Post 24 Commander’s Corner

We have a group of ladies that meet every Tuesday and Thursday at the Legion Hall to make quilts, nice quilts I must say. These lovely ladies are known affectionally as the T-Gals. Everything they make is donated throughout the River Valley Area. Recently they presented lap robs to a few veterans: Ronnie McIntire, Al Richard, Ivan Arsenault, Edward J. Roach Jr., Wendall Easter, Joe Arsenault, Mike Harris, Fred Drapeau, Tricia Thurston, Ava Quance, Anita Richardson and Nick Diconzo. These wonderful ladies truly know that it is better to give than to receive.

At 7 p.m. Thursday will be the Tree of Caring Ceremony at the Veterans Home in South Paris, which will also they will have a Pearl Harbor Remembrance Ceremony at 1 p.m. Friday. Both of these events are open to the public. Don’t forget on Friday that Flags are to flown at half staff for the entire day.

This Saturday is Post 24’s members Christmas party. We will be treated to appetizers and a ham dinner with all the fixings. After supper dance to the music provided by DJ’s Eric and Amy Schmersal. Each member may invite a guest to spend the evening with. Cost per person is 10 dollars deadline to sign up is Wednesday.

Membership is currently at 75% we still have 120 members that have not paid their 2013 dues. We have met all of the Legion’s target dates at this time, but it would be nice to exceed the target date and have 100% membership by December 31, 2012. So if you are one of the 120 please pay your dues today. You can pay them at the Post, through the mail or on-line.

The Post will be hosting a New Year’s Eve Dance featuring the band Road House. Tickets are on sale at the Post, which are $20 a person. The price includes party favors at your seat, a buffet style meal at around 10 p.m., giveaways and a champagne toast at midnight. You must be 21 years of age to attend. This is sure to be a great time so buy your tickets soon, don’t be left out in the cold.

On Sunday, Robert "Bub" Dersoches will be putting Christmas wreaths on the monuments in the River Valley Area. Last year he raised funds to purchase wreaths to put at the entrances of cemeteries that had veterans buried there. He is planning on doing the same this year. He ask that instead of donations that you purchase a wreath with a patriotic theme and place it at the entrance of a cemetery or bring it to the American Legion Post 24 in Rumford by Sunday. If any veterans would like to assist in laying of the wreaths, meet at the American Legion in Rumford at 10 a.m. Sunday.

It is time to start thinking about election of Officers held in April. This is for all entities, Legion, Ladies Auxiliary and Sons of American Legion. Many positions within the Legion and Sons will be vacated this coming year. If anyone is interested or you know of someone that would like to fill one of the Officer’s positions, then nominate them or yourself at the meeting in March 2013.

This month’s American Legion Position is on Illegal Immigration. The American Legion is adamantly opposed to illegal immigration and any forms of amnesty for those who have entered the Unites States illegally.

The American Legion views illegal immigration as a threat to America’s nation security and economic well-begin. Congress should pass effective immigration legislation and all government agencies should cooperate in enforcing immigration laws.

The American Legion recommends that the U.S. government:

Secure the borders and other points of entry into the United States.

Eliminate the jobs magnet and social service incentives by verifying identification and enforcing employer sanctions.

Enforce existing laws and pass new laws to reduce the illegal population.

Stop states form issuing drivers’ licenses to illegal aliens.

Eliminate the Visa Lottery Program.

Restrict the number of countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program

Create new visa categories or expand the H-2A and H-2B Visa categories for temporary agricultural and seasonal workers.

Create and enforce a reporting system to track foreign visitors.

The American Legion opposes any policies or laws that allow illegal aliens to receive in-state tuition rates, federal or other financial aid to attend college in the United States.

The United States is a nation built by immigrants and the American Legion supports those who enter this country legally. The United States is also a nation of laws, and, as such, the American Legion strongly opposes illegal immigration.

This month’s American Legion Program is "Heroes to Hometowns." As part of its social contact with service members and their families to care for their quality of life, the Department of Defense has established the Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy to augment the Severely Injured Support Programs: Army Wounded Warrior (AW2) Program; the Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment; Air Force Wounded Warrior Program; and Navy Safe Harbor. The objective is to ensure seamless transition of care for the severely injured personnel and their families.

The national support system and the services The American Legion provides can coordinate resources in the local community to assist severely injured servicemembers throughout their transition for military to civilian life.

Heroes to Hometowns (H2H) is designed so The American Legion serves as an intermediary between the severely injured, ill or wounded service member and the community. Through our local posts, we build strong community coalitions to help with any transitional need a warrior may have. These needs could include; finding housing, employment, schools. Navigating the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers or Regional Offices, adapted housing, providing childcare or access to adaptive sports programs. The American Legion encourages its post to build these coalitions so they are established when a wounded warrior returns to civilian life. Posts in the vicinity of a military base or warrior transition unit are encouraged to provide outreach to the sailors, soldiers, airmen and Marines stationed in local community. Through the Heroes to Hometowns program, The American Legion is severely wounded, injured or ill service members have a seamless transition and become productive members of the community.

For more information about Heroes to Hometowns, visit http://www.legion.org/heroes, email heroestohometowns@legion.org or call (202)263-5773.

The above information was obtained from The American Legions quick reference guide "Positions and Programs" 2011-2012.