“FOR GOD AND COUNTRY”
Veterans Serving America
Since 1919
Paul Stewart Irwin Post 136 Monthly Newsletter – Nov. 2008
Veterans Serving America
Since 1919
Paul Stewart Irwin Post 136 Monthly Newsletter – Nov. 2008
http://www.al136.com/
American Legion Family:
Veterans Day Ceremonies begin about 5:00 on Nov. 11. We will break in our new Flag Retirement Incinerator recently constructed out back near the pavilion. The Boys and Girl Scouts will be present and Dan Morgan will hold the American Flag. Dan is a Post 136 member about to deploy on his 5th trip to Iraq.
After the flag retirement, I invite all Veteran Legion members, which have never been initiated, to take the oath for the American Legion. McConnell AFB will be there to present the American Flag 13 Folds ceremony and we will follow with a lasagna dinner. The dinner is free but we ask all non-vets to please bring a side dish.
When that is all done, the Ladies Auxiliary will hold a basket auction. This may solve some Christmas concerns for you. This is a big day for us. Please join us as we honor our Vets and our Flag
Speaking of flag retirement, a special thanks to Brock Hayes and Ed LaPlant for building the new flag disposal incinerator. Also to Greg Bauer for donating the materials.
Post 136 Thanksgiving dinner will be Monday, Nov 24, at 6pm. The turkey and ham will be supplied by the Supplementary Fund, and cooked by the post officers. Everyone, including your family, is invited. Everyone brings a side dish and this is one of the best meals you will eat all year. The purpose is for the American Legion Family to give thanks for the blessings we have in this country. There will be no fundraiser, raffle, or donations at this meal. This is for all to enjoy. Period.
Fireworks will be on tap again this year at our New Years Eve party. We decided to hold the party on Dec 31 once again. Figured that was close enough to New Years Eve. Anyway, last year, Jim Daily and his crew put on a great midnight show and we are planning it again. The Mulvane DJ’s donated $250 for our use, and it will go toward the cost of the fireworks. The generosity of our members never ceases to amaze me.
Speaking of fireworks, the membership overwhelmingly agreed to sponsor a fireworks tent in Mulvane from June 26-July 6. We have been approached by Shocker Fireworks and the opportunity is too good to pass up. The post stands to make $10k or more. It will cost us nothing but labor, and can be a long-term relationship. I will not go into all the details in the newsletter. The Legion membership, SAL, and Auxiliary were all part of the decision and there will be more info to follow. A committee will be formed to begin recruiting volunteers. It will take a lot of people to pull this off but with the pay off, it cannot be ignored. It will be set up at Pfaff Chevrolet on K-15, just off Rock Road. Stay tuned.
Veteran and troop support: The following are all programs either supported by or sponsored by your post. This is the time of year we have to look beyond ourselves and out to the Veterans that have given so much and now are in need. And so we look to all of you for your help and consideration.
Christmas Gift Shop: Sponsored the 5th District Ladies Auxiliary. This program allows hospitalized vets to pick out gifts for their families and is spearheaded by Sheryl Carpenter. A second box will be placed at the post. We will be collecting new items that can be used as gifts. Examples: Men-hand tools, shirts, sweatshirts, (all sizes), etc. Women-shirts, bath towel sets, sweatshirts, grooming needs, etc. Use your imagination, but the items must be new or made. (Afghans, sweaters, etc). Leave the price tags on the items. Please bring any contributions to the Post by Nov 25 so they can be taken to the VA, then wrapped and sent to the recipients. By the way, the Post has donated $200 for postage on these gifts.
Shoes needed-good, bad and ugly shoes. Skates, boots, anything you put on your tired dogs, are eligible. Do not need to be in good shape. A box will be set up at the post for the collection of shoes. 15 cents/pound will be collected and the money goes to four hospice rooms at the VA. In the past, this fund has been used for helping purchase vans, aviary, and flags at the VA. For questions contact Faye Evans @ 833-8005 or faye_evans_2000@yahoo.com
Veterans assistance fund: We were presented the challenge to help a wounded veterans family though the holidays. Three times Purple Heart recipient, Chris Swartz, has fallen through the bureaucratic cracks and is in severe financial trouble. With young children, the holidays are looking bleak. Post 136 membership has voted to assist this soldier and presented him with gift cards for Wal-Mart, and the Auxiliary gave him a gift card from Dillons. Additionally, the Assistance fund has been used to provide air transportation home for a retuning vet, gas assistance to a stranded vet, purchase of a new tire to another stranded vet here in Mulvane. I mention this so everyone can see that being a member of the American Legion is more than coming to the parties and enjoying a cold beer. We are here as Veterans to continue serving America.
Friday, Nov 28 dinner-Keep this one open!! It’s the day after Thanksgiving and you don’t want to cook. You feel like a fat toad sitting on a log and need something to stimulate you. Come to dinner and listen to one of the most colorful and courageous hero’s of WWII. Jake McNiece, author of ‘The Filthy Thirteen’ – The True Story of the Dirty Dozen, will be at the Post to speak to all veterans. Jake was a member of 101st Airborne, 506 PIR Regt. He is highly decorated and will literally amaze you with some of the most entertaining stories of WWII you will ever hear. Bring a friend. You will not regret it.
SAL News:
SAL Children’s Christmas party will be held Dec. 7, from 2-4 pm. Bring the kids
SAL election of officers is coming up. Jim Jones, Commander, is unable to continue in his role, due to work commitments. The meetings are held the second Sunday of the month, at 2PM. Please consider your role with the American Legion and the SAL. If you want to be part of the leadership of this post, please consider one of the positions of leadership.
ALR News:
Dept. Master of Arms, John Thomas, presented Jim Jones, Director of Post 136 ALR, an award from the National Commander for the outstanding support of your Riders in the American Legion Legacy Fund campaign.
Your Riders have consistently been out in front and in the community. The recognition they receive is a reflection on the entire Post 136 and American Legion Family. We could not ask for or receive any better representation.
And Finally:
Thursday, Nov. 13, 7pm-Kansas Quilts of Valor will be presenting quilts to 15 local Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom Veterans, in the auditorium at the VA. The color guard is from Northwest High School.
The American Legion and American Legion Riders have been invited to attend and honor these veterans. A section of the lot will be blocked off for motorcycle parking.
If you remember, the Kansas Quilts of Valor presented quilts to two of our own at the post a few months ago. This is a great program that honors our returning soldiers and I am pushing Post 136 and our ALR to be there in support.
Rick Babinger
Commander
I Am A Veteran
by Andrea C. Brett
You may not know me the first time we meet
I’m just another you see on the street
But I am the reason you walk and breathe free
I am the reason for your liberty
I am a Veteran
I work in the local factory all day
I own the restaurant just down the way
I sell you insurance, I start your IV
I’ve got the best-looking grandkids you’ll ever see
I’m you grocer, your banker, your child’s schoolteacher
I’m you plumber, your barber, your family’s preacher
But there’s part of me you know very well
Just listen a moment, I’ve a story to tell
I am a Veteran
I joined the service while still in my teens
I traded my prom dress for camouflage greens
I’m the first in my family to do something like this
I followed my father, like he followed his
Defying my fears and hiding my doubt
I married my sweetheart before I shipped out
I missed Christmas, then Easter, the birth of my son
But I knew I was doing what had to be done
I served on the battlefront, I served on the base
I bound up the wounded and begged for God’s grace
I gave orders to fire, I followed commands
I marched into conflict in far distant lands
In the jungle, the desert, on mountains and shores
In bunkers, in tents, on dank earthen floors
While I fought on the ground, in the air, on the sea
My family and friends were home praying for me
For the land of the free and the home of brave
I faced my demons in foxholes and caves
Then one dreaded day, without drummer or fife
I lost an arm, my buddy, his life
I came home and moved on, but forever was changed
The perils of war in my memory remained
I don’t really say much, I don’t feel like I can
But I left home a child, and came home man
There are thousands like me, thousands more who are gone
But their legacy lives as time marches on
White crosses in rows, and names carved in queue
Remind us of what these brave souls had to do
I’m part of a fellowship, a strong mighty band
Of each man and each woman who has served this great land
And when Old Glory waves, I stand proud, I stand tall
I helped keep her flying over you, over all
I am a Veteran
American Legion Family:
Veterans Day Ceremonies begin about 5:00 on Nov. 11. We will break in our new Flag Retirement Incinerator recently constructed out back near the pavilion. The Boys and Girl Scouts will be present and Dan Morgan will hold the American Flag. Dan is a Post 136 member about to deploy on his 5th trip to Iraq.
After the flag retirement, I invite all Veteran Legion members, which have never been initiated, to take the oath for the American Legion. McConnell AFB will be there to present the American Flag 13 Folds ceremony and we will follow with a lasagna dinner. The dinner is free but we ask all non-vets to please bring a side dish.
When that is all done, the Ladies Auxiliary will hold a basket auction. This may solve some Christmas concerns for you. This is a big day for us. Please join us as we honor our Vets and our Flag
Speaking of flag retirement, a special thanks to Brock Hayes and Ed LaPlant for building the new flag disposal incinerator. Also to Greg Bauer for donating the materials.
Post 136 Thanksgiving dinner will be Monday, Nov 24, at 6pm. The turkey and ham will be supplied by the Supplementary Fund, and cooked by the post officers. Everyone, including your family, is invited. Everyone brings a side dish and this is one of the best meals you will eat all year. The purpose is for the American Legion Family to give thanks for the blessings we have in this country. There will be no fundraiser, raffle, or donations at this meal. This is for all to enjoy. Period.
Fireworks will be on tap again this year at our New Years Eve party. We decided to hold the party on Dec 31 once again. Figured that was close enough to New Years Eve. Anyway, last year, Jim Daily and his crew put on a great midnight show and we are planning it again. The Mulvane DJ’s donated $250 for our use, and it will go toward the cost of the fireworks. The generosity of our members never ceases to amaze me.
Speaking of fireworks, the membership overwhelmingly agreed to sponsor a fireworks tent in Mulvane from June 26-July 6. We have been approached by Shocker Fireworks and the opportunity is too good to pass up. The post stands to make $10k or more. It will cost us nothing but labor, and can be a long-term relationship. I will not go into all the details in the newsletter. The Legion membership, SAL, and Auxiliary were all part of the decision and there will be more info to follow. A committee will be formed to begin recruiting volunteers. It will take a lot of people to pull this off but with the pay off, it cannot be ignored. It will be set up at Pfaff Chevrolet on K-15, just off Rock Road. Stay tuned.
Veteran and troop support: The following are all programs either supported by or sponsored by your post. This is the time of year we have to look beyond ourselves and out to the Veterans that have given so much and now are in need. And so we look to all of you for your help and consideration.
Christmas Gift Shop: Sponsored the 5th District Ladies Auxiliary. This program allows hospitalized vets to pick out gifts for their families and is spearheaded by Sheryl Carpenter. A second box will be placed at the post. We will be collecting new items that can be used as gifts. Examples: Men-hand tools, shirts, sweatshirts, (all sizes), etc. Women-shirts, bath towel sets, sweatshirts, grooming needs, etc. Use your imagination, but the items must be new or made. (Afghans, sweaters, etc). Leave the price tags on the items. Please bring any contributions to the Post by Nov 25 so they can be taken to the VA, then wrapped and sent to the recipients. By the way, the Post has donated $200 for postage on these gifts.
Shoes needed-good, bad and ugly shoes. Skates, boots, anything you put on your tired dogs, are eligible. Do not need to be in good shape. A box will be set up at the post for the collection of shoes. 15 cents/pound will be collected and the money goes to four hospice rooms at the VA. In the past, this fund has been used for helping purchase vans, aviary, and flags at the VA. For questions contact Faye Evans @ 833-8005 or faye_evans_2000@yahoo.com
Veterans assistance fund: We were presented the challenge to help a wounded veterans family though the holidays. Three times Purple Heart recipient, Chris Swartz, has fallen through the bureaucratic cracks and is in severe financial trouble. With young children, the holidays are looking bleak. Post 136 membership has voted to assist this soldier and presented him with gift cards for Wal-Mart, and the Auxiliary gave him a gift card from Dillons. Additionally, the Assistance fund has been used to provide air transportation home for a retuning vet, gas assistance to a stranded vet, purchase of a new tire to another stranded vet here in Mulvane. I mention this so everyone can see that being a member of the American Legion is more than coming to the parties and enjoying a cold beer. We are here as Veterans to continue serving America.
Friday, Nov 28 dinner-Keep this one open!! It’s the day after Thanksgiving and you don’t want to cook. You feel like a fat toad sitting on a log and need something to stimulate you. Come to dinner and listen to one of the most colorful and courageous hero’s of WWII. Jake McNiece, author of ‘The Filthy Thirteen’ – The True Story of the Dirty Dozen, will be at the Post to speak to all veterans. Jake was a member of 101st Airborne, 506 PIR Regt. He is highly decorated and will literally amaze you with some of the most entertaining stories of WWII you will ever hear. Bring a friend. You will not regret it.
SAL News:
SAL Children’s Christmas party will be held Dec. 7, from 2-4 pm. Bring the kids
SAL election of officers is coming up. Jim Jones, Commander, is unable to continue in his role, due to work commitments. The meetings are held the second Sunday of the month, at 2PM. Please consider your role with the American Legion and the SAL. If you want to be part of the leadership of this post, please consider one of the positions of leadership.
ALR News:
Dept. Master of Arms, John Thomas, presented Jim Jones, Director of Post 136 ALR, an award from the National Commander for the outstanding support of your Riders in the American Legion Legacy Fund campaign.
Your Riders have consistently been out in front and in the community. The recognition they receive is a reflection on the entire Post 136 and American Legion Family. We could not ask for or receive any better representation.
And Finally:
Thursday, Nov. 13, 7pm-Kansas Quilts of Valor will be presenting quilts to 15 local Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Enduring Freedom Veterans, in the auditorium at the VA. The color guard is from Northwest High School.
The American Legion and American Legion Riders have been invited to attend and honor these veterans. A section of the lot will be blocked off for motorcycle parking.
If you remember, the Kansas Quilts of Valor presented quilts to two of our own at the post a few months ago. This is a great program that honors our returning soldiers and I am pushing Post 136 and our ALR to be there in support.
Rick Babinger
Commander
I Am A Veteran
by Andrea C. Brett
You may not know me the first time we meet
I’m just another you see on the street
But I am the reason you walk and breathe free
I am the reason for your liberty
I am a Veteran
I work in the local factory all day
I own the restaurant just down the way
I sell you insurance, I start your IV
I’ve got the best-looking grandkids you’ll ever see
I’m you grocer, your banker, your child’s schoolteacher
I’m you plumber, your barber, your family’s preacher
But there’s part of me you know very well
Just listen a moment, I’ve a story to tell
I am a Veteran
I joined the service while still in my teens
I traded my prom dress for camouflage greens
I’m the first in my family to do something like this
I followed my father, like he followed his
Defying my fears and hiding my doubt
I married my sweetheart before I shipped out
I missed Christmas, then Easter, the birth of my son
But I knew I was doing what had to be done
I served on the battlefront, I served on the base
I bound up the wounded and begged for God’s grace
I gave orders to fire, I followed commands
I marched into conflict in far distant lands
In the jungle, the desert, on mountains and shores
In bunkers, in tents, on dank earthen floors
While I fought on the ground, in the air, on the sea
My family and friends were home praying for me
For the land of the free and the home of brave
I faced my demons in foxholes and caves
Then one dreaded day, without drummer or fife
I lost an arm, my buddy, his life
I came home and moved on, but forever was changed
The perils of war in my memory remained
I don’t really say much, I don’t feel like I can
But I left home a child, and came home man
There are thousands like me, thousands more who are gone
But their legacy lives as time marches on
White crosses in rows, and names carved in queue
Remind us of what these brave souls had to do
I’m part of a fellowship, a strong mighty band
Of each man and each woman who has served this great land
And when Old Glory waves, I stand proud, I stand tall
I helped keep her flying over you, over all
I am a Veteran
