Working together to lend a hand

Working together to lend a hand

Jim Dallas, an Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, was turning 100. His family was looking around for a place in Gladstone, Mo., to hold a family gathering to celebrate the occasion, and a friend of the family told a Legionnaire, Mike McDonald, who called the post commander at Post 626 to see if we could help out somehow.

"Well, Post 626 doesn't have a post home to share, but we do have community connections," said Douglas Millison, Post 626 commander. Millison got in touch with the Veterans Committee chairman at Northland Elks Lodge 2376 in Gladstone. "It was a no brainer," said chairman Larry King. "As soon as I heard the request I knew we were gonna do it."

The Elks Lodge supplied the room, and Post 626 gave Jim a Certificate of Service and a membership to the post. Close family arrived from not so close, and Jim Dallas had a great birthday party regardless of the pandemic.

"It's great being able to work with others in the community to get things done, especially for such a special event as this," Millison said. "Elks Lodge 2376 is a great help to the veteran community in the area."