the United States,” she said. 

Boardman says she's trying to pay back a debt that can't ever be paid off. 

“Our work is to honor and support these veterans and their families, while they are with us and after they are gone,” Boardman said. “Some say these warriors die twice, once physically and a second time, the last time their name is spoken, and I can’t let that happen.”

Libby Unit 97 American Legion Ladies Auxiliary's Kari Boardman, left and Libby City Deputy Clerk/Treasurer Evelyn Burk look at some of the city's burial site charts of the cemetery. They were part of a group effort to identify U.S. veterans who are buried in the cemetery. (Scott Shindledecker/The Western News)