The First Lady has requested that military children from around the globe create holiday cards supporting their parent and send them to The White House to be displayed with the holiday decorations no later than Nov. 16.
The White House is honoring American heroes this holiday season and would like to include the personal contributions in their finishing touches on the White House decorations.
“We are asking kids like you, from military installations around the world, to create a holiday card that represents your parent who is serving our nation,” said First Lady Michelle Obama in a personal letter to military children. “I encourage you to use your imagination, and include words, pictures, and drawings to create a holiday card that honors your brave mom or dad.”
Military children should submit 5″ by 8″ handmade holiday cards with words of appreciation for their military parents, as well as pictures and drawings. The child should be sure to include their mother or father’s name, branch of service and command in the card.
Participants are asked to send holiday cards to the following address, along with information from where they are sending it: Reservation 1, Attn: Social Office, P.O. Box 8070, Washington, DC, 20032.
“Thank you for helping with this fun project, and most of all for your family’s courageous service to our nation,” added Obama. “I look forward to seeing the results of your creativity!”
The United States Postal Service and Military Postal Service Agency have released deadlines to ensure packages arrive to Military and State Department post offices overseas by Dec. 25, 2011.
Deadlines to ensure arrival by Dec. 25 are:
Nov. 12 for parcel post mail
Nov. 26 for space-available mail
Dec. 3 for parcel airlift mail
Dec. 10 for priority mail and first-class mail, letters and cards
Dec. 17 for express mail military service
The Military Postal Service Agency highly encourages customers to mail packages on or before the dates for the specific mail category in order to avoid unplanned transportation delays. Not all Military or State Department post offices are eligible for Express Mail Military Service therefore, customers should plan accordingly. “Express Mail Military Service is not available for holiday packages and mail going to Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Faye Slater, the deputy director of the Military Postal Service Agency.
The Military Postal Service provides mail service around the world to Department of Defense and most Department of State locations. Mail is moved on commercial and military aircraft and commercial sealift vessels to nearly 2,000 military post offices located in over 85 countries.
Let me start by wishing everyone a Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a great Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, I would like to thank everyone that traveled with us on the Department Christmas Tour and a special thanks to our Department Hospital Entertainment Chairman Ed Connell for making sure everything went smoothly.
By the time you read this article, I will be into my sixth month as you Department Commander and it’s been a very busy six months. I have been blessed to have met so many great people during my travels and I am looking forward to meeting many more during my next six months. I attended both Legion Collages East and West and would like to thank both committees for doing an outstanding job. Both colleges were well attended and very successful.
Well it’s the start of a New Year with some of our programs beginning, such as our Oratorical and Essay Contests. I hope all our districts have been out in the schools pushing these and our other programs.
I commend the section commanders and the district commanders that have made their last target date of 75%. We still have a long way to go and a short time to get there. Let’s all get out there and beat the streets by going to their homes and asking them why they haven’t renewed their membership. Phone calls can be made as well asking them the same.
I hope that all the districts and posts have been pushing my project, the National Emergency Fund (NEF).
We also have a new governor coming in and a lot of new faces in the house and the senate. Hopefully we can get some of our veteran’s legislative issues passed. I had the privilege of meeting with the new governor’s Veterans Transition Team in early December and it went very well.
I feel it necessary to remind everyone of my slogan, “Pride & Performance”. Have pride in this great organization and perform proudly the duties we all took an oath to uphold.
I hope to see all of you at the January DEC. God bless.
As the department convention is approaching, I’m preparing several mini-movies to be shown before, during, or even right after the convention sessions. The mini-movies will be pictures of our Pennsylvania American Legion “Posts-in-Action” set to patriotic music. And I want to include pictures from your Post, your District, your programs!
This year’s Pennsylvania American Legion Department Convention will be held at the Hilton Hotel in Harrisburg from July 15th to the 18th. After the convention, I will post the mini-movies to Department’s website for everyone to view.
The mini-movies will be made from pictures of the events involving our Pennsylvania Legion Posts. You can send pictures of your Post meetings, Christmas party, Oratorical contest, summer picnic, Legion baseball, testimonial dinner, the front of your Post building, Memorial Day parade, Veterans Day event, visiting a local school, welcoming home our current military, flag burning ceremony, or any other event held by your American Legion Post supporting your community, children & youth, Americanism and of course our veterans.
The mini-movies will be similar to the movie shown at the January Housing for Homeless Veterans benefit dinner. If you did not see the movie you can go to Department’s website to view the movie.
You can:
Send me your pictures taken during the 2009 -2010 membership year via email no later than June 15, 2010
Send as many as 25 pictures to be included as part of the mini-movies – you can send as many emails as necessary to send the 25 pictures
Write your Post # on the subject line of the email
Or mail a CD with the 25 pictures on it to Shannon Kyle, 2072 Rockfield Road, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania 15243 – please include your Post number with the CD
Do Not send the actual pictures – I need the pictures by email or CD only
If you don’t have pictures then ask around; you may have a Post Historian, Post Adjutant, Post Commander, or even any other members from your Post can have pictures from this current membership year 2009-2010.
‘Twas The Night Before Christmas,
He Lived All Alone,
In A One Bedroom House
Made Of Plaster And Stone.
I Had Come Down The Chimney
With Presents To Give,
And To See Just Who
In This Home Did Live.
I Looked All About,
A Strange Sight I Did See,
No Tinsel, No Presents,
Not Even A Tree.
No Stocking By Mantle,
Just Boots Filled With Sand,
On The Wall Hung Pictures
Of Far Distant Lands. 
With Medals And Badges,
Awards Of All Kinds,
A Sober Thought
Came Through My Mind.
For This House Was Different,
It Was Dark And Dreary,
I Found The Home Of A Soldier,
Once I Could See Clearly.
The Soldier Lay Sleeping,
Silent, Alone,
Curled Up On The Floor
In This One Bedroom Home.
The Face Was So Gentle,
The Room In Such Disorder,
Not How I Pictured
A United States Soldier.
Was This The Hero
Of Whom I’d Just Read?
Curled Up On A Poncho,
The Floor For A Bed?
I Realized The Families
That I Saw This Night,
Owed Their Lives To These Soldiers
Who Were Willing To Fight. 
Soon Round The World,
The Children Would Play,
And Grownups Would Celebrate
A Bright Christmas Day.
They All Enjoyed Freedom
Each Month Of The Year,
Because Of The Soldiers,
Like The One Lying Here.
I Couldn’t Help Wonder
How Many Lay Alone,
On A Cold Christmas Eve
In A Land Far From Home.
The Very Thought
Brought A Tear To My Eye,
I Dropped To My Knees
And Started To Cry.
The Soldier Awakened
And I Heard A Rough Voice,
“Santa Don’t Cry,
This Life Is My Choice;
I Fight For Freedom,
I Don’t Ask For More,
My Life Is My God,
My Country, My Corps.” 
The Soldier Rolled Over
And Drifted To Sleep,
I Couldn’t Control It,
I Continued To Weep.
I Kept Watch For Hours,
So Silent And Still
And We Both Shivered
From The Cold Night’s Chill.
I Didn’t Want To Leave
On That Cold, Dark, Night,
This Guardian Of Honor
So Willing To Fight.
Then The Soldier Rolled Over,
With A Voice Soft And Pure,
Whispered, “Carry On Santa,
It’s Christmas Day, All Is Secure.”
One Look At My Watch,
And I Knew He Was Right.
“Merry Christmas My Friend,
And To All A Good Night.”
Written by Lance Corporal James M. Schmidt in 1986.
Pleas join Department Commander Joe Socha on the 2009 Christmas Holiday Hospital Tour.
The American Legion & American Legion Auxiliary
Department of Pennsylvania
Department Commander & Department President
Holiday Hospital Tour
December 4 – 10, 2009
Depart Department HQ @ 8:00 a.m.
Southwest State Veterans Home @ 12:00 p.m.
Highland Drive VMAC @ 2:30 p.m.
Oakland VAMC @ 6:00 p.m.
Overnight RIDC Holiday Inn
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2009
H.J. Heinz III Progressive Care Center @ 9:00 a.m.
Butler VAMC @ 12:30 p.m.
Overnight Erie Travel Lodge
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2009
Pennsylvania Soldiers & Sailors Home @ 10:30 a.m.
Erie VAMC @ 1:00 p.m.
Overnight Ramada Inn Altoona
MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2009
Hollidaysburg State Veterans Home @ 10:00 a.m.
Altoona VAMC @ 1:30 p.m.
Overnight Holiday Inn Wilkes-Barre
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2009
Wilkes-Barre VAMC @ 8:00 a.m.
Gino J. Merli State Veterans Home @ 11:00 a.m.
Lebanon VAMC @ 2:30 p.m.
Overnight Econo Lodge Wormleysburg
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2009
Philadelphia VAMC @ 10:30 a.m.
Delaware Valley Veterans Home @ 3:30 p.m.
Overnight Radisson North Philadelphia
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2009
Southeast State Veterans Home @ 10:00 a.m.
Coatesville VAMC @ 1:30 p.m.
Return to Department HQ
Click Here for a printer friendly Holiday Tour Schedule