News of the world
A previous Post 5 Polar Bear event. (Photo via Clare Sullivan)

News of the world

FODPAL (Foreign and Outlying Departments and Posts of the American Legion) posts are, as indicated in the organization’s name, located around the world. But wherever they are, they keep busy with the programs and initiatives the Legion has sustained for nearly 100 years.

And like many other posts, they have newsletters. To better facilitate communication between far-flung members of the same post, the FODPAL section of www.legion.org has a page dedicated to uploaded newsletters: https://www.legion.org/fodpal/newsletters. Below are some highlights from February/winter editions recently added to the site.

Seward (Alaska) Post 5, “Commander’s Comments” by Clare Sullivan: “I’d like to thank everyone for their support during our holiday and Polar Bear Jump Off events. The food, the post décor, the service was and still is outstanding by everyone, all thanks to our incredible volunteers! Thankfully, we had a lot of helping hands to make it happen. You guys are great and uniquely talented! You jump right in and find what needs to be done and get it accomplished. That is ‘yuge!’ I am also pleased to mention it is a wonderful mix of post, Auxiliary and Sons who are participating and making things happen. Thank you so very much; without you we couldn’t provide what we do for our veterans and the community.”

Brig. Gen. Robin Olds Post TH01 (Thailand), by 1st Vice Commander/Membership Chairman Bruce Templeman: “As a reminder, please check with your buddies you haven't heard from in a while and see how they are doing. A Buddy Check is the best way that we can let our friends know that we care. Perhaps, at our roll call at the beginning of each post meeting, someone can tell us if any of our members are having problems attending. We can work offline to see if we can help them in any way. No one needs to air out any personal problems of our members in front of the group, but a discreet word in the right place and moment can really help someone going through a difficult time. Let's look out after each other and get this Centennial Celebration going!”

Gens. Ward & Chennault & LT Helseth China Post 1 (in exile), “Welcome from the Commander” by Ronald Burkett: “The Year of the Dog was an excellent year for China Post 1. Our San Antonio reunion had almost twice the attendance we have enjoyed in recent years. Reunion 2019 will be on 19-22 September in Colorado Springs. There have been emails out on that. If you have not received one you can get details on our web page at www.chinapost1.org.”

Flanders Field Post BE02 (Belgium), by POW/MIA Committee Chair Mark William Altmeyer: “I look at existing situations for the POW/MIA committee and think of how things might be optimized, to make things more cost-effective and efficient in the long term. Since being given this position, I have given much thought to what I can give to hold up the honor of this very important post. I have come to the conclusion that both parts of my work portfolio, as important as they are, is overshadowed by one. This is the MIA element, 70-plus years after the war has ended. The POW element has mainly been accounted for by now, but the MIA situation is still inconclusive for a lot of families.

“DPAA is doing a gargantuan task at recovering some of our lost sons, but in the times of failing funds and manpower, it is but the tip of the iceberg. I am striving for a co-operation between the DPAA, The American Legion and the German Reserves to assist DPAA in bringing our sons home; it would be a win-win situation, with devoted veterans themselves also actively in the field, assisting the DPAA with research and recovery and fulfilling the promise that ‘Nobody is Left Behind.’”