Legion Post 343 supporting their community and veterans

American Legion and Auxiliary Post 343 will have a busy fall season with the Fall Harvest Dinner Fundraiser on Saturday, Oct. 12 and the Badger Boys and Girls Scholarship Awards Dinner Wednesday, Nov. 13.

Veteran Mike Wiles explained who Legion 343 is. American Legions were founded on four pillars: Veteran affairs and rehabilitation; National security; Americanism; and youth and child development. Whatever a Legionnaire does for the Legion in his or her area, they are doing for themselves by extension. Legionnaires provide grand displays of respect and reverence for the nation, the state, the communities, and the people within those communities. Every post proudly carries the national flag in local parades; and provides dignified honors to passing veterans for the surviving families and friends.

Growth in Post 343 is a result of getting the word out to local Veterans. Post 343 sees the importance in understanding the social differences across the many generations of U.S. Military Veterans that are current today, ranging from World War II to the young man or woman that just raised their right hand this morning to obligate themselves to without question protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and pledge true faith and allegiance to it.

The longest-standing Post 343 Legionnaire of 68 years is Mr. Richard Marsh, a Korean War Veteran, of Plainfield. Richard is followed closely by Mr. Stephen (Steve) from Adams, a Vietnam War Veteran with 60 years in the Legion, currently living in Fairbanks, Alaska. The membership of Legionnaires has swelled from thirty to over fifty in just 2023, making Post 343 one of the fastest-growing Posts in the state.

Six Post 343 members are also members of the District 8 American Legion Riders; and the group is seeking eligible sons, grandsons, stepsons, and adopted sons of Legionnaires or deceased Veterans to stand up with the Sons of the American Legion Squadron within the Post.

There is plenty to do for anyone who wants to participate; the Legion is a completely voluntary organization.

Eligibility is simple: You must have served at least one day on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I or since Dec. 7, 1941, and honorably discharged, or are currently on active duty. This includes the National Guard and Air National Guard. If you have an active-duty Identification Card or a DD-214 that shows an Honorable Discharge, you are eligible.

Veteran Sherry Caves, heading up the Legion Scholarships program, provided an update on this year’s scholarship. Scholarship applications were sent to Westfield and Tri-County High School Counselors. Students may apply with a selection of recipients made in April with the awards given in May at both High School Scholarship Awards Nights.

The Badger Boy/Girl Scholarship is nominated by each school. On Nov. 13 in the Hancock Community Center will be a congratulatory potluck dinner for current year’s Badger Girl/Boy attendees and next year’s Badger Boy/Girl Selectees and their families. Currently, attendees are asked to speak about their time at Badger Boy/Girls.

Sherry said “It was my favorite potluck of the year. I enjoy hearing how life-changing it is for young people. The young men will have attended a conference at UW-Eau Claire while the young ladies will have attended a conference at UW-Oshkosh.”

“My favorite Legion Foundation pillar is Children & Youth. I enjoy the fact that the Auxiliary and Legion give out college scholarships and fund Badger Boys State and Badger Girls State. I like to think these scholarships play a small part in changing our young people’s lives. I truly enjoy being a small part of that change!” added Sherry.

Veteran Virginia McGregor, American Legion Post 343 member, spoke about the upcoming Harvest Dinner to be held at the Hancock Community Center on Saturday, Oct. 12 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. with a raffle. The funds raised are not designated for a particular project but are used to support all of our veteran and community programs. We also raise funds through the Spring Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner which has always been well supported by the community.

Some of the Post’s other ongoing annual projects include monetary donations to veteran homes such as King, homeless women veterans, and direct support at Christmas for some local veterans. Throughout this last year, they have also donated to the Hancock Community Center kitchen floor replacement, the Hancock road sign replacement, and Space Camp for one local youth. The Auxiliary prepared and sold the meal at the Never Forgotten Honor Flight fundraiser, donating 100% of the proceeds. We sponsored a bake sale at the Tunnels to Towers fundraiser. Each summer we provide (at no charge) a summer lunch meal for each of the children’s library programs in Coloma, Hancock, and Plainfield.

During the last year, talented members have created and donated over 200 “comfort pillows’ for use by chemotherapy and dialysis patients at various facilities around our area. We are currently working on a ‘craft’ kit that will allow veterans at King to ‘put together’ a pillow and cover as part of their therapy. The Auxiliary also packs and ships ‘goodie’ boxes to our troops. Other events, such as the Hancock Park Restoration Project and Hancock Cemetery maintenance also helped them receive bake sale proceeds.

Recently the Auxiliary honored Radine Sherman of Plainfield who received a certificate of recognition at the annual meeting of Waushara County Council of American Legion Auxiliary on Sept. 18 to commemorate her 70 years of continuous membership in the Auxiliary.

Membership in the Auxiliary is limited to family members of current Legion Post members or family members of deceased veterans who served between Apr. 5, 1917-Nov. 11, 1918, or any time after Dec. 7, 1941. Eligible family members include grandmother, mother, sister, daughter, granddaughter, and spouse (male or female). Step and adopted family members are also welcome. A female veteran who served in the designated time frame is also eligible to become an Auxiliary member.

Virgina stated, “I think that veterans who are eligible to join the Post and their family members are sometimes not aware of the benefit of being part of our organization. There is a lot of personal satisfaction involved in being part of a group that exists to help other veterans and our community in general. My participation in the Post and Auxiliary is a continuation of my desire to contribute to our community and just to “help out” if I can. I also find the atmosphere of reverence for military service is comforting because I was not only a soldier, but also the daughter, sister, and spouse of servicemen.”

By Cindy Stevens, Argus Correspondent