Success Stories
Click here to share your success story.
Baseball Reaches the Troops in Iraq Courtesy of American Legion Baseball
Baseball has been called Americas favorite national past time. Anyone serving in B Company, 9th Engineers in Iraq will tell you that baseball is not just a national past time, but a way of life for them.
Thanks to the members of Huntington Beach Post 133 in Huntington Beach, California, B Company is becoming one of the best equipped units for baseball in Iraq.
In February of this year, Post 133 sent baseball bats and balls, gloves, catchers masks and bases to Company B.
It all started when our the Sergeant of Arms, Tony Zarkades, was in contact with his nephew who is in B Company, said Dennis Bauer, Commander for Post 133. His nephew told him that they wished they had the means to play baseball to let off some steam and to strengthen camaraderie but they had no sporting goods of any kind.
Zarkades just happens to also be the American Legion Baseball Chairman for Post 133. Efforts to equip a team of soldiers in a hostile country half-way across the world were started immediately.
Working with Commander Bauer and the leadership of Post 133, Zarkades started the wheel in motion to provide this need for the troops.
Since many of our members played Legion baseball or had kids that played, we were able to get a lot of the baseball items donated, said Bauer.
Funds were raised to purchase all the baseball equipment that the soldiers in B Company needed.
We even went to Ebay to purchase used equipment, said Bauer. We fixed some of the equipment - laced up some mitts and got it sent over.
According to Bauer, emails from the soldiers of B Company started to come in expressing their gratitude as well as more requests.
In fact one email was from another company over in Iraq requesting the same equipment baseball might be catching on over there, said Bauer.
On short order football equipment and gear and Frisbees were sent out with the next shipment per the request of the soldiers.
One soldier even said the Iraqi children and soldiers are closely observing and cheering for the soldier-players, said Bauer.
But according to of Huntington Beach Post 133 in Huntington Beach California, identified a need of the troops that no one was tending to.
His nephew, a soldier
Baseball has been called Americas favorite national past time. Anyone serving in B Company, 9th Engineers in Iraq will tell you that baseball is not just a national past time, but a way of life for them.
Thanks to the members of Huntington Beach Post 133 in Huntington Beach, California, B Company is becoming one of the best equipped units for baseball in Iraq.
In February of this year, Post 133 sent baseball bats and balls, gloves, catchers masks and bases to Company B.
It all started when our the Sergeant of Arms, Tony Zarkades, was in contact with his nephew who is in B Company, said Dennis Bauer, Commander for Post 133. His nephew told him that they wished they had the means to play baseball to let off some steam and to strengthen camaraderie but they had no sporting goods of any kind.
Zarkades just happens to also be the American Legion Baseball Chairman for Post 133. Efforts to equip a team of soldiers in a hostile country half-way across the world were started immediately.
Working with Commander Bauer and the leadership of Post 133, Zarkades started the wheel in motion to provide this need for the troops.
Since many of our members played Legion baseball or had kids that played, we were able to get a lot of the baseball items donated, said Bauer.
Funds were raised to purchase all the baseball equipment that the soldiers in B Company needed.
We even went to Ebay to purchase used equipment, said Bauer. We fixed some of the equipment - laced up some mitts and got it sent over.
According to Bauer, emails from the soldiers of B Company started to come in expressing their gratitude as well as more requests.
In fact one email was from another company over in Iraq requesting the same equipment baseball might be catching on over there, said Bauer.
On short order football equipment and gear and Frisbees were sent out with the next shipment per the request of the soldiers.
One soldier even said the Iraqi children and soldiers are closely observing and cheering for the soldier-players, said Bauer.
But according to of Huntington Beach Post 133 in Huntington Beach California, identified a need of the troops that no one was tending to.
His nephew, a soldier
Huntington Beach Post 133
Huntington Beach, California
Still Serving America through Reconnect and Family Support
We all know that a familys sense of togetherness earns them the respect of their neighborhood and community.
The Buffalo County American Legion Post 52 in Kearney, Nebraska, continues to show their pride as a family and demonstrated their togetherness in the community using Reconnect and Family Support initiatives.
Project Coordinator, Bill McMullen and President Delmar L Nelson pulled resources and talent to help host a Christmas Party for the families of Company B, 735th Transportation Unit of the Nebraska National Guard.
Estimated Attendance was 125 soldiers and their family members.
Post 52 is no stranger to Company B. When Company B left Kearney in January 2004, Post 52 posted colors for the departure ceremony.
In November 2004, Post 52 members decided they would like to do something for the troops for Christmas. They contacted Deb Schauer with the 735th Family Readiness Group and discovered that she could use some help in putting together a Christmas party for the troops and their families.
Post 52 agreed to donate $500 for gifts for the children. They also furnished members to play Santa Clause, Mrs. Santa and two elves. The ladies for the Readiness Group did the arranged for the decorations and furnished the food.
One SAL member video tapped the program. After the Christmas Party, the SAL converted the video to DVD and each family was given a copy to send to their love one serving in the Middle East.
Santa (who was played by an SAL member) asked one little girl what she wanted for Christmas she answered, I just want my daddy home.
Moved by this little girls wish, and the rapport they felt with the family members of the troops and the Family Readiness Group personnel, the members of Post 52 vowed to continue their support of Company Bs soldiers.
The Legion Family of Post 52 was on hand to post colors for the welcome home ceremony of Company B in March 2005.
This family effort resulted in a lasting personal relationship with the members of Company B. It enhanced the Legions presence within the community of Kearney, Nebraska. It impressed upon both military and civilians that they indeed have a good neighbor with the members of Buffalo County American Legion Post 52.
In essence, Post 52s Reconnect and Family Support efforts epitomize one of our trademark phrases, Still Serving America.
We all know that a familys sense of togetherness earns them the respect of their neighborhood and community.
The Buffalo County American Legion Post 52 in Kearney, Nebraska, continues to show their pride as a family and demonstrated their togetherness in the community using Reconnect and Family Support initiatives.
Project Coordinator, Bill McMullen and President Delmar L Nelson pulled resources and talent to help host a Christmas Party for the families of Company B, 735th Transportation Unit of the Nebraska National Guard.
Estimated Attendance was 125 soldiers and their family members.
Post 52 is no stranger to Company B. When Company B left Kearney in January 2004, Post 52 posted colors for the departure ceremony.
In November 2004, Post 52 members decided they would like to do something for the troops for Christmas. They contacted Deb Schauer with the 735th Family Readiness Group and discovered that she could use some help in putting together a Christmas party for the troops and their families.
Post 52 agreed to donate $500 for gifts for the children. They also furnished members to play Santa Clause, Mrs. Santa and two elves. The ladies for the Readiness Group did the arranged for the decorations and furnished the food.
One SAL member video tapped the program. After the Christmas Party, the SAL converted the video to DVD and each family was given a copy to send to their love one serving in the Middle East.
Santa (who was played by an SAL member) asked one little girl what she wanted for Christmas she answered, I just want my daddy home.
Moved by this little girls wish, and the rapport they felt with the family members of the troops and the Family Readiness Group personnel, the members of Post 52 vowed to continue their support of Company Bs soldiers.
The Legion Family of Post 52 was on hand to post colors for the welcome home ceremony of Company B in March 2005.
This family effort resulted in a lasting personal relationship with the members of Company B. It enhanced the Legions presence within the community of Kearney, Nebraska. It impressed upon both military and civilians that they indeed have a good neighbor with the members of Buffalo County American Legion Post 52.
In essence, Post 52s Reconnect and Family Support efforts epitomize one of our trademark phrases, Still Serving America.
Buffalo County American Legion
Kearney, Nebraska
Previous page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Next page
Family Support Promotional Materials
The American Flag
The United States flag is one of the nation's widely recognized and used symbols.
As one of our most-visited sections, our flag section features the following subjects that pertain to such important patriotic symbol:
Get a Website For Your Post
Sites of Interest
Click the following Legion-recommended sites to contribute to the cause of supporting veterans and their families.
