Armed Forces Appreciation Day 2024 is history now, and lessons from our past events have paid off.
We simplified our program and concentrated on services that our veterans asked for; assistance with dealing with the Veterans’ Administration, health checks, hearing tests, information about Ozark Independent Living, mortgage and financial advice, employment opportunities with the Missouri Job Center, and even advice about final arrangements. The free picnic meal was served throughout the event, just under 200 deluxe burgers, and a similar number of beef hotdogs.
The numbers: We had 105 veterans signed in, plus their family members, service officers and other representatives, totaling 330 attendees. The venue was the outstanding auditorium at Intercounty Electric in Licking; it was sparkling clean and well-lit, and there was plenty of floorspace for all of our activities with room to spare. This streamlined program will be the pattern for our future AFADs.
In other news, Post 41 met with a representative from Sen. Josh Hawley’s Springfield office: Mr. Tanner Wallace. He asked about veterans’ activities in Texas County and provided us with message forms with which veterans can inform the Senator’s office about their VA and other concerns. The forms will be available at the Military Museum and American Legion Post 41, and will be provided to the other veteran’s organizations.
Further along, Post 41 is planning to serve Freedom Dogs during the Independence Day Parade, to be held on June 29 in Houston. All-beef high-quality hotdogs, chips and cold bottled water will be free to all comers before, during and after the parade, under the pavillion on Lone-Star Plaza. On the subject of the parade, we are looking for Korean-War veterans to ride the Post 41 “float.”
Next month: Some serious notes about Congressional investigations at the Veterans’ Administration.
Texas County veterans organizations:
•Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 473 meets at 6 p.m. on the last Thursday of each month at their Post Meeting Hall on Highway 63 north of Cabool.
•American Legion Post 559 meets at 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month at the VFW Post 6337 meeting hall in Licking. Post 559 has been revitalized by past members and will be looking for new ones.
•Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6337 in Licking meets at 5:30 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at its Meeting Hall on Main Street just south of Highway 32.
•Fleet Reserve Association Branch 364 meets at 2:30 p.m. every fourth Sunday of each month at the American Legion Post 41 meeting hall in Houston. The FRA exists to serve all veterans and active-duty members of the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard.
•Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 7222 meets at 6 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at their meeting hall just east of Summersville.
•American Legion Post 41 meets at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at its meeting hall on the west end of Chilton Oil Company in Houston, (just north of Pizza Hut.) Changes to membership eligibility now allow U.S. veterans of all branches and periods of service to join the American Legion.
Houston resident Robert E. Simpson is a retired U.S. Navy chief electronics technician who served from 1969 to 1990. Email gfjjkaa@gmail.com.
