At the end of the evening, characters like Earl Grey, Anita Drink, Izzy Sleazy and Ivan Stoned were cleared of murdering reputed mob boss Don Dunn Jr. The rap fell onto Getta Dunn.
Legionnaires were treated to a night of murder mystery on March 15 at American Legion Post 974 in Franklin Park, Ill. But while there was plenty of entertainment, the real purpose of the event wasn’t lost on the Legion Family members there: a celebration of The American Legion Centennial.
Dozens of Legionnaires from the Department of Illinois 9th District gathered at Post 974 for the murder mystery dinner, joined by members of other veterans service organizations. For 9th District Commander Don Horn, the evening was a chance to both bring Legion Family members together to celebrate the Legion’s 100th birthday and raise some money for Department of Illinois Commander Michael Carder’s special project, The Haven, a Legion-operated veterans relaxation and rehabilitation facility in Carbondale, Ill.
“It’s our 100-year anniversary,” said Horn, a member of Post 974. “To get these people together – most of these people don’t even have post homes any more. They have a post, but there’s not a physical location. So they don’t have the functions.
“Part of our purpose is to give back to the community, but it’s also to give back to our veterans and the Legion Family. So to bring everybody here and get the word out to the community that the Legion is here and to tie it all together on our birthday is what we were trying to do. We wanted to make it special.”
Horn said being a member of The American Legion and the organization’s 100-year history “is all about service. It’s a way to give back and to help other people. For me, it was getting back with that fellowship."
Smiling as she looked across the dining room after the dinner, Post 974 Commander Josefina Frances said that fellowship is what The American Legion represents to her. “To me, it means that there is a place for all veterans to go,” she said. “It is a place for all of us to join together.”
Frances said the several post-9/11 veterans in attendance is proof The American Legion remains relevant to the newest generation of its members.
“There’s a cross-section of different posts in the room and different generations. I think that’s great,” Frances said. “There’s a large group of the younger vets. (They) keep the Legion going forward. We have new members. And I get that from a meeting we just had this week. What I loved was I had a Vietnam veteran talking to an Afghanistan veteran. And they were just talking. I’m listening to them and (the Afghanistan veteran) is telling him what it is like now.”
Two of those younger veterans came from Tattler Post 973 in nearby Chicago. One, three-term Post Commander Brent Webb, helped revitalize Post 973 and now serves as the 9th District’s junior vice commander.
The 30-year-old Webb said The American Legion Centennial “is a time for reflection about what The American Legion and its mission mean. It’s a very big milestone, and it’s a chance to bridge the present to the past. I think our centennial is an opportunity to look at our one-year, five-year, 10-year and 50-year plans. We have an opportunity to plan for the future and continue our mission, while also looking for ways to adapt and evolve.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us. We need to find ways to bring in those younger Legionnaires and then use them. We have a lot of strong potential, and I think any challenges we face we are willing to take on.”
Marine Corps veteran Kelly Zebell, Tattler Post 973’s service officer, is ready for those challenges. While she’s only been a member of The American Legion since last summer, the 23-year-old Zebell has hit the ground running with the organization.
Zebell wanted to do multiple enlistments in the Marines but was medically discharged because of a hip injury in 2015. She said she “dove head-first” into American Legion involvement after joining the post and has announced she’s running for post commander.
“I didn’t get to do my full term in the Marine Corps. I initially joined wanting to do 12-20 years,” said Zebell, a junior at the University of Illinois-Chicago. “When I got out, I just really wanted to still do more for veterans. When I started doing American Legion stuff, I was just blown away by how much that we do with the community. I just love doing this: the outreach and the helping in the community.”
Horn said young veterans like Webb and Zebell is critical as the organization moves into its second century of service. “They’re our future,” he said. “To be able to draw on the young ones, get them in here and get them active and participate, that is our future.”
