American Legion Family won't let pandemic halt Veterans Day observances

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, members of California’s American Legion Riders have managed to stay busy, including providing funeral escorts, riding by the residences of those homebound or ill, and performing Buddy Checks.

“We stay active,” said David Leavitt, a member of American Legion Post 117 in San Leandro and director of American Legion Riders District 10.

Leavitt and other Legion Riders normally take part in a Veterans Day parade in San Leandro, but it was cancelled because of the pandemic. So American Legion Riders in Districts 9 and 10 have decided to stage their own no-contact, socially-distanced ride to show their respects for the nation’s veterans.

The ride, which Leavitt said is open “to all motorcyclists who are comfortable with group riding”, will travel through Oakley, Antioch, Pittsburg, Concord, Martinez, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, Danville, Pleasanton and Livermore.

“We’ll go through all the downtown areas with everybody flying their 3x5 flags on the back of their motorcycles,” Leavitt said. “We’ll stop at the Martinez (VA Medical Center) … and we’ll stop at the (Palo Alto VA Medical Center-Livermore). The guys are pretty much on lockdown in there. We notified that we’re going to be there, and those that are ambulatory enough to come to the window … we’ll go in and circle the hospital. It’s going everything we can to help everybody that we can.”

Also in California, American Legion Post 20 in Porterville has come up with an alternate way to observe Veterans Day. The post has created a virtual parade that will be aired on local news channels on Veterans Day. Post 20 Commander Don Dowling organized the parade, which features videos of different veterans groups and members of the American Legion Family.

The segments included Post 20’s color guard, its executive board and American Legion Riders, Sons of The American Legion Squadron 779, multiple Purple Heart recipients and parade Grand Marshal John Alba, members of the Porterville Memorial Board and other area veterans.

The videos were shot using mounted and handheld cameras, as well as one attached to a drone, in the Porterville Veterans Memorial building parking lot.

“I am so excited to show the City of Porterville that we care,” Dowling told the Porterville Recorder. “This is one of our No. 1 actions; we love it. We veterans do it because we love Porterville. We love our nation, and our county, and our city. And we’re proud; we’re really proud of it. We just want to show our city how really proud we are.”

The virtual parade will be broadcasted on KSEE24 and CBS47 on Nov. 11.

A Veterans Day Message With A Buddy Check. In Oxford, American Legion Post 108 Americanism Chairman Sarah Eisenhardt and her five children prepared thank-you cards for more than 270 local individuals who served in the U.S. military. Each handwritten card, which were mailed Nov. 2, thanks a veteran for his or her service and invites them to enjoy a free dinner at Post 108 on Veterans Day. The cards are also meant to encourage local veterans to reach out to Post 108 if they are in need of assistance.

“We can’t forget about our comrades,” Eisenhardt said. “The cards are good reminders that we are here for them. It’s important to make sure that everybody is doing OK, especially our older vets. We want them to know that they’re not alone and we’re still working behind the scenes on their behalf.”

The following is just some of what American Legion Family members across the nation are doing to observe Veterans Day. Please remember to share your ceremonies and events at www.legiontown.org.

Alabama

In Madison, members of American Legion Auxiliary Unit 229 have created two projects to commemorate Veterans Day on Nov. 11. The unit has been collecting cards and letters for the residents of Floyd E. ‘Tut’ Fann State Veterans Home in Huntsville.

“Residents at Tut Fann have been shut out from the community, family and friends since the COVID-19 pandemic began,” Auxiliary President Jean Downs told The Madison Record. “The activity director at Tut Fann said the veterans really enjoy reading, and letters from people of all ages are especially appreciated.”

Unit 229 will also head up a cleaning of the gravestones of veterans on Nov. 7 at the Madison Memory Gardens. Unit 229 will provide cleaning supplies.

Auxiliary members have identified about 40 gravestones and markers to clean in Madison Memory Gardens cemetery and another 25 that require cleaning in Madison Cemetery.

“We held our first ‘Cleaning of the Gravestones’ event last fall, and it was a very successful day,” Downs said. “We cleaned about 30 grave markers in the oldest part of the Madison cemeteries on the south side of Mill Road. We had a wonderful turnout from our community last year and are looking forward to the same support this year.”

Colorado

American Legion 1980 in Woodland Park is continuing a 30-year tradition by honoring area veterans Nov. 11 with a barbecue at Shining Mountain Golf Club. In order to properly social distance, the post has set up seatings at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., with tables properly spaced out. The event will follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and is free to Teller County veterans, active-duty military, reservists and members of the National Guard and their families.

“For many Teller County veterans, this dinner is one of the few times they will come out and socialize and be honored. We wanted to continue this tradition in a responsible way,” American Legion Post 1980 Commander Dan Williams told the Pikes Peak Courier. “Many of our veterans are older, and while we did not want our annual event to cause any harm to them or their families, it was important for us to do something for them. It’s a balance.”

Illinois

American Legion Post 488 in Riverside is conducting a virtual Veterans Day ceremony at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 that will include a historical interpretation by former President Ulysses S. Grant, who will be portrayed by historian and educational consultant Dr. Curt Fields. Dr. Fields will be presenting three short speeches: Grant’s first inaugural address, his announcement of the 15th Amendment ratification to Congress, and the Des Moines Address, a patriotic speech to veterans. A brief Q&A with “the president” will follow.

Indiana

In Jeffersonville, American Legion Post 35 and Auxiliary Unit 35 will host a flag dedication on Veterans Day at Eastern Cemetery. The flagstaff has been empty for 70 years but now has a U.S. flag on it to honor veterans. Unit 35 members also will place other flags at the cemetery and lay a wreath honoring deceased veterans.

“It’s just something we wanted to do as a community service,” Unit 35 President Maria Schindler told the News and Tribune. “This pole has been so empty, so we said ‘let’s do this.’”

Maine

In Thomaston, Williams-Brazier American Legion Post 37 is conducting its annual Veterans Day celebration on Nov. 11, but has altered the ceremony because of the pandemic. There will be fewer speakers, and there will be no post-celebration snacks and refreshments.

The ceremony will include two dedications this year. The first is the placement of a chair at the Post 37 POW/MIA table dedicated to Arthur T. Kiskila, who served in the U. S. Army from 1964 to 1967. Kiskila was a Post 37 member and passed away earlier this year. The second dedication is placing a drop box for American flags that to be retired from service.

Weather permitting, the Veterans Day Celebration will take place outdoors, with masks being worn and social distancing being used. If weather is bad the ceremony will be held inside, with limited seating.

Massachusetts

American Legion Post 72 members have worked with the Wellesley Celebrations Committee, the Wellesley Veterans’ Office and Wellesley Board of Selectmen’s Beth Sullivan Woods to create a “Wellesley Salutes Our Veterans 2020” display. The outdoor attraction allows area residents to view window displays throughout town, including in storefronts that are vacant, that honor those who serve or have served in the U.S. military. Displays include tributes to Rosie the Riveter, the landing on the beaches of Normandy, and to Wellesley residents who have served and are currently serving in the military.

Mississippi

In New Albany, a luminary trail consisting of 3,000 candles inside decorated bags has been set up to commemorate Veterans Day. Area residents can drive through the luminary trail, making this a safe way to honor veterans during the pandemic.

The drive-through event will take place Nov. 14 and is being coordinated by American Legion Auxiliary Unit 72. Unit 72 members Heather Whittington and Windy Green came up with the idea as a way to still observe Veterans Day despite the coronavirus.

“I really hope that it’s inspirational and a beautiful tribute to the veterans,” Whittington told the New Albany Gazette. “I think it’s going to be really pretty. I really hope that we have a great turnout.”

Area schools also will be involved with the event. Students in grades K-5 will be given luminary bags to decorate for the veterans. The students can also put messages of thanks on the bags for the veterans. The drive-through also will include patriotic music, courtesy WNAU 1470 AM.

New Jersey

In Madison, American Legion Post 43 will lead a Veterans Day ceremony across from James Park in Madison. The ceremony will include the unveiling of road signs to honor the memory of First Lt. Samuel S. Coursen, Madison’s only Medal of Honor recipient. In October 1950, while leading a patrol in Korea, Coursen single-handedly killed seven enemy combatants in fierce hand-to-hand combat in his attempt to save the life of one of his men; he saved the soldier’s life but lost his own.

North Carolina

A socially distanced Veterans Day ceremony will involve American Legion Post 147 in Rockingham. The ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. at the Richmond County Veterans Memorial Park located across from the VFW on Old River Road in Rockingham. To maintain social distancing, there will be no chairs and other efforts to ensure there is no congregating among attendees.

Post 147 Legionnaire Carlton Hawkins will provide the welcome; Post 147 also will recognize the longest serving American Legion post commanders. And Rockingham Mayor Steve Morris will present Sgt. William Lunceford, who just returned from his fourth tour in Kuwait after his return was delayed six months due to COVID-19, with the Hometown Hero Award for his service. There will also be a parachute drop at the event.

Ohio

The National Veterans Memorial and Museum (NVMM) has scheduled a series of interactive events to commemorate Veterans Day, including a virtual ceremony and free admission for all guests on Veterans Day. Proper health guidelines will be followed.

Scheduled events:

• A virtual run/walk and Ruck and Heroes Honor Challenge (now through Nov. 22). Allows for individuals or teams to run or walk one mile, 5K, five miles or take on the Ruck and Heroes Honor Challenge. The Challenge is a workout consisting of a circuit that includes running, heavy carries and body-weight exercises.

• Veterans Day Virtual Remembrance Ceremony (Nov. 11). The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. ET live on Facebook and YouTube.

• Share a Name. Join in the National Veterans Memorial and Museum’s 2020 Veterans Day commemoration by sharing who you will be celebrating this year. You can honor a friend or family member who served, or all those who have served our country. Throughout Veterans Day week from Nov. 9-15, the NVMM will celebrate the veterans and stories submitted on its social media channels. Please submit all stories and names by Nov. 9.

Tennessee

In Hohenwald, American Legion Post 127 will host a Veterans Day ceremony Nov. 11 that will include a parade for veterans and the community.

Virginia

In Manassas, Post 10 is hosting a bag pipe concert on Nov. 7 that will be followed by a prime rib dinner for veterans. And on Veterans Day the post will host its annual ceremony that will feature Manassas Mayor Hal Parrish as a guest speaker.

West Virginia

With the city’s traditional Veterans Day parade cancelled because of the pandemic, American Legion Post 32, Beckley city officials, Visit Southern WV and local residents are teaming up to coordinate a reverse parade on Nov. 11.

Parade entries will line up around the circle at the Beckley-Raleigh County Memorial Airport and stay in place. Spectators can view the entries from their vehicles as they drive around the airport circle in front of the terminal.