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American Legion Department of Illinois
The Great Eighth District
http://8thdistrictillegion.org
NEWSLETTER
November 2014
NOTICE: To all 8th District Members
SUBJECT: Election to fill Office of
Jr. Vice Commander District 8.
You are hereby given notice that at the regular 8th District meeting Nov. 20, 2014
at GLEN MAKER POST 1160, 10739 S.Ridgeland Ave. Chicago Ridge 60415;
there will be an Election to fill the office of Jr. Vice Commander resulting from the
recent resignation of the Districts Jr. Vice Commander.
Members interested in seeking this office must be current in their dues. Nominations
for the vacancy should be made by an appropriate Resolution for Candidacy from their
member Post. (Post Resolutions should be sent ASAP to Resolutions Chairman Ed
Milkint 1645 215th Place, Sauk Village, Il 60411 or emailed to: [email protected] with
a copy to District Cmdr at:[email protected]
Nominations will ALSO be accepted from the floor on Nov. 20th, but must be made by
a Post delegate and seconded by any second delegate. ALSO: the member who
seconds a nomination from the floor, will be required to give a statement of the past
experiences, (ie: activities, offices held, employment, military service or other
reasons etc.)
of their nominee indicating his or her ability to perform the duties of the office .
NOTE:In the event of a Contested Election, only Post Delegates or their Alternate from a
member Post whose 8th District Post per capita dues are current shall be
allowed to vote.
Commanders Report - : Bill Mc Nellis (708)997-40451 email: [email protected]
GOD BLESS AMERICA, GOD BLESS OUR SERVICE PEOPLE, AND GOD BLESS THE LEGION.
Nothing to report at this time
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Sr. Vice Commanders Report - Ricky N. Serrano (708) 822-4935 [email protected]
District standing as of 31st October 2014, has the 8th District in second place, thanks to hard work of are
Legion’s Post in processing Legion Membership Cards in timely matter. Congrats to Posen Post 990 for
100% in membership in the month of October great job. We currently have 18 posts 90% to 70% range at
the end of October, kept up hard work on your membership. The remainder post need to work your
membership little hard, and if you need by help please call me. I will be scheduling visited with post
Commander and Sr. Vice Commander and your membership very soon. Third notice will be mail out on
December 2, 2014 for membership by Department. Hope each posts will be attending the Holiday Hop
schedule for December 6th, at the Evergreen Post 854 and ticket cost $25.00 per person. If you need tickets
please call me. All post need mark this date on your calendar to attend Armed Forces Day on 16 May 2015.
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Jr. Vice Commanders Report Holiday Hop is Sat. Dec. 6th at Evergreen Park Post 854, 9701 S. Kedzie Ave. Event is a near repeat of the
very well received Hop of last year with same menu and entertainment by the FAB TONES. Tickets are $25
each and available from:
Bill Winters (FO) 312.718.5291
Bill Mc Nellis
708.997.4045
Rick Serrano
708.822.4935
Time to have fun and enjoy yourself is now-before winter returns
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Mike Wunder, Adjutant 8th District (708)598-4622, email: [email protected]
As the Christmas Holidays again approach, the “Wreaths Across America” program deserves your attention.(
Www.wreathsacrossamerica.org ) Check out their program on the internet. In short, it is a program to place
an evergreen wreath on the grave of every veteran across the entire country who is buried in a national
cemetery. For Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, the date is Saturday, December 13, 2014 at
11:AM.. After the ceremony, volunteers are needed to place the wreaths on the graves in the various
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sections. Everyone is welcome to come out and help.. Lincoln National has been recently renovated, but
parking for this event is always crowded. Plan to arrive early. Dress warm. In past years the ceremony has
been conducted in freezing rain. To receive more details, to volunteer to place wreaths, or to donate for
wreaths please contact Debbie Smothers the event local coordinator for Lincoln National in Elwood Illinois
at 815-723-6960 or at the email address below.
(Also needed are volunteers to hold the US colors, in a long line of flags surrounding the ceremony site. If
you want to volunteer to hold a flag, you are requested to register by email at [email protected]
in order that Debbie Smothers can be sure to have a sufficient number of flags available. Flag holders are
requested to arrive by 10:00 AM).
This event is very rewarding and in keeping with holiday traditions, so disregard that old military saw;
“Never Volunteer” and bring the family.
In August 1961, I had just been promoted to 1st Lieutenant, when the entire garrison at Fort Knox was
abuzz about the wall limiting East Berliners access to West Berlin. As the home of the Armor School, the
consensus was that because our Armored Units in Germany were placed on high alert, that units from Fort
Knox would be called upon and training and maneuvers intensified. The 3rd Medium Tank Battalion spent
the fall and winter in the field training. I can recall thawing my combat boots over a fire, because they had
frozen folded over. I swore if I survived that cold bivouac I would never again appreciate winter.
Unfortunately even though I survived, every below zero cold spell reminds me of 1961. I understand now the
stories of the vets from the winters in KOREA.
Apparently the Wall eventually came down some 25 years ago last Sunday. News articles say it was by a
mistaken statement of an East German Official who mis-spoke stating that certain border relaxations would
start “at Once” rather than soon. The resulting flood of East Germans leaving the Eastern Sector
overwhelmed the crossing points, and holes were punched in the wall to accommodate the mass exit of
East Germans who tore pieces of the wall off as souvenirs.
Recent events in the Ukraine makes one wonder if the a divided nation is again being formed by the
former USSR?
On a more pertinent note, remember to send your Post Delegates and or alternates to the District Meeting,
November 20th at Glenn Maker Post 1160. Hope to see you there.
Legion Riders – David B. Montee (708) 724-6781 [email protected]
No report submitted this month.
“Keep the Rubber Side Down
Happenings around the District:
REMEMBER is your Post is having a special event you can enter it on the Event Planner on the District’s
website http://8thdistrictillegion.org We will do our best to get it in the newsletter and on the website. (The
event must not be less than two weeks away)
District Meeting Dates and Locations: November 20, 2014, Glenn Maker Post 1160, 10739 S. Ridgeland,
Chicago Ridge - December 6, 2014 Holiday Hop, Evergreen Park Post 854, 9701 South Kedzie Ave.,
Evergreen Park - January 22, 2015,Tinley Park Post 615, 17423 67th Ct, Tinley Park - February 26, 2015,
Rehfeldt – Meyer Post 474, 3539 West 214th St., Matteson - March 26, 2015, Edward Schultz Post 697,
18255 Grant St., Lansing - April 23, 2015, Thornton Post 1070. 109 North Williams St., Thornton - May 28,
2015, Evergreen Park Post 854, 9701 South Kedzie Ave., Evergreen Park -June 25, 2015, Marrs – Meyer
Post991, 11001 Depot St, Worth.
NOTE: All articles in this newsletter are print as submitted by the officers.
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DEADLINE TO GET YOUR ARTICLE IN THE NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER IS NOVEMBER 5,
2014
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