Woodbury Post 501 Newsletter - March 2020
Post Meetings: Out of concern for the safety of our members that attend Legion meetings & to be in compliance with the Governors guidance we're canceling our Post meetings until further notice due to the CoVid-19 pandemic. We will you know when we will resume our monthly Post meeting.
Membership Update: Currently 141 members have renewed for 2020 and the Post has reached 100% of the goal that was set by the Department for this year. We still have around 10 members that still need to renew for 2020. Let’s get it done, because before you know it the 2021 renewal season will begin. You have a couple of choices in which to renew your membership: (1) Go online to https://www.legion.org/ or (2) mail a check for $39, made out to American Legion, to 10803 Oak Grove Blvd Woodbury, MN 55129.
Upcoming Events
Veterans Day on the Hill: Veterans Day on the Hill for 2020 has been cancelled due to COVID 19. Veterans are encouraged to contact your legislators in writing, by phone and watch for future opportunities to meet with them to help support Legislation important to Minnesota Veterans. https://www.mnvfw.org/post/2020-veterans-day-on-the-hill-april-20th?fbclid=IwAR0i7JhwcsmK0CSJMgGn04egtWmveAg32dzfdK5ju9cdBGQyXY9_YqMcsGo
Memorial Day Program: The Memorial Day Program planning committee continues to discuss actions and decisions as we need to have a plan for the event, however, recognize that if coronavirus continues, we may need to cancel the program. We have incurred expense of $100.00 for deposit (non-refundable) on the Woodbury City Center venue in case weather would prevent conducting the program at the Memorial.
2020 Poppy Days: After consultation with the Post 501 Commander and Dale Johnson, co-Poppy Days lead, we have decided to postpone Poppy Days, which was schedule for 24-26 April. This decision was not made lightly due to the importance that this fund raising event is to our Post. First and foremost our Legion members safety comes first. The Post will reassess what the situation is as we go forward, over the next few months, to see if we can reschedule and can do Poppy Days safely. Thank you to the members who had volunteered. We will keep you in mind when we reschedule this event.
Boys State Program: The American Legion Minnesota Department advised us that Boys State will be cancelled for 2020. Unfortunately this means that the two young men that we have interviewed and selected will not qualify next year as a senior. This is unfortunate, but with all that is going on in the world this is the right decision to make.
Buddy Checks: As Legionnaires, our most sacred responsibility is to look out for each other and our fellow veterans. We are living in unprecedented times with COVID-19. The closings we are seeing including schools, colleges, restaurants, sporting events, festivals, concerts, bowling alleys along with the unknown length of time of these closures is extraordinary. What we are going through right now is not like 9/11 where things were closed for a few days, right now when things will open is unknown. So as Legion members I encourage you to reach out to veterans who may need assistance but don’t know where to go or who to ask. We need to let the veterans in our community know we care and provide whatever assistance they may need. It’s what we do for our battle buddies. We have already reached out to our World War 2 & Korean War Post members. The next group we will be calling are our Vietnam veterans. If you want to be part of these Buddy Checks give Tom Grezek, 651-235-5553/grezek@msn.com or Bob Dolan, 703-851-5416/dolanrp@verizon.net a call and we can give you a group of people to call.
Fallen Comrade: One of our World War 2 comrades has fallen. Emil Bartylla, age 94, of Woodbury passed away peacefully on Friday, March 20, 2020. . Emil was drafted into the Navy in 1944. He graduated from Boot Camp at the U.S. Navy Training Center at Farragut, Idaho, Company 6027, Regiment 1, Battalion 4 later that year. Seaman Bartylla spent the next 21 months aboard the USS California (BB-44) in L Division (i.e., Lookout) where he was responsible for identification of enemy ships and aircraft as the California fought in battles in the Pacific, including the Mariana and Palau Islands. Fair winds and following seas Seaman Bartylla. If you have a memory to share please go to the Wullf Funeral Home web site and post your remembrance. https://www.dignitymemorial.com/…/woo…/emil-bartylla-9092890
I do believe that when the going gets tough the tough get going, and I'm confident our membership has what it takes to weather this virus challenge.
