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News of the Post                        Vol IV, Issue 2                    June 2004

 

 

Post 27 & Pembroke Say Goodbye to a True Friend

(14 June) Post 27 lost a good friend in Homer Houser on the 10th of June. Homer answered the roll call of the Adjutant Post Everlasting. Homer was a United States Army Aviator, did 6 tours of duty in the Republic of Viet Nam, served variously as Post Commander and Adjutant of Post 164 in Pembroke, as 1st District Commander and Adjutant, and was the driving force behind the reconstitution of Post 27. He was a good friend, and he will be missed.

Honors for a fallen comerade and friend

Homer Remembered

A life of Service to God and Country...

Honors paid by US Army

District Commander Gardner presents the Flag to Renee on behalf of a grateful Nation

 

2005 Post Officers

 

Pursuant to the election held at the regular membership meeting May 20th 2004 the following personnel were elected to the positions indicated:

 

Commander                 David James

Sr Vice Cdr                  Chad Carpenter

Jr Vice Cdr                  Tom Corcoran

Jr Vice Cdr                  Elvis Ford

Chaplain                       Phil Wolfe

JAG                             open

Historian                       open

Service Officer            open

Executive Committee PC Bill Helms

Executive Committee Charles Henderson

 

Following the resignation of Adjutant/ Finance Officer Ellis the following personnel have agreed to undertake these appointed positions:

 

Adjutant                       Donald R Gardner

Finance Officer/

 Business Agent            Phil Wolfe

 

If you are interested in serving in any of the open positions please contact David James 756-8345

 

The Adj

 

Plans in Progress

 

Post 27 has a couple of projects in progress that will need the help and support of the members. The list that follows includes the name and contact of the chairperson for that project. Look at the dates and mark it on your calendars to give a hand, or buy/sell a ticket or two, either way your support is needed please do what you can…

 

Installation of New Officers –David James (912) 756-8345, Don Gardner (912) 756-4294 10 July Time TBD

 

Ford Days Celebration – Don Gardner (912) 756-4294, Phil Wolfe (912) 756-5755, 31 July from 08:00 Am-10:00 PM Hot Dog and Burger Stand in JF Gregory Park, The event is hosted by the Richmond Hill Historical Society and the City of Richmond Hill.

 

Seafood Festival – Bill Helms (912) 756-2649, Phil Wolfe (912) 756-5755 3rd Weekend in October Annual participation earns over $1000 for our Post non-profit programs annually. Need lots of helpers.

 

Veterans Day Parade – Greg MacDougal (912) 884-7273 Annual Participation in Savannah Veterans Day Parade.

 

Post 27 Legion Riders Veterans Monument Poker Run – Keith Rankin Kieth31419@cs.com 1st Annual “Thunder Run” fund raiser for Post Programs 13 November will need about 15-20 people to help make this a great success.

Veterans Monument Dedication Bill Helms (912) 756-2649 Post 27 will be paying a special tribute to POW-MIA during the Dedication Ceremony come out and help support this great program.

 

Commanders’ Corner

     It saddens me to report, that a good friend of 22 yrs plus, has passed away, a man that believed and lived The American Legion. Homer Houser post 164. Homer and I worked together as aircraft inspectors at Gulfstream Aerospace. Homers’ wife Renee asked our post if would we bring our color guard to the funeral, since all work, we did the next best thing, Adj Ellis, Ralph Pruden and I set up our flags in the funeral home, at the funeral District Commander Don Gardner presented the flag to Renee Houser, who in turn gave it to their daughter, Tara, who resides in Kansas City, Renee and the children sent their heart filled Thanks for what we did for them.  We felt it was the very least we could do for our friend. Homer was very instrumental in our post reforming.

      I wish to remind you, keep the membership coming, we have done the best ever this yr, but lets not stop now, thanks to all for their hard work.

      Well legionnaires, it won’t be long (July 10th) we will have a new commander, Sr Vice Commander David James, his term of duty won’t be as easy as my 2 yrs have been, our Adj is going to a new job overseas.  Adj Ellis who has been the backbone of Post 27. He needs a rest, his efforts to keep me out of trouble have taken a toll. Adj, we wish you good luck and may God go with you.

     Our Vets monument is coming along real good, the bricks are in place and engraving will begin soon, Past Commander Lee Brown, legionnaire Don Singleton and I met with the Mayor and City Administrator, we looked the drawings and writing for the walls over, we are in the process of tuning everything up for the etching, on the walls. Thanks guys for your efforts. Remember for $50.00 you can have your name or any vets name on a brick, please, buy a brick, For God and Country, pray for our troops in harms way

 

William B Helms Jr

Commander

 

 

 

Order Your Post 27 Hat

The Post is taking orders for a Post 27 Legion Hat. We need a minimum of 12 hats pre-ordered and prepaid the hat will be a baseball style with the legion emblem and Post 27 embroidered on the crown. If you want to pick up your hat at a meeting, Cost will be $20.00 per hat; profits will be added to the building fund. If you want me to mail it to you add $5.00 shipping and handling. You can order your hat through the donations button on the left side of this page, in the donation category enter Post Hat

This is a members only offer. 

The Adj

 

  

  

     

 

Auxiliary News

The Auxiliary will meet at the Sr Citizens Center at its normal time on 17 June 2004

          

         

                                          

 

Adjutant’s Call

As always, I hope this finds all of you in good health and cheer. As the 2004 ‘Legion Year’ comes to a close, I would like to take an opportunity to blow our horn so to speak so those members who through duty, and geography cannot always make our meetings or events might know what we do in your name.

Membership- this year we increase our membership by over 70% over last year. We have over 180 members on the rolls, so in the last four years we have gone from 35 members to over 180. This represents a 500% increase over all and a 62% year over year growth rate. Why do I list this first? Because the District, Department, and National Organizations are our voice to both the Government and the public at large, that voice is louder and stronger today because of this growth, it is louder and stronger today because each and every one of you supports it with your dues. Keep up the good work.

Veterans Outreach- This program is the heart of what we are about. Our support for the troops overseas, their families in our community, has increased over 600% during this last year. What amazes me about this is not what we are doing, but the comments received from higher HQ’s that we are one of the few doing it at all. Once again our ability to do it comes from the support each and all of you give to our programs and the fundraisers we hold. I must also mention that the troop support program in particular has been a direst result of the hard work by our Commander Bill Helms, Legionnaires Johnnie and Bonnie Miracle, and Businesses and Schools in our community. God Bless them all.

Children & Youth- Our Children and Youth program still stands as a model for any public service organization. While participation in some areas has decreased, it is not for the lack of an offer by the Post to hold an Oratorical Contest, or to provide slots to Boys & Girls State; we sadly had more applicants than we could serve for our Veterans Children Scholarship. I hope this has been but a bump in the road and that more of you will support our Children & Youth Fund raisers in the future so we can serve every eligible child that applies. The hard work of Commander Helms, all who judged the Middle School Essay Contest, and JR Vice Carpenter are a credit to this Post.

Finally, on a personal note, I have been given the opportunity to further serve our soldiers in Iraq through a job offer with KBR Corp, as a Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Coordinator w/ duty in Iraq. I have therefore tendered my resignation as Adjutant/Finance Officer for Post 27 effective at the end of the Meeting scheduled for June 17th. I will always maintain my membership with Post 27, and hope to see many of you on my R&R breaks back here in the Hill.

It has been my highest honor and privilege to Serve America through my work in Post 27 and the 1st District. I hope as the history of this Post is written it will note my efforts as his duty seen and done. God Bless each and all of you.

For God and Country…

 

John H Ellis Sr

Adjutant