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COMMANDER’S CORNER
Well
here we are at the end of one journey and at the start of another one. I
know I speak for all of the new officers when I say we are honored to
serve and will continue to strive to make Post 162 one of the best in the
Department.
This past year has been outstanding. We started off the year with
eight goals we wanted to accomplish and thanks to you the officer’s,
Auxiliary, SAL, Committee Chairs, Volunteers, and members; all were
accomplished with the exception of two. We did not obtain 100% membership
before December 31, but by March we had surpassed that goal and increased
our roles by adding 84 new members. The second goal was to build and
dedicate a lasting memorial on the Post grounds in tribute to the memory
of our Post members who served so gallantly in the past and honor those
who are serving today in the name of democracy and freedom. I will work
toward that end this coming year. I think this will be a fitting tribute
also because next year is Lorton American Legion Post 162’s 75 Anniversary
and we are already planning for this event. Bill Strawsburg is the
Chairman for this event and we will keep you posted on our progress. If
you have some ideas contact us via our web page at
www.valegion162.org. Also check our website for
upcoming Post event announcements.
The
Wild Game spread was terrific, the menu, quail, pheasant, deer, bear, and
boar including the sides was just simply put, OUT OF THIS WORLD. As far
as I could tell no one went home hungry and everyone had a great time.
Thanks to Lee Winter and wife Claudia for a great feed.
The
Mothers Day Brunch was well received and the daily menus are doing great.
I would like to give a special thanks to all of our ABC Managers who
continue to make this great post to belong to and be associated with. I
also want to thank those members who volunteered to assist our Auxiliary
during their Poppy Drive; it was a great team effort. Last but not lease
thanks are also in order for those who participated in the Spring
Clean-up. Joe the 3rd Vice-Commander provided me with the
names, and me being me, I put them in a place where I could find them, but
now I don’t know where that place is. Must only happen to me.
For God
and County
HAYFIELD JROTC CADETS HONORED
Sam
Ramseur
On
Thursday May 17, 2007, the Post Commander, 1st Vice Commander,
and the Finance Officer participated in the Hayfield Junior ROTC Awards
program. The event was held in the J. Victor Lutz Sports Complex Football
Stadium. LTC Joe Spicer is the JROTC Senior Army Instructor for the
program.
I
truly wish you could have been there the young men and women were very
impressive and you could see the parents, guest, and presenters chest
swell with pride as the Student Battalion, one-hundred and twenty (120)
cadets march into the stadium down in front of the viewing stand and onto
the field.
Post
162 is a key supporter of this JROTC Program and was recognized for its
contributions and support for the of the JROTC program throughout the
years. But the program has also been very supportive to us. They serve
as the Color Guard and lead the Annual Lorton 4th of July
Community Parade and as Color Guard for our Post Memorial Day & Veterans
Day Observance Ceremony.
We
presented six awards:
Scholastic Excellence (Gold) – Cadet Captain Anthony Kim
Scholastic Excellence (Silver) – Cadet Captain Mathew Radi
Scholastic Excellence (Bronze) – Cadet Sergeant Jeffrey McLaughlin
Military
Excellence (Gold) – Cadet Captain Harry Morales
Military
Excellence (Silver) – Cadet Captain Wyatt Patterson
Military
Excellence (Bronze) – Cadet Master Sergeant Christopher Folk
Congratulations to all the cadets on a job well done.
Please see Jen if you are
interested in renting a locker for the rest of the year. We have
several lockers available and the cost is only $1.00 per month. You
will be issued a key and will receive notice that renewal is due in
December for the following year. ABC law requires all the bottles in
your locker have your first and last name on them at all times.
Beginning June 1 the kitchen is in full swing.
A new menu is now on your tables. We are cooking Monday through Friday
12pm to 7pm. Wednesday’s special is a Cheeseburger w/chips for only
$3.75. We will continue to do our Shrimp night the fourth Thursday of
every month. Friday nights are reserved for Ralph’s Famous Pizza from 4
to 6. We are pleased to bring this to you and hope that you continue to
enjoy the food. Please spread the news that we are cooking a Steak
Dinner once a month for only $8.00. Also, bring your family and
friends down for our Father’s Day Brunch Sunday, June 17th
10am to 12pm.
Please
note that Tacos are no longer available on Tuesdays.
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CANCER WALK A SUCCESS
A Summary
Report by Brenda Tislow
To
begin with, let us say thank you…thank you…thank you! Without each and
every one of you this could not have happened! You are all awesome! Our
walk was this past weekend…. and can we all say blisters, sore legs, and
many tears of sadness, happiness, pain, and exhilaration. Wow, what a
weekend! We started out before dawn, getting ready, eating breakfast, and
listening to opening remarks from breast cancer survivors. There was not
a dry eye was too be seen. At 0700, we started our 26.2 miles walk with
3100 plus other walkers. The weather was pretty good for the day,
although we did have a little rain towards the end of the day. At the end
of the first day, Linda had walked to the half way point (using her
inhaler numerous times…she was sick coming into the weekend), Heather
walked 20, Brenda walked 23, Vicki and Tammy walked 24, and give a big
round of applause to Jen, she walked the entire 26.2 miles!!! Along the
way, there were many well wishers…. some small, some big, and some bald
from treatment…. but all cheering and routing us on. As we walked and as
the feet began to hurt, we all thought that this was nothing compared to
the pain of the disease and the pain of the treatment. We knew that that
our pain was temporary compared to the pain of breast cancer. At the end
of the day, it was cold and rainy. Linda had been picked up to sleep in a
warm bed, as she was already sick. When Brenda came into the wellness
village, Heather was in the medic tent with an IV in her arm…she was
dehydrated. Brenda, Heather and Jen made a command decision to have Larry
come pick them up…so that we too could sleep in a warm bed. Tammy and
Vicki decided to tough it out and stay in the tent. Besides being
cold and damp, they had some real snorers around them; great job to Tammy
and Vicki for going through the entire weekend experience.
Sunday started early, Heather, Jen, and Brenda were preparing to go back
to the wellness village to start their walk…when Jenna (Jen's daughter,
Brenda's granddaughter) became ill and couldn’t continue… So needless to
say, the three of us did not make it to the walk on Sunday. But give it
up for Vicki and Tammy; Vicki walked an amazing 34 miles and Tammy
did an awesome 37 miles!!!
We
could not have walked without each and every one of you and we want to
thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your support has been awesome.
Our walk had over 3100 walkers and we raised over $7,400,000. All of this
money that we raised stays local to fight breast cancer in our area!!!
We thank each and every one of you for your generosity and a special
thanks goes to the American Legion Post 162. Their generosity resulted in
over $6000 to the Cure for Breast Cancer.
With MUCH
Love and Thanks,
Vicki, Linda, Jen, Tammy, Heather, Linda and Brenda
SAL
Taking
Donations To Honor A Fallen Friend
SPC
Michael Rodriguez was his fathers pride. George Rodriguez grew up in
Fairfax next door to my wife’s family and had joined the Army right after
graduating from Robinson High School. He became a Ranger in the 82nd
Airborne Division and made the Army his career. Retired from the service
now, the fact that one of his sons had decided to follow in his footsteps
had been a source of great pride for George and the entire Rodriguez
family. Michael Rodriguez had completed his training as a paratrooper at
Fort Bragg and was nearing the end of his first tour in Iraq. His heroism
under fire had earned him a number of decorations including the Bronze
Star and the Purple Heart. In mid June he was to return to Fayetteville to
go through Ranger School.
Michael’s
favorite past time in Iraq was to stuff the cargo pockets of his BDU pants
with hard candies (chocolate melts too easily in the heat of the desert)
and hand it out to the children. He enjoyed the company of little
children. When they recognized Michael coming down the street he would
attract a crowd pretty quickly. When Michael Rodriguez was around it was
always like Halloween.
With the
Sunni and Shiite civil factions in Iraq at odds with each other the Army
often finds its soldiers performing duties in situations beyond the
traditional calling of an infantryman. When explosives were discovered
hidden inside a school building in the town of As Sadah, Michael’s platoon
was called upon to come in and evacuate the children from the building.
After the evacuation an Army bomb disposal unit arrived to disarm the
bomb. The following day a call came in over the radio notifying the
platoon leader that explosives had been discovered in another school
building nearby. Another evacuation was necessary. The soldiers began
mobilizing to protect the children again. Before the platoon had the
opportunity to leave the base for the school, a car filled with explosives
driven by a suicide bomber rammed the side of the C Troop patrol base.
Nine soldiers were killed and 20 were wounded in the resulting explosion
including Michael Rodriguez.
I heard
about the attack on the radio the next morning while driving to work. “The
worst single day for American casualties in the past two years,” the
newscaster said. I had no idea that it would effect me two weeks later.
Thankfully most of the people that I know that had been to Iraq have come
home safely and I pray that our friends that are still over there may soon
enjoy a life of peace back home among loved ones. We Americans are truly
blessed to have a nation filled with such selfless people. The events that
happen half a world away from us still affect us all, and as a member of
the American Legion I feel obliged to honor this 20 year-old soldier who
cared so much for the children of this war that he gave his life trying to
save them from danger. The SAL will place a box in the lobby of the social
quarters for the next month. I’m asking for anyone who would like to
donate a bag of hard candy to drop their donation into the box. When we
have collected a months worth of candy I will make sure that the proceeds
are sent to C Troop, 73rd Cavalry, 82nd Airborne
Division for the soldiers to hand out to the children in Iraq. I’m sure
that Michael would have wanted it that way.
John
Windsor, SAL Commander
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