Post 501 Septmerber 2021 Newsletter
Commanders Corner: I know we will face some challenges with the uptick in COVID cases with the Delta variant, but do not let this get you down. We will continue to do the things that we need to move forward and keep us safe in all that we do. It was great to see people at the Joint Veterans picnic and at the Woodbury Days parade in August. These are signs that we are getting back to some sort of normal. Let keep up this trend.
Membership Update: To date we are at 89 members who have renewed their membership for 2022. Our goal this year is 143 and we are at 62% renewal That is a great start. As a reminder the membership year runs 1 July through 30 June. Let’s start today and renew your membership at www.legion.org.
Poppy Days – 10-12 Sept 21: We are getting close to our Sept Poppy Days and we are short people to cover all of the 6 stores that we are in front of. I know that we all are busy, but I am hoping that you can carve out some time to do a shift or two over the 10-12 Sept timeframe. Give me a call at 703-851-5416 or email dolanrp@verizon.net if you can spend some quality time with your Legion comrades.
Boys State 2021: As you know this year’s American Legion Boys State was held on June 13-18, 2021 on the campus of St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. We had the great honor, at our August monthly meeting, to hear from our third selectee that we sent to Boys State. Tejiri Azukaeme, being an immigrant to this country, appreciated the opportunity to learn and get involved in the process of campaigning and electing State officials. Post Commander Bob Dolan presented a certificate of appreciation to Tejiri for representing our Post. We could not have three finer young men representing our Post at Boys State this year.
New Woodbury Flag Disposal Box: The City of Woodbury has a new Flag Disposal box at City Hall. Woodbury Legion Post 501 & VFW Post 9024 jointly commissioned the building of a new flag disposal box with the Hastings Veterans Home. Bob Brown from the Veterans Home did an outstanding job with all of the details of the box build. We have a one-of-a-kind piece that we can be proud of. Go to the Post’s Facebook page to see the pictures of the box in its new home: (5) Woodbury American Legion Post 501 | Facebook
Joint Color Guard & Rifle Squad: Legion Post 501 & VFW Post 9024 have a Joint Color Guard and Rifle Squad. This joint team performs at Veteran funeral, parades, and other occasions that require their services. Team lead John Martin is looking for new recruits to ensure that we have enough members to allow us to continue this service to the community. I was recently drafted to be part of the Color Guard at the Woodbury Days parade, so previous experience is not required. Training and uniforms will be provided. If you are interested in being part of this group let me know.
Buddy Checks: As Legionnaires, our most sacred responsibility is to look out for each other and our fellow veterans. We are still living in the midst of COVID-19. 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 are currently gearing up for Buddy Checks for this year. I have already given out a couple of groups of 10 Post members to call to Post members who volunteered to participate. If you want to be part of these Buddy Checks contact me at 703-951-5416 or dolanrp@verizon.net.
Upcoming Events
- 23 Sept – Woodbury Post 501 Monthly Meeting: The Post’s September meeting will be held at the Woodbury City Hall in the Ash North (main floor) conference room at 7pm.·
· 11 Nov – Veterans Day: We are hoping that Woodbury and East Ridge High Schools will be having Veterans Days program this year. I will pass along this information and keep you informed.
This Month in History – 9/11 Remembrance: This year marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on U.S. soil. It is a time to remember the courage of so many firefighters, paramedics, New York policemen and New York’s Port Authority Officers that sacrificed their lives to save others, and a time to honor the memory of all those who perished at Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the Pentagon and the Twin Towers.
The morning of September 11, 2001 remains one of the most pivotal points in American history The events of 9/11 are forever etched in the minds of anyone old enough to remember the day. Those who were on the East Coast recall that it was a brilliant, clear morning. Then, at 8:46 a.m., American Airlines Flight 11 crashed into the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. In a meticulously planned attack, terrorists hijacked four airliners. They flew three of the planes into buildings: the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. They crashed the fourth plane in rural Pennsylvania. The attacks killed 2,976 people and injured thousands more. Today, many first responders are still dealing with adverse health effects from working in toxic conditions.
Let us keep the valiant people who died in these attacks in our thoughts and prayers on this day.
The truth is that you always know the right thing to do. The tough part is doing it.
