The Post 178 Color Guard presented the Colors during a pep rally at Lakeside Middle School, Little Elm, on November 9th. Post member Felipe Vargas is the Vice Principal at the school and under his direction this was the first time the students had seen the Colors presented.
L-R >Ted Ruybal, Fred Rogers, Larry Marshall, Larry Wilhelm.
On 18 September 2018, Frisco’s Mayor Cheney presented a Proclamation to the 22 Boys State Delegates that attended Texas Boys State at the University of Texas in Austin. These young men, now seniors in high school, represented Post 178 and the City of Frisco.
Mayor Cheney stated “I, Jeff Cheney, Mayor of the City of Frisco, do hereby proclaim September 18, 2018 as: FRISCO BOYS STATESMEN DAY”.
Mayor Cheney praised the young men for their extraordinary efforts, accomplishments, leadership, and representing the City of Frisco. The Mayor had each of the Statesmen introduce themselves and tell which Frisco high school they were attending.
After introducing themselves and answering a few questions; the Boy Statesmen sang the Texas Boys State song to all attendees. We can be very proud of these young men for their accomplishments. They are the future leaders of our City, County, and State.
Now begins the time for the 2019 Boys State Program. We will be contacting each Frisco high school, Legacy Christian Academy, and our Home School contact for recommendations of juniors to be interviewed for Boys State. Post 178 Boys State committee includes Paul Jones, Ed Kelly, Marty Martel, Ted Ruybal, Larry Wilhelm, and Larry Marshall.
Mike Strand has been the Boys State Chair since Post 178 was formed in 2014. Mike must be congratulated for the outstanding job he did. He has developed the Boys State program to one of the best; if not the best, in the State of Texas. Thank you, Mike, for the job well done and you will be missed. Good luck in Colorado.
Submitted by: Larry Marshall – Boys State Chair
Post 178 Color Guard presented the Colors for a ceremony where a SUV was presented to Cpl. Michael Fox, a wounded Texas Marine.
A North Texas Marine has a new vehicle, thanks to a donated car and donated time. Cpl. Michael Fox was wounded in Afghanistan in 2011, when he stepped on an improvised explosive device and lost both his legs. On Thursday, Fox got a donated and adapted 2014 Nissan Pathfinder through the National Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides program. Fox was nominated by Homes for Our Troops, a national nonprofit that builds and donates specially adapted vehicles to veterans.
“It’s incredibly humbling and I’m so grateful to all of you,” said Fox after his new ride was unveiled. “I can’t thank you enough.”
The SUV was donated by GEICO, and workers at Caliber Collision in Little Elm donated 200 hours to adapt it for Fox’s special needs. “I put myself in this guy’s shoes,” said auto painter Jesus Hernandez, whose brother is a Marine. “I would want somebody to reach out to me, help me out, make my life a little bit easier.”
“Right now I’m using portable hand controls on my wife’s vehicle, and this one has permanent hand controls,” explained Fox. “So it’s going to be a lot safer.”
The donated vehicle came with a bonus; a back seat full of toys for Fox’s 9-month old son, Grant.
“Our son was actually born on his ‘alive day’,” said Erica Fox. “All these little milestones, everything just comes together, and it’s just been a really long, but rewarding road.”
NBC5 was there to report the story, which you can watch here.
Peter J. Courcy Post 178 was honored to present the colors at the 2018 NAMPOW (Vietnam era Prisoners of War) 45th Anniversary Freedom Reunion on August 18, 2018. This is an annual reunion and was held at the Omni Hotel at The Star Frisco, Texas.
Honor Guard members (L to R): Dave Fautheree, Terry Meyering, Larry Marshall, Ted Ruybal, Delbert Parsons
It is my privilege to sponsor a special salute to honor local veterans, and I would welcome nominations from the community for the 26th Congressional District Veteran Commendation. The submission deadline is September 17th. The Congressional Veteran Commendation, in conjunction with the Veterans History Project sponsored by the Library of Congress, has been created to honor the distinguished veterans of Texas’ Twenty-Sixth Congressional District and to preserve their stories for future generations of Americans.
To nominate a local veteran for the 2018 Congressional Veteran Commendation, the completed nomination form, along with additional information pertaining to the veteran’s service, should be returned to my Lake Dallas office (2000 S. Stemmons Frwy., Suite 200, Lake Dallas, TX 75056) by September 17, 2018. Nominated veterans must be currently residing in the 26th District of Texas, served the nation honorably during their military career and subsequently demonstrated dedication to their community.
I will publicly recognize those individuals selected to receive the Congressional Veteran Commendation at the annual Highland Village “Salute Our Veterans” luncheon on November 9th. Also, my office hopes to conduct an in-depth interview with commendees, and that interview will be forwarded to the Veterans History Project to be added to the Library of Congress collection. For more information regarding the project, visit http://www.loc.gov/vets/.
If you have questions regarding the 2018 Congressional Veteran Commendation or to confirm an individual’s residency within the Twenty-Sixth District of Texas, please contact my Deputy District Director, Robin Vaughan, at 940-497-5031. I appreciate your assistance!
Sincerely,
Michael C. Burgess, M.D.
Member of Congress
The 2019 issue of the Harris Farmer’s Almanac salutes The American Legion with a one-page article recognizing the organization’s 100th anniversary. Now on sale nationally, the annual collection of weather forecasts, notable events, predictions, gardening hints and more also profiles in the same issue Moina Michael, the so-called “Poppy Lady” who fueled U.S. attention on the flower and its meaning as a symbol for the fallen of World War I.
In the article “A Salute to The American Legion,” writer Veda Boyd Jones notes several of the organization’s accomplishments over the last century, including American Legion Baseball, Boys State, establishment of the Veterans Bureau, predecessor to the VA, and the 1944 GI Bill, as well as the Legion’s support for the most recent update of it, the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017.
Read more on the American Legion’s website.
On Saturday, August 4th at the Ford Center at The Star Frisco, TX, the American Legion Post 178 Color Guard presented the Colors for the Dallas Rattlers Lacrosse Team.
Left to right: John Ricca, Dave Fautheree, Ted Ruybal, Fred Rogers, Kevin Robinson
Pack 12 Wolf Den earned their Hometown Hero Award by learning about their Hometown Heroes, their jobs, what they did and what they loved about their job. The Hometown Heroes consisted of Army and Navy recruiters, American Legion Post veterans, Frisco PD and Frisco Fire.
Pack 12 Wolf Den Cub Scouts, left to right: Hudson Brassfield Ethan Schuller JP crosier.
American Legion Post 178 members attending were L-R Ed Mendlik, Stuart Sax, James Trombley & Dave Fautheree.
During the July, 2018 Membership Meeting, four Boy Statesmen told the membership about their experiences during the 2018 Texas Boys State, and thanked the Membership for allowing them to participate in such a great experience.
From Left to Right: Eric Wu (Frisco H.S.), Carter Yates (Frisco H.S.), Ryan Chen (Centennial H.S.) and Chase Attanasio (Wakeland H.S.)
