American Legion Post 94
AUGUST 2019 Newsletter
Up-Coming Meetings and Events
Monthly Membership Meetings (Second Friday of every month except July)
6:00 pm – Social
6:30 pm – Dinner
7:30 pm – Program
9 August 2019
MG, USA, (Retired) John Hemphill will be our guest speaker.
The Post Auxiliary will also be draping their charter in remembrance of Corky Cunningham.
13 September 2019
Annual Post Membership and Awards Dinner and Ceremony (i.e. steak night) starting at 6:00 pm.
11 October 2019
Program to be announced later
Post and American Legion News
The National Commander’s dinner went very well with a great attendance and much praise from the National Commander. First thanks to the kitchen staff and helpers for putting on a great meal and to Dave Hodgeboom for serving as the master of ceremonies. Second, due to the excellent planning and budgeting by our Post organizers, the Post came out ahead financially. A recommendation and vote will be held at the 9 August meeting on what to do with these funds.
The Post did very well at the Department convention in Spokane last month. Here are some highlights:
· Dave Hodgeboom was elected the department alternate National Executive Committeeperson
· Gary Walker was installed as the 4th District Vice Commander
· The Post’s EMT of the Year winner, Sam Leopardo, received the Department’s EMT of the Year Award
· The Post received the 2018-2019 the Herb Davis Community Service and the Henry E. Lamb Jr Special Olympics Awards
· Gary Walker received the Department “Blue Cap” Legionnaire of the Year Award
The membership eligibility to join the American Legion was signed into law by President Trump last month. The eligibility dates are from 7 December 1941 to a date determined by the U.S. Congress. It is in place and membership applications for those newly eligible veterans are being received and processed. A recommendation and discussion on updating the Post by-laws will be introduced at the August Post meeting with a vote at a later meeting.
The Post now has a website in addition to its Facebook page. Please check it out at:
http://centennial.legion.org/washington/post94
You can also follow Post activities on Facebook. Check it out and like us to follow events.
Our Facebook page is American Legion Post 94 Lacey Washington.
General Veteran and Safety News
With schools getting ready to start up within the next few weeks, here are some safety tips from the National Safety Council.
Back to School Safety Checklist
As summer draws to a close and children start heading back to school, family life can get pretty hectic. It's important to remember – and share with your children – some key tips that will help keep them safe and healthy throughout the school year.
Whether children walk, ride their bicycle or take the bus to school, it is extremely important that they take proper safety precautions. Here are some tips to make sure your child safely travels to school:
Review your family's walking safety rules and practice walking to school with your child.
· Walk on the sidewalk, if one is available; when on a street with no sidewalk, walk facing the traffic
· Before you cross the street, stop and look left, right and left again to see if cars are coming
· Make eye contact with drivers before crossing and always cross streets at crosswalks or intersections
· Stay alert and avoid distracted walking
Teach your child the rules of the road and practice riding the bike route to school with your child.
· Ride on the right side of the road, with traffic, and in a single file
· Come to a complete stop before crossing the street; walk bikes across the street
· Stay alert and avoid distracted riding
· Make sure your child always wears a properly fitted helmet and bright clothing
Teach your children school bus safety rules and practice with them.
· Go to the bus stop with your child to teach them the proper way to get on and off the bus
· Teach your children to stand 6 feet (or three giant steps) away from the curb
· If your child must cross the street in front of the bus, teach him or her to walk on the side of the road until they are 10 feet ahead of the bus; your child and the bus driver should always be able to see each other
· Get the facts on bus safety from Injury Facts
Driving Your Child to School »
Stay alert and avoid distracted driving.
· Obey school zone speed limits and follow your school's drop-off procedure
· Make eye contact with children who are crossing the street
· Never pass a bus loading or unloading children
· The area 10 feet around a school bus is the most dangerous for children; stop far enough back to allow them to safely enter and exit the bus
Car crashes are the No. 1 cause of death for teens. Fortunately, there is something we can do.
· Teens crash because they are inexperienced; practice with new drivers every week, before and after they get their license
· Set a good example; drive the way you want your teen to drive
· Sign the New Driver Deal, an agreement that helps define expectations for parents and teens
School Safety
Many School-related injuries are completely preventable. Follow these steps to ensure your child's safety at school.
Choose a backpack for your child carefully; it should have ergonomically designed features to enhance safety and comfort.
Ask your children to use both straps when wearing their backpack to evenly distribute the weight on their shoulders
Don't overstuff a backpack; it should weigh no more than 5% to 10% of your child's body weight
Rolling backpacks should be used cautiously since they can create a trip hazard in crosded school hallways
To reduce strangulation hazards on playgrounds, have your child leave necklaces and jackets with drawstrings at home
A few bumps and bruises can be expected when your child plays sports, but head injuries should never be ignored
Murphy’s Military Laws of the month
· If your attack is going really well, it’s an ambush.
· Never mind the bullet with your name on it, try to avoid the shrapnel addressed to occupant.
· Cluster bombing is very, very accurate. The bombs always hit the ground.
· Tracers work both ways.
Adjutant’s Report
If you have not renewed your membership for this year, please do so soon.
Building Rental
If you were not aware, the Post offers both the post building and the pavilion for rent.
Building
Post Members
Non-Members
Post Building
$175.00
$325.00
Pavilion (available only on week nights)
$175.00
$325.00
Pavilion is no longer available for weekend rentals. The post has a Church renting it for both Saturday and Sundays.
There is a $200.00 refundable security deposit requirement as well. Please contact Larry Granish at 360.701.5921 or email at lgrani@comcast.net to reserve either facility.
Chaplain’s Corner
Contact the Post Chaplain, Otis Chapman, at lukie1964@gmail.com if you need assistance.
Service Officer and VA News
President signs Blue Water Navy Veterans Act into law
The American Legion
Jun 26, 2019
The decades-long fight for Blue Water Navy veterans to receive VA disability benefits for illnesses linked to exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War is over.
On Tuesday, June 25, President Trump signed into law H.R. 299, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019. The American Legion-supported legislation will extend disability benefits covering medical conditions associated with Agent Orange exposure to those who served on ships off the coast of Vietnam, known as "Blue Water" Navy veterans.
Veterans who served in Vietnam between 1962 and 1975 are presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange if diagnosed with a medical condition associated with the herbicide, according to the Agent Orange Act of 1991. Presumptive diseases of exposure to the herbicide include certain cancers, Parkinson’s disease and diabetes. However, this act applied only to veterans who served on land and in Vietnam’s inland waterways. H.R. 299 extends these benefits to any military personnel who served on any vessel during the Vietnam War that came within 12 nautical miles of the coastlines of Vietnam.
H.R. 299 further expands coverage and includes the provision that every veteran exposed to herbicides like Agent Orange should receive the same presumptive benefits. A provision in H.R. 299 states, “A veteran who, during active military, naval, or air service, served offshore of the Republic of Vietnam during the period beginning on January 9, 1962, and ending on May 7, 1975,” will be eligible for disability compensation for presumptive conditions of herbicide exposure. This will allow veterans who fall into that category and whose claims have been denied or held in pending status to gain access to VA medical care for conditions on the presumptive list.
H.R. 299 will afford spouses of certain veterans whose death was caused by a service-connected disability access to pension benefits. The bill also provides the children of veterans of covered service in Thailand who suffer from spina bifida access to health care, vocational training and rehabilitation, and monetary allowance.
Service Officer Information
Do you feel that you have a residual health problem that is linked to your time in the service? Have you applied for benefits with the Veterans Administration and been turned down? If so, do not try to deal with the VA on your own. My name is Rose Hodgeboom and I am the Post 94 service officer. It is my job to help you navigate the benefits system. Call me at 360-491-3621 if you need assistance with a claim. The Legion also has a Temporary Financial Assistance program that could help you one time with paying your utilities, rent/mortgage, or other emergency needs. This is an American Legion Children and Youth program and to qualify you must have minor children in your home. If you feel you need help from this program let me know and I will be glad to help.
The Lacey Veterans Service Hub also provides a wide variety of assistance to veterans and now has over 35 providers working out of there. The Hub is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (except holidays) and is located at 4232 6th Avenue SE, Suite 202, Lacey, WA 98503. The phone number is 360.456.3850.
Post Officers for 2019-2020
Commander – Gary Walker
1st Vice-Commander - Eric Strom
2nd Vice Commander - Bob Nakamura
Adjutant - Larry Granish
Finance Officer – Dave Hodgeboom
Sergeant at Arms – Kevin Lindsey
Chaplain – Otis Chapman
Veteran Service Officer - Rose Hodgeboom
Judge Advocate - David Hodgeboom
Post Historian – Len Tobin
