Post 501 E-Newsletter - October 2021
Commanders Corner: October brings together my 2 favorite events: Halloween & the Navy’s Birthday. As a Navy veteran and retired Navy civil servant I have spent most of my adult life in executing the Navy’s mission and assisting in forging its future. As part of the Navy I have seen the world, as the recruiting states, from Mediterranean deployments on a carrier to being recalled as part of Desert Storm with a Navy Construction Battalion (SEABEES). It has been a fulfilling career that I fondly look back on In retirement I am giving back to the Navy as part of the Navy Supply Corps Foundation and the Minnesota Navy League. One of the biggest events that I am currently part of is the commissioning of the USS Minneapolis-St Paul (LCS-21). This will be the first Navy ship to be commissioned in the Port of Duluth, which is tentatively scheduled for May 2022. If you want to be commissioning ceremony you can sign up at navyleaguemn.org.
As for Halloween I tend to go a little overboard in decorating my house and giving out candy to the little kids. In my youth I enjoyed dressing up and going around collecting candy and seeing the spooky houses in my neighborhood. There was always one house that went above and beyond in putting a scary scene in his front yard. I guess I am trying to channel that person in creating a spooky house. If you are in the neighbor stop on by for a sweet treat.
Membership Update: At our Post Sept meeting we elected a new Membership Officer. Mr. Eric Hollan will be taking over this important Post position. Eric is a Marine Corps veteran who will bring the relentlessness to the membership position that the time in the Corps taught him.
To date we are at 95 members who have renewed their membership for 2022. Our goal this year is 143 and we are at 66% renewal rate, which is a great start. If you still need to renew your membership you can do it today at www.legion.org. As a reminder the membership year runs 1 July through 30 June.
Poppy Days – 10-12 Sept 21: The three-day joint event was a tremendous success and the Posts are thankful for the outpouring of support from the community. We made a little over $17,000 split between the two Posts. Poppy distribution is a major source of revenue for both Posts and is used to support veterans, active-duty military personnel and their families with medical and financial needs, local scholarships, Boys State, and Woodbury charities that promote veterans’ care. Thanks to all of the volunteers from American Legion Post 501, VFW Post 9024, cadets from the AFJROTC, and the young ladies from the Patriotic Heritage Honor Guard. Without all of the volunteers we could not make this happen.
Carver Lake Park Clean-up: The Woodbury Community Foundation is sponsoring a Carver Lake Park clean-up on 16 Oct from 0900-1100. We use Carver Lake for the annual Joint Picnic and this would be a great way to give back to the community. The Foundation will be providing all of the equipment for the clean-up. You just need to bring your enthusiasm and comfortable clothes. If you would like to be part of this event, give me a call at 703-851-5416 and I will put together our clean-up crew.
Hastings Adopt a Vet Program: The holiday season is almost upon us. The Hastings Veterans Home is gearing up for a wonderful fun filled time and you can be part of it through the Adopt a Vet Program. The Hastings Veterans Home will give you a name and a few bits of information about the veteran, like branch of service, sizes and maybe even a hobby. Once you have this information you do the shopping and wrap the gifts. This is a great way to share the holiday spirit with a veteran in need. All gifts must be received by 10 Dec so that the Hastings Veterans Home can make sure everyone is covered. I went ahead and signed up for this wonderful program just the other day. If you are interested in the Adopt a Vet program call Sue Register at 651-212-8812 or email susan.register@state.mn.us.
Woodbury Days: Everybody loves a parade and we as a Post get to be in one every year as part of the Woodbury Days event in Aug. Putting on Woodbury Days takes a lot of volunteers to plan and organize this event. This past year the Woodbury Days planning committee only had 15 volunteers to put on this year’s event and it was a struggle to put on the 2021 Woodbury Days. In talking with, Barb Flanaghan, the lead for the planning committee, she said that they need around 25 people to successfully plan this event and next years event might not happen if they do not get enough volunteers. Barb said that the planning committee meets once every 2 months so the time commitment is small. Woodbury Days is an important event for the American Legion & VFW Posts in Woodbury. It gets us visibility in the community and would be a tragic loss if Woodbury Days did not occur. If you are interested in getting involved in Woodbury Days send an e-mail to businessfair@woodburydays.com.
Minnesota Military Appreciation Fund: On the KSTP evening news this week there was a news segment on the Minnesota Military Appreciation Fund (MMAF). MMAF is a statewide nonprofit initiative that provides cash grants to all Minnesota service members who have served in combat zones since Sept. 2011 and to the families of fallen service members. There are three levels of grant awards:
- $5,000 to the families of those Minnesotans killed in combat
- $2,000 – $10,000 for those Minnesotans wounded in a combat zone, with the amount based on severity of injury
- $500 to all Minnesotans who served in a combat zone
If you believe that you qualify grant applications are available online at Home (thankmntroops.org).
Upcoming Events
- 16 Oct – Carver Lake Clean-up
- 28 Oct – Woodbury Post 501 Monthly Meeting: The Post’s October meeting will be held at the Woodbury City Hall in the Ash North (main floor) conference room at 7pm.
- 10 Nov – Lake Elmo/Oakdale Prayer Breakfast
- 11 Nov – Veterans Day: Woodbury High School will not be having their Veterans Days program this year. We are still hoping that East Ridge or the city will be putting one on this year. I will pass along the information and keep you informed.
This Month in History – Navy Birthday: 13 October 2021
IN AN EFFORT TO CURB BRITISH SEA CONTROL, the Continental Congress established the Continental Navy, which later, on October 13, 1775, became the United States Navy. When the infant Navy was first formed, it consisted of just two armed vessels – tasked with disrupting munition ships supplying the British Army in America. Yet over the past nearly two and one-half centuries, our Navy has grown to become the largest, most advanced, and most lethal fighting force the world has ever known.
In 1972, the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, designated October 13 as the Navy’s official birthday, and directed that it be commemorated so as to “enhance [the] appreciation of our Navy heritage” and reinforce “pride and professionalism in the Naval Service.”
The theme for the Navy’s 243rd Birthday is “Forged by the Sea.” This year’s theme captures the aspirations of every Sailor’s journey in uniform, and conveys the notion that every Sailor is shaped and strengthened by service in the Navy. It also highlights the fact that our Navy is a team that has been forged, tempered, and toughened over 243 years of maritime operations. And, quite naturally, it speaks to the Navy’s unique and fundamental relationship with the sea.
In addition to this year marking the Navy's 243rd birthday, the year ahead will mark several other historic milestones for the Navy. Throughout the year, Navy will celebrate the 25th anniversary of women’s first assignment aboard a combat ship, the 50th anniversary of Navy’s Fighter Weapons school -- Top Gun, the 75th anniversary of Navy’s success during Operation Overlord (D-Day) and the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.
The truth is that you always know the right thing to do. The tough part is doing it.
