Multiple West Virginia posts have stepped up to assist those impacted by severe flooding, while the Department of Michigan staged its own collection drive to help its fellow American Legion Family members.
On July 21-22, torrential rains caused flash floods in West Virginia that resulted in two fatalities and caused massive damage in multiple counties – including Upshur County, the home of American Legion Post 7 in Buckhannon.
Post 7 was only modestly impacted, with some water making it inside but then quickly receding without causing any damage. And since then, the post’s members have been focused on those veterans in their community who were severely impacted by the flooding.
Post 7 Commander Michael Wallace, West Virginia’s immediate past department vice commander and current department membership vice chairman, has headed up relief efforts for the community’s veterans. The post is using a meeting room that seats 48 people to fill with much-needed supplies. And donations continued to roll in to meet the demand.
“Our focus here in this post is we work to earn the S in VSO,” Wallace said. “Service is a large part of what we do. We work to serve the veterans, and that’s been the focus of the post for a good number of years. And it’s an all-in kind of effort.
“There’s been a lot of effort by a lot of people. We partner with a lot of people in our community, so we had no qualms about reaching out to credible groups. And we’ve had people reach out to us about helping. The community here is unbelievable. It’s really humbling to see the support we get as a veterans organization.”
Post 7 also invited representatives from the Disabled American Veterans’ state office to come to the post July 23-24, where they provided immediate financial assistance to veterans. Both DAV members also are members of Post 7.
“Over those two days alone we gave out right at $10,000,” Wallace said. “They had to go back to Huntington, but if (a veteran) walks in now, all I have to do is verify their DD214 or VA card, and I will make a call, (the veteran) will be interviewed and then a check will be written and put in the mail.”
Department of West Virginia Commander H. Keith Brown already has made a visit to Post 7 to assess the damage. He came away impressed.
“These guys that are stepping up, they’re just amazing,” Brown said. “Mike Wallace, I visited his post (July 24), and he had things ready. He’s a planner. He got everything all ready to accept all the donations.”
What Post 7 is doing for its community is exactly what Brown called on the state’s Legionnaires to do earlier this month. “When I was elected to commander in July, it was part of my acceptance speech that the veterans in West Virginia need to be taking care of veterans,” he said. “We have to look at our veterans and take care of them and their families. Shortly after that speech, this happened. So it makes me feel good to know that there were veterans in the room that were listening to me.”
Multiple West Virginia posts have stepped up to assist relief efforts. Brown specifically referenced Post 1 in Wheeling planning on delivering $6,000 in donations and Mountaineer Post 174 in Morgantown also collecting supplies.
And Post 177 in Barboursville also is serving as a collection hub. Brown was set to visit the post July 30 to help accept a large donation from The American Legion Department of Michigan, which staged its own flood relief effort to assist its fellow American Legion Family members in West Virginia. The effort came about after West Virginia Membership Chairman Ed Walker reached out to fellow National American Legion College alumnus Roger Deaton, who serves as Michigan’s vice commander.
The pair were part of the same district in 2023 at National American Legion College in Indianapolis and are part of a group of graduates from that district that maintains regular contact. After hearing from Walker and finding out the flood victims’ needs, Deaton used his background in logistics to set up a statewide collection effort.
Deaton established strategic staging stations throughout the state where donations could be collected: Utica American Legion Post 351, Leslie Post 491, Brighton Post 235, Jackson Post 29, Sanford Post 433 and Gladstone Post 71. Donations were collected July 26-29 and were scheduled to be delivered July 30.
Items collected included diapers and baby formula, bottled water, cleaning supplies and non-perishable and canned foods
“This was like a no-brainer for us. It’s veterans helping veterans,” said Deaton, the department’s Disaster Relief Coordinator and commander of Post 235. “There’s no hope here. We just do. By mobilizing, we’re going to help veterans. And that’s what veterans do, right? It’s what we do.”
Deaton said that once in Barboursville, Michigan’s Legionnaires will see what they can do to assist National Guardsmen who are taking part clean-up efforts. “Those are our people, and we’re going to figure out how to help them. And we’ll do another trip in a week or two with the same goods and help out then.”
Michigan’s relief efforts will continue throughout the summer, including collecting school supplies to send to those impacted by the flooding. And assisting West Virginia has given Michigan a blueprint to follow if and when natural disasters hit other American Legion departments.
“This way, we can have a coordinated effort to help our American Legion (departments),” he said. “And that’s what it’s all about.”
While appreciative of Michigan’s effort, Brown said it didn’t come as a surprise to him. “Once you get the word out there, Legionnaires stick together and come together as a whole,” he said. “(Michigan’s American Legion Family) just stood up and started running.”
Walker said assisting the community is why Post 7 exists. “We do not do this for membership. We do it because that’s what we’re supposed to be doing,” he said. “But I won’t deny the fact the product of it is membership. If we go out and provide the services and do what our mandate is as The American Legion, we don’t have to worry about membership. It will work out in the end. But our primary focus is service and helping people.”
- Emergency