VFW Post 2005 will host a community Army-Navy Game event on Dec. 13, featuring an outdoor tailgate, food, raffles, and live music as part of an expanded celebration aimed at welcoming residents into the post.
The tailgate begins at 1 p.m., and the game will be shown at 3 p.m. on a 90-inch outdoor screen under a tent, as well as on both floors inside. Organizers say the goal is to create a game-day atmosphere while opening the VFW’s doors to community members who may not have visited before.
“We are a community-based VFW,” Commander Ronny Knight said. “Too many VFWs are closing because they won’t change their footprint. We want everybody to feel welcome.”
This year’s program includes strong community involvement. Resident Claudette Mason, whose company, Piper Sandler, is donating the post-game Chinese buffet, said she is rooting for Army because of her family’s service.
“My relatives were Army and Airborne,” Mason said. “So I have to go with Army.”
Mason said the game has become a major shared tradition across all branches. “For Veterans, it’s like the Super Bowl,” she said. “It brings camaraderie and a fun atmosphere for everyone.”
Adding to the local voices is James Full, a Veteran who served in both the Army and the Navy.
“Having served in both branches, either way my team wins,” Full said. “But I spent a lot more time in the Navy, so probably the Navy.”
He said the rivalry is rooted in good-natured tradition. “It’s a good time to rib each other,” he said. “It’s good for the community too, so they can come out and see how everybody gets along.”
For Thomas Mathers, a West Point graduate and former Army football player, the game represents the height of American college sports.
“I think it’s the penultimate college football experience,” Mathers said. “I equate it to the Super Bowl of college sports. There’s nothing like it. It’s completely unique and defining.”
Mathers played in four Army–Navy games, winning three. “It’s one of those events that really connotes what’s best about the U.S.,” he said.
“When you go there, you feel incredibly patriotic.”
He added one message he insisted was worth printing: “Go Army, beat Navy.”
Mathers also described one of the game’s most enduring traditions, known as “singing second.”
“At the end of the game, both teams go to their student sections to sing the alma mater,” he said. “The team that loses sings first, and the winning team sings second. It’s a moment of respect, and you can always tell who won.”
The Marblehead event will feature footlong hot dogs and sausages with peppers and onions from an outdoor grill trailer, with all proceeds supporting Company 2 Heroes, a nonprofit providing PTSD service dogs to Veterans. After the game, the Chinese buffet will open inside, also benefiting the organization through donations.
Raffle drawings will take place throughout the game, including at each quarter and halftime. Attendees can purchase themed T-shirts and “terrible towels,” and members of Glover’s Regiment plan to fire muskets at kickoff.
Tim Kenney served in the Navy for 6 years, following three uncles, his grandfather, and father.
He said it is a “fun way to celebrate the oldest rivalry in the books.”
Kenney added, “We have a ton of respect for each other, but it is good to have this type of rivalry and camaraderie during this big game.”
Michael Hull, a Navy Veteran who served for 6 years, said this game is a “good way to get people together.”
He added, “Ronny has done a great job at really promoting the post. This is a good rivalry and a time to have some fun.”
Josh Bradstreet, who served in the Marines, said he is obviously voting for the Navy to win but is definitely looking forward to spending time at the VFW to watch the game unfold.
Army Veteran Kate Van Auken of Company 2 Heroes said the rivalry stands apart from other college matchups.
“It’s touted as America’s game,” Van Auken said. “These kids are going to go serve their country when they graduate. They may be rivals on the field, but in the military they’re partners.”
Van Auken said her loyalty lies with Army after 28 years of service, but the spirit of the day extends beyond wins and losses. “They’re all winners because they’re all heroes,” she said.
Knight said the Council on Aging will help bring local Veterans to the event, where they will be recognized. He hopes the celebration introduces new residents to the post and reinforces the organization’s role in the community.
“This is an event the whole town can embrace,” Knight said. “Where else are you going to watch a game like this but at your local VFW?”
Live music by a local band will begin at 8 p.m. and continue until 11 p.m.
“You can watch a football game at home,” Van Auken said, “but we’re going to have a lot of great things going on. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”