|
Re: Vets servicing the community?
Being the youngest active member, at 55, of any of the three local veterans organizations I can see gaming master's point. Most people see most veteran organizations as a place to sit around drinking and telling war stories. Some do meet a couple times a week and play cards at the local VFW, the only local organization with a Post Home. But the VFW tries to be active in the community. It was the VFW, with some help from the Demopolis Legion Post, that organized the effort to put the monument up at the courthouse. We now have a $60,000 monument/memorial that will have 1,318 names of local veterans on the engraved bricks at the site. The VFW placed the flag poles in Riverside and Memorial Gardens cemeteries in Demopolis. We will do the same for Memorial park and the Old cemetery in Linden as soon an the responsible people give us a location to do so. The VFW also works with Amernicanisn programs in our schools, and helps SFC Black with his ROTC program. We also award the ROTC Cadet of the Year with a medal and certificate every year. We have been making improvements to our VFW Home during the past year. Roof work, repairs to the front, new sign, new flag pole with spotlight, last month an exterior paint job and this month new lighting outside. There are more programs that we would like to do but not have enough ACTIVE to implement them. We started up the local Disabled American Veterans (DAV)in Demopolis again last May. The DAV and VFW joined forces for a visit to the VA Hospital in Tuscaloosa last Novenber. Personal care itensvalued at $500 were were donated for new patients admitted to the hospital. The DAV is now working on a project to purchase a golf cart to donate to the VA Hospital. It will be used to ferry patients to and fron their cars. The volunteer coordinator at the hospital is now trying to get drivers trained and certified. The local VFW helps their state organization host a Christmas party at the VA hospital. New ERA has helped us by donating caps, which is a big hit with the patients. The DAV and VFW is also working with the Linden NG in Iraq to help fill their needs. We hosted the reception after the unit's departure ceremony, helped this site with collecting and sending easter cards to the unit. We are now tring to collect DVD's, CD's and paperback books to send to the unit.
The VFW meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7PM at the VFW Post located on Highway 43 between Linden and Demopolis. The DAV meets the last Thursday of eachnth at the Demopolis Chamber of Commerce at 7PM. Tom Boggs is trying to keep the locat American Legion charter on the active roll. At this time they do not have the required monthly meetings due to lack of participation.
The mission of veterans organizations is to help veterans and their widows/widowers and children, our active duty and reserve troops, and to help promote Americanism programs in our schools.
There will be a Memorial Day program at the veterans monument in Linden on May 30 at 10:00am. It will be an informal program. This means I will have a plan of action and will do my best to complete all requirements. I couldn't get anyone to help with the program. Too many BBQ's and out-of-town trips.
Gaming master PM me if you need more info.
|
Linear Mode
