News Letter

COMMANDER’S MESSAGE 
 
       By Larry Edmonds
 
The Rainy Season is in full swing in Thailand.  It’s also a time of dangerous weather and road conditions.  You can minimize the risks by being prepared.  You can start by checking your windshield wipers.  Are they worn?  If they are, now’s the time to change them.  Another step you can take to ensure good visibility during our frequent downpours is by applying an anti-rain, anti-fog product like Rain X.  How are your tires?  If they are worn and have less than a 1/4 inch of tread, you should change them to prevent hydroplaning.  
 
During the downpours slow down and be extra cautious.  Watch for flooding and never try driving through flooded roads where the water is running across the road.  It takes very little to sweep you and your vehicle off the road.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Post Officers and Executive Committee
 
  
Commander  Larry Edmonds 
1st Vice Commander  Bruce Templeman
2nd Vice Commander  Wayne Wright
Adjutant  Jeff Ludwig 
Finance Officer  Jeff Ludwig,
Service Officer  Maurice(Rocky) Hatzke
Sergeant at Arms  Neil Tufford 
Historian  Theodore (Ted) Potyrala 
Judge Advocate  Charles (Rusty) Wilson
Chaplain  Hugh(Charlie) Mason
Publicity Officer  Joe Reedy 
Executive Committee:   
       Members At Large  Anthony Francois 
       Members At Large  Salvatore (Sal) Salzarulo
       Members At Large  William (Bill) Medley 
 
 
July 2018 Volume 2, Issue 5
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
 
July 9  Post Meeting & 4th of July Picnic  10:00a.m.  July 4  Independence Day      July 4  Visit School
Larry Edmonds, Commander         Jeff Ludwig, Adjutant            

 Events:  
 
 
4th of July Independence Day Picnic. 
 
The Post held its first Annual 4th of July picnic on July 9 right after the conclusion of the monthly Post membership meeting.  The picnic was potluck with the Post providing hamburgers, hotdogs, buns, condiments, and cake.  The picnic was held at the Ubon Ratchathani RTAF Wing 21 driving range complex.  The post invited all Americans, Expats, and Thais to come help us celebrate our Independence.  A good time was had by all.  
 
 
Service Officers Corner                    By Rocky Hatzke
 
 
 
 
The Decision Ready Claims (DRC) Program is the fastest way to get your VA claim processed. You can get a decision on your claim in 30 days or less by working with an accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO) or other accredited representative.
 
If your service-connected condition has gotten worse and you’re planning to file an increased disability claim for that condition, there’s a better way to file.  Get the fastest decision on your claim for an increase by filing it as a Decision Ready Claim (DRC). Filing as a DRC means you can get a decision within 30 days after your claim is submitted. Work with an accredited Veterans Service Organization (VSO) or other accredited representative to determine if the DRC program is right for you and your claim for an increase. Your VSO can then help you gather and submit all relevant and required evidence so your claim is ready for VA to make a decision when you submit it. Don’t need to file a claim for an increase?  You can also file these other types of compensation claims through the DRC program:  Direct Service Connection Claims  Presumptive Service Connection Claims  Secondary Service Connection Claims  Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for surviving spouses Learn more about the DRC program, including eligibility requirements, what medical evidence you need to submit, and how to find an accredited VSO at www.benefits.va.gov/drc. Thank you for your service! Veterans Benefits Administration 
 
 
Post Adjutant’s Corner By Jeff Ludwig
 
Voting  Voting is one of our most fundamental rights as U.S. citizens.  The midterm elections are fast approaching and registration requirements and deadlines vary from State to State. Most States and territories require registration to vote absentee. Voter registration and absentee ballot request can be done at the same time by submitting the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA).
Voting laws changed in 2014. All U.S. citizens outside the United States who want to vote by absentee ballot must complete a new Federal Post Card Application (FPCA) every year if they wish to vote from abroad. You will no longer automatically receive ballots based on a previous absentee ballot request. It’s easy to do – to start the process, visit http://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter, the website of the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP). FVAP is the official U.S. government website for overseas absentee voting information. FVAP can also be reached by phone: Toll free number from Thailand is 001-800-120664536. Voting registration documents and ballots can be mailed to the United States through the U.S. Embassy on-site Army Post Office (APO).
Address envelopes clearly, affix the correct U.S. postage, and drop off envelopes at the U.S. Embassy Bangkok American Citizen Services check-in window on Wireless Road. In some cases, postage-paid envelopes can be printed by visiting the FVAP website, http://www.fvap.gov/citizenvoter. Envelopes will be mailed one business day after receipt by the U.S. Embassy. Please allow up to two weeks for delivery to the United States. Please make sure to check the deadlines for your state or territory of residence, which can be found by visiting http://www.fvap.gov/citizen-voter, and mail your envelope early enough to meet the deadlines. 
 
 
*** Information taken from the US Embassy Bangkok Website.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 Membership: 
 
 
Who is Responsible for Getting the Word Out?
You!
The Legion Must Not Die on Our Watch!
We Owe Growth to Our Predecessors, Current Veterans, and Those to Come
How to Recruit & Retain Members
1. Educate yourself as to the Legion’s Missions. Know the purpose of The Americans Legion Four Pillars. 2. Educate yourself on the past and present services to our Veteran’s, our Children, our Community, and Nation 3. Form a Membership Recruitment Team 4. Ask Wartime Vets to Join Your Post
Welcome the New Member
1. Find out His/her area of interest and expertise 2. Assign new members to a committee 3. Continue to mentor and teach new members about Legion 4. Elect new member to Post Officer
How to Keep Existing Members
1. Create a District/Post Membership Team 2. Train existing members, and new Officers on membership recruiting and retention. 3. Improve Post Appearance
4. Recruit from Available Pools of Veterans 5. Review Expired Member List from www.mylegion.org 6. Keep your Post and Membership in the good eye of the General Public, dress the part at Post Meetings and in Public 7. Importance’s of Welcoming & Mentoring New Members
 
How to Retain Existing Members
1. Ongoing Mentoring Good officers just don’t fall from the sky armed with the  knowledge necessary to do the job. Like new members, officers who have never been mentored remain as wet behind their ears as they were when they first joined the Legion.  If they were never mentored or asked to be on a committee, then the office either will go vacant or be held by someone not fit for the job.  In either case, the Post will gradually wither away like an unattended garden. 2. Active & Rewarding Committee Assignments 3. Importance of an Interesting Annual Calendar of Events   4. Advanced planning to encourage attendance at Post meetings and Post functions. ** Source: American Legion Revitalization pamphlet.
 
 
 
 

 Finance Officer   (Jeff Ludwig)
 
Reminder, you can pay your 2019 dues now.  The annual dues are only $40.00 or 1,500 Baht.   There are a variety of ways to pay your dues.  You can renew online or pay in person with cash, check, or money order.  You can also transfer money electronically into our Bank of America account.  You can send a check or money order to our Post Office box.   
 
Featured Members:
 
On July the 4th, 2018, Commander Larry Edmonds and Chaplain Hugh (Charlie) Mason, along with their wives, Pen Edmonds and El Mason, met with the Sirindhorn Immigration Office to promote their program of introducing local schoolchildren to the foreigner community.   Also attending the afternoon festivities were citizens of Germany, the UK, and Switzerland, Denmark as well as others representing other EU
countries.  It was spearheaded by Immigration Senior Sergeant Wisit of the Sirindhorn Office.  The wives group collected funds and donated soccer balls, tacraw wicker balls, coloring books, badminton racquets and birdies, pencils and paper to the students as well as two boxes of copy paper to the administration office.  Commander Edmonds and Chaplain Mason participated in an afternoon of fun and games with the schoolchildren.  At the end of the day, the students had a little better understanding of American and
 
other foreign nationalities.  Fun was had by all and we hope to participate in other activities with the Immigration Office and their personnel in the future.  

 
 
Chaplain’s message.
 
Independence Day Prayer
 
Lord, we stand today as our forefathers have stood before You in times gone by, Celebrating our history and revelling in all the great things that our country has achieved. On this day we rejoice in the favor You have graciously given us. We thank You for the blessings of liberty, for this generation and for the generations to come. We thank You for our independence, peace and for all those who have bravely given their lives in the defense of freedom and justice. We thank You that Your gracious and provident hand has given us so much.
 
Yet as a nation and people we have not always chosen the right way. We ask You to forgive us for these times. On this day we commit ourselves to wholeheartedly honoring and serving You. With everything that we are, we lay our lives before You. Make us a generous people, A holy nation, A people set aside to love You forever, For the sake of the land of the brave and free,  And the peoples and nations of this world.
 
Today, we do not presume Your grace for our country.  Our land is in need of You,  Our people are in need of You, Our industry and business is in need
of You. May we look only to You This Independence Day, dependent on You.
 
Please come now by Your glorious Holy Spirit, Breathe new life into the sinews of this nation. May justice flow like rivers, And righteousness like a never failing stream, Until the whole of our country is covered with Your glory, As the waters cover the sea.
 
We ask all this in the wonderful name of Jesus, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit. One God, now and for all eternity. Amen. ***(a modern prayer for the United States of America from www.lords-prayer-words.com.  
Read more: http://www.lords prayerwords.com/times/independence day_prayer.html#ixzz5LxF4g2lz
 
 
TAPS:  None this month
 
 
 
 
 
 
July Birthdays   Bob Beckner Phil Jones Bobby Kane Bob Rositer
 
A very happy birthday to all!