Congratulations to all that won! The Rehab Raffle Winners were picked at a live drawing at Department Headquarters on December 17, 2011. And the winners are …
Jemes McMillen, Pittsburgh PA — $200
Herman G Siever Jr., Pottstown PA — $200
George R Winkler, Gettysburg PA — $200
Fred D. Hormel, Oakdale PA — $200
David A Priebe, West Grove PA — $200
Willard W Phoenix, Souderton PA — $200
Wallace Frenchak, Butler PA — $200
Larry M Heinly, Albrightsville PA — $200
George Coan, Scranton PA — $200
Harry C Miller Jr., Summit Hill PA — $200
Raymond L Carl, Cleveland GA — $250
William N Gibboney, Tyrone PA – $250
Barry L Schleig, Coal Township PA — $250
Nancy L Stockley, Dillsburg PA – $250
George Novotny Jr., Perkiomenville PA — $500
Bruce V Gardner, Little Genesee NY — $1000
Raymond A Robinson, Butler PA — $2500
Walter W David, Frankenmuth MI — $10,000
Click Here for a printer friendly version of the winners and the winning tickets
JEFFERSON - As a young boy, retired Lt. Col. Richard Harris, a 1969 graduate of Jefferson-Morgan, watched the annual Veterans Day Parade in Jefferson each year with his mother. He remembered the impact the veterans in their crisp uniforms had on him as they stopped to perform the 21-gun salute.
“We were standing on the corner of the Gallatin Bank and Acklin’s Dairy Bar,” he said. “I collected a shell casing and kept it for many years. It left a lasting impression on me, these young men from the greatest generation of World War II and Korea.”
Harris grew up in a strong military family. He spoke of the uncle who didn’t weigh enough to be accepted so he ate ice cream, almost daily, to earn the right to serve.
Harris paid attention to the veterans in his community and the way that community responded to them.
While the response across the country was typically unwelcoming to returning Vietnam veterans, Harris said the climate in Greene County was just the opposite. In Clarksville, Jefferson, Mather, Waynesburg and all over the area, there was support for the veterans, he said.
It was perhaps even more so in Clarksville, where a young Army private, Brent McClellan, didn’t make it home from Vietnam in 1966.
“I didn’t know Brent McClellan personally, but I knew of him,” he said. “Years later, I saw his name etched on the Wall in Washington, D.C.”
Harris went on to name many of the prominent veterans from each of the wars since World War II.
He talked of his own service in Operation Dessert Storm and how much it meant to receive the care package sent from Jefferson Filer-Sadlek Post 954 of the American Legion.
Harris recognized Pfc. Richard Kowalewski Jr. of Crucible, who was among 18 Ranger and Delta Force members killed in action Oct. 3, 1993, in Mogadishu, Somalia; U.S. Army Spc. Gregory Cox, 21, of Carmichaels, who died in 2004; and Marine Lance Cpl. Steven Phillips of Spraggs, who died in 2006. Both Cox and Phillips were casualties of Humvee accidents in Iraq.
“Please, never forget our heroes, our warriors, our veterans,” he said. “I know you won’t. You are a community of patriotic, loyal citizens who have supported them time and time again. You are here today.”
Among the other speakers at the event was Post 954 Cmdr. Paul Medlick Sr., who presented an honorary life membership to the post chaplain, Thomas Keys, for his dedication to the organization.
Special recognition was also given to former post commander John E. Titus, 90, of Jefferson, who has been with the Legion for 67 years.
As is tradition at the annual Veterans Day remembrance in Jefferson, Post 954 conducted its Post Everlasting Service to recognize their members who passed away in the preceding year.
Those members were: World War II Army veteran PFC Wallace Meyers; World War II and Korean War veteran Army Technical Cpl. and Merchant Marine Mario “Mike” Santelle; World War II Army veteran T-4 Dale M. Hockenberry; World War II Navy veteran Spc. 2 Orlando “Chick” Virgili; and World War II Navy veteran Seaman 2nd Class John Topolosky.
Dear Supporter of the Pennsylvania American Legion Housing for Homeless Veterans
Did you know that one-third of the adult homeless population is veterans? Is this how we support the brave men and women who have served our country with honor and dedication? I believe this is a disgrace. We have an obligation to ensure they have the support necessary to live a productive life after their military service. About 1.5 million other veterans, meanwhile, are considered at risk of homelessness due to poverty, lack of support networks, and dismal living conditions in overcrowded or substandard housing.
Why are veterans homeless? In addition to the factors influencing all homelessness - extreme shortage of affordable housing, livable income and access to health care - a large number of displaced and at-risk veterans live with lingering effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance abuse, which are compounded by a lack of family and social support networks. A top priority for homeless veterans is secure, safe, clean housing that offers a supportive environment free of drugs and alcohol.
What seems to work best? The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans states that “The most effective programs for homeless and at-risk veterans are community-based, nonprofit, ‘veterans helping veterans’ groups. The programs that seem to work best feature: transitional housing with the camaraderie of living in structured, substance-free environments with fellow veterans who are succeeding at bettering themselves.” This is exactly what Housing for Homeless Veterans provides for the men and women who participate in our program.
What can I do? Support programs like The Pennsylvania American Legion Housing for Homeless Veteransprogram. We are a nonprofit ‘veterans helping veterans’ organization that partners with the VA’s program for homeless veterans. Our program is designed to enhance the quality of life for the veteran and their families by providing clean transitional housing; help them become productive taxpaying citizens again by securing a good, decent job. Our homes are located in Moon Township, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Ephrata, Pennsylvania. Our vision is to give homeless veterans a second chance at the American dream.
In order for the American Legion to finance this program, we are asking for your support. We will be sponsoring a dinner on January 14, 2012 at the Holiday Inn Pittsburgh Airport, Moon Township. There will be a cash bar beginning at 5:30 pm with dinner following at 7:00 pm. Dinner tickets are $25.00 per person and include a program book. Ads can be placed in the program book at the following prices:
Full Page - $70 (of which $50 can be used for a tax write off)
1/2 Page - $50 (of which $30 can be used for a tax write off)
1/4 Page - $40 (of which $21 can be used for a tax write off)
Please make checks for dinner tickets and ads payable to: PA American Legion Housing for Homeless. Mail to:
Ron Conley 709 Hope Street Pittsburgh, PA 15220The remodeling and upkeep of these homes is the responsibility of the American Legion Housing for Homeless Veterans, Inc. We need your support! Thank you in advance for your consideration and support.
Sincerely,
Ronald F. Conley, President
PA American Legion Housing for Homeless Veterans, Inc.
Just an idea - Take this letter to the company you work for and ask for a donation. Or, you could take the letter to companies that you patron asking them to support this cause.
Every November we naturally think of “Thanksgiving” and there is nothing wrong with that. After all Americans have much to be thankful for as we are a society derived from righteousness and Judeo Christian belief that all men are created equal. Therefore our nation is abundantly blessed with equality, justice, liberty and freedoms found in no other nation.
Let us pause for a moment and think about what I just said. How did we become a nation with such precious principles? With an abiding faith in God our nation was born as a result of the unselfish sacrifices of patriots both political and militarily. For the purpose of this column let us focus on the latter … militarily.
November 11th, Veteran’s Day, originally called Armistice Day, is the only American holiday established to remember a specific moment in time. In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month the world rejoiced following four years of bitter war, World War 1, with the signing of an armistice. The war to end all wars was over … so we thought. Since then the name has changed to include veterans of the wars and conflicts that would follow.
As we prepare to commemorate Veterans Day, we proudly and gratefully acknowledge the sacrifice and hardships demanded from and faithfully accepted by the millions of men and women who have defended our nation, and continue to do so, in times of peace as well as in times of war.
Veteran’s Day is a reminder that we do have an obligation to safeguard the precious legacy of our founding fathers, a legacy of freedom, justice and liberty. this legacy forever commits the nation to preserve our sovereignty , respect our heritage, and instill in us the responsibility of good and faithful citizenship.
Freedom is America’s heart and can only be retained by eternal vigilance. This has always been the price for freedom. Freedom is never free. As the great American patriot Thomas Paine said, “Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigue of supporting it. What we obtain too cheap,, we esteem to lightly.”
What we remember and honor on Veteran’s Day are the brave men and women who believe (believed) so much in an idea, and are (were) willing to risk death for it. That idea of course is and always will be “freedom”.
American Legion Post 301 remind you November is indeed a month of thanksgiving … so on Veteran’s Day let us be ever so thankful for those who assure our freedom shall continue to endure the test of time by simply saying, “Thank you” to our nation’s military veterans.
Worth remembering … 92 years ago shortly following the Milton L. Bishop American Legion Post 301, in the Department of Pennsylvania American Legion, receiving its official charter two local veterans, Max C. Floto made a motion on the floor of the local post ans was second by Thomas Scott to campaign to have November 11th, Armistice Day (as it was called) recognized as a national holiday.
The motion passed and was sent on to the Department and National levels of the American Legion where it likewise passed at the First National Convention of the American Legion. Thus began the long journey through the political system at the local, state and federal levels where it finally became law.
This effort earned Max C. Floto the title of “Father of Armistice Day” and it all began in Connellsville, PA.
Thankful for Veterans was written by Dennis McKendry Past Commander and 24th District Deputy Commander American Legion Post 301
SEOUL, Oct. 27, 2011 — While U.S. troops are concerned about how the country’s budget issues will affect them and their families, service members take their profession seriously, the nation’s top military officer said. Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joined Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Gen. James D. Thurman, commander of U.S. Forces Korea, for a press round table with reporters accompanying Panetta’s visit.
Asked about the preponderance of pay-and benefit-related questions service members have asked during town hall meetings with the secretary both here and in Japan, Dempsey said troops are naturally keeping an eye on the nation’s economic issues. “I think it puts them exactly in line with their fellow citizens around the United States,” the chairman said. “I think they’re very well-informed. They recognize the issues facing us as a nation economically, and wonder what it’s going to mean for them.”
The chairman said the secretary and he have been clear in telling the troops that changes to benefits such as retirement will be grandfathered and will not change for those now in uniform. “These young men and women who have signed up under a certain set of circumstances and commitments — we’ll meet those commitments,” Dempsey said. Troops’ financial concerns don’t detract from their professionalism, he added. “They also recognize they’re over here to make sure they are as well-prepared as they can be for whatever we might ask them to do,” Dempsey said. The chairman added when troops get the chance to speak with their senior leaders, they also ask “all the questions you’d want them to ask” — including what lessons have been learned from 10 years of war and how the force structure will change.
On his way here, Dempsey stopped at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska to meet with troops. The first question they asked, he said, were on benefits. “But if you stick around long enough, the questions get around to what it means to be a Soldier, a Sailor, an Airman, a Marine,” he said. Thurman said based on what he sees here daily, troops’ concerns about budget cuts don’t seem to be affecting morale. “We’ve got a threat to the north. We have a well-defined mission. And I don’t detect anything that degrades any morale and our willingness and readiness to fight,” he said. Thurman added he couldn’t be more proud of the combat-seasoned force he commands. “I think, as General Dempsey said, they’re very smart, intelligent, and they’re asking some of the key questions that they see [from] the news,” he said. Both generals will join the secretary today in the 43rd Security Consultative Meeting here, an annual gathering of U.S. and South Korean senior military leaders. The meeting will conclude the secretary’s week-long visit to Asia, during which he has engaged with military leaders from Indonesia, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Japan and South Korea.
Karen Parrish, American Forces Press Service 2011-10-28
Watch this amazing PSA on honoring veterans. Veterans Day is coming soon 11/11/11
The Legion’s Amanda Leigh (right) chats with job seekers Mara Boggs and her sister Lee Ann Haley. Photo by Craig Roberts
“Because it’s only fair,” said the government recruiter. “They have served their country so they deserve a job when they get home.”
It wasn’t the usual answer to the query “Why should an employer hire a veteran?”. It was the forceful response of one human resources professional at an American Legion-supported women veterans job fair in Arlington, Va., on Oct. 26. More typical, and equally valid, was the answer offered by a recruiter from a regional bank whose manager, a female veteran herself, had briefed him well. “Veterans are hard workers, well organized, and are team players,” he said. “We want veterans because they’re the best candidates we can find.”
The unemployment rate among young women veterans is nearly 15 percent, says the Bureau of Labor Statistics; the rate for male veterans is that is several percentage points lower.
The bank was among nearly two dozen employers, including several federal agencies, interviewing more than 60 job seekers at the Female Veteran Internship and Career Fair. The event was hosted by two D.C. area-based non-profit advocacy and networking organizations. One, The WAVE (Women as Veteran Entrepreneurs), provides information and training for self-employed women veterans wishing to do business with the federal government. The other, Final Salute Inc., supports homeless women vets.
WAVE co-founder Harvetta Spann pronounced the first-of-its-kind fair a “great success” with “every slot filled.” Spann, a member of American Legion Post 1 in Washington, is on the Legion’s Small Business Task Force. She also conducts small business workshops for women veterans. Equally enthusiastic was WAVE supporter and retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier Gen. Wilma Vaught. One of the most decorated women in military history, Vaught deemed the job fair “very successful” and expressed delight that “they got so many employers here.” She is board president of the Women In Military Service For America Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.
Among the job seekers present were former Army Blackhawk combat helicopter pilot Lee Ann Hayley and her sister, Mara Boggs. An Army major, Boggs will soon return to civilian life from her position as military liaison to the U.S. Senate. Meanwhile, Hayley, already a civilian again, is marketing herself as a “leadership and management professional.” She was recently laid off from a defense consulting firm, but was upbeat as she talked about the employment opportunities presented at the women’s career fair.
The American Legion was a key presence at the fair, represented by the D.C. office’s human resources generalist Diane Price, assistant director for Health Policy Denise Williams and assistant director for Women Veterans Outreach Amanda Leigh, as well as Economic Division Director Joe Sharpe. The Legion also hosted an information booth the previous day at a D.C. career fair, attended by nearly 70 veteran-friendly employers.
The Sgt Paul A Sweeney Memorial Post 807 in Hamlin held its annual golf tournament at the Honesdale Golf Club last month. Players from Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike and Wayne counties turned out for an enjoyable and rewarding day on the links, blessed with great golf weather.
The tournament was followed by a banquet in the clubhouse, with awards and gifts of cash, merchandise, and services being presented along with dessert. The Honesdale National Bank was a Platinum sponsor through their significant donation.
Tom Sheridan, the tournament chairman, stated in an interview that he was very pleased with the day, including the enthusiasm of the players who said they were looking forward to participating again next year. Sheridan thanked all the players and sponsors for a magnificent tournament and successful fund-raising event. He said the funds raised will be used to support the American Legion’s many causes and programs.
Pictured: Legionnaire Jim English and Honesdale National Bank branch manager Lisa Dowse drawing winning raffle tickets.
Last year only eleven percent (11%) of posts in Pennsylvania reported their Community Service activities. The Community Service committee does not understand the reason for every post not reporting their community service activities. Every post does something for their community. Therefore, every post should be sending in a report. Our goal this year is to raise the percentage of post reporting to fifty percent (50%).
the community service report form is very easy to use. the first page asks for the important projects your post did, for the community, in the past year. They can be anything from a major undertaking, like a memorial, to helping with a community celebration, to donating money to help with a community celebration or project.
To make it easier to report your activities, there are five categories listed:
- Community Clean Up
- Community Charity Fund Raisers
- Community Service Donations
- Community Volunteer Services
- Active Duty and Veterans Support
Just fill in the blanks. Every post does something in one or more of these categories.
This year the committee wants to know how many things you do in your community that are published. Each year we donate thousands of dollars and volunteer thousands of hours of service to our communities. but yet when people drive past our post homes they think of us as just another bar. It’s our fault. It is our fault because we fail to tell the public of all the good things we do. If we are to change this image of just another bar, we have to tell the public of the good things we do. It is our belief that when we start telling people the good things we do, it will change not only the image of just another bar, but will help the younger veterans see what a great organization we have. And this will help with membership.
As an incentive there are awards given at the convention,. Each year one post from each membership category, is selected to receive a plaque as the best post in Pennsylvania. Wouldn’t a plaque showing how good your post is look good hanging on the wall of your post home? But, you can not receive an award if you don’t send in a report.
REMEMBER: COMMUNITY SERVICE IS ANYTHING THAT BENEFITS YOUR COMMUNITY!!!
By: William H. Bowers Chairman Community Service Committee PA American Legion
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Oct. 26, 2011) — The remains of 10 Army Air Force members, missing in action since World War II, were finally laid to rest today in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. The airmen were carrying out a bombing mission over Berlin on April 29, 1944 in their B-24J Liberator aircraft when it crashed near the town of East Meitze, Germany. German documents captured after the war stated there were no survivors in the crash which occurred north of the city of Hanover, about halfway between Berlin and the North Sea. German forces buried the remains of three of the airmen in a cemetery near Hanover, Germany, shortly after the crash.
In 1946, the Army Graves Registration Service exhumed the remains of the three and identified one as 2nd Lt. Thomas Digman Jr. of Pittsburgh and another as Sgt. James T. Blong of Port Washington, Wis. The third set of remains could not be identified then, but all three were reburied in a U.S. military cemetery in Condroz, Belgium. In 2003, a German national located the site of the crash and recovered human remains, which were turned over to U.S. officials.
In 2005, a Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, or JPAC team excavated the crash site and gathered additional human remains, military equipment, and metal identification tags for four of the airmen. The team also recovered a class ring with the initials AWL — presumably belonging to 2nd Lt. Arthur W. Luce, one of the pilots, from Fort Bragg, Calif. One of the ID tags found was for the other pilot, 2nd Lt. Robert R. Bishop of Joliet, Ill.
In 2007, a JPAC team completed the site excavation and found additional evidence that helped to confirm the identity of the crew. Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory used dental analysis and mitochondrial DNA — which matched that of some of the crewmembers’ families — in the identification of their remains.
Along with Bishop, Luce, Digman and Blong, the airmen buried in Arlington National Cemetery included: — Sgt. John P. Bonnassiolle of Oakland, Calif. — Sgt. Michael A. Chiodo of Cleveland — Sgt. John J. Harringer Jr. of South Bend, Ind. — 2nd Lt. Donald W. Hess of Sioux City, Iowa — Staff Sgt. Joseph J. Karaso, of Philadelphia — Staff Sgt. Ralph L. McDonald of East Point, Ga. They were buried as a group, in a single casket representing the entire crew, in Arlington National Cemetery, Va. Hess and Karaso will also be interred individually in Arlington National Cemetery.
At the end of the World War II, the U.S. government was unable to recover and identify approximately 79,000 Americans. Today, more than 73,000 remain unaccounted-for from the conflict.