1st District commander’s October report

The month of September was busy.

The month started with a fun-filled Saturday at Camporee with many of the Department Legion Family members.

On Sunday morning, Kellogg Post 546 invited me to ride in the Watermelon Days Parade. I was talking with a veteran who was driving the vehicle I was in, and he was telling me how he is experiencing a slow process getting his paperwork for his injuries on his deployment in Iraq.

He also stated he was glad that he had The American Legion helping get the paperwork he needed.

I began to experience the old feelings. I wondered if it was all worth it, the nightmares, the pain, the loss of the life I had before combat.

As the route of the parade went on and I watched the people standing up and giving proper honor to the flag. I saw the young kids and the older adults, no matter what their health, standing up.

The kids having fun; the parents trying their best to teach their kids to stand with their hands over their heart.

I was sitting behind the driver and tapped him on his shoulder and told him, “This is why we did what we did, and, yes, it was worth every bit of it.”

So as summer ends, remember, winter can be a hard time for some. Let’s do our buddy checks. Keep active and remember we are here for each other, just like we were when we were at our duty stations. Remember, as veterans, we do not let anyone fall behind.