by larryw | May 13, 2022 | American Legion Post 178
L-R Lieutenant Colonel Robert Gerald, Post 178 Commander Delbert Parsons, Cadet Sergeant Farhiya Hussein, Post 178 Executive Member Larry Wilhelm, and Master Sergeant Calvin Washington.
L-R Lieutenant Colonel Robert Gerald, Post 178 Commander Delbert Parsons, Staff Sergeant Juan Patino, and Post 178 Executive Member Larry Wilhelm.
The Lake Highlands High School Wildcat Battalion Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) held their 2nd Annual Pass in Review and Award Ceremony on May 6, 2022. Lieutenant Colonel Robert Gerald, US Army (Retired), Senior Army Instructor, and Master Sergeant Calvin Washington, US Army (Retired), Army Instructor, invited three American Legion Post 178 Executive Committee officers to present several awards.
Commander Delbert Parsons, and Post Executive Committee members Larry Wilhelm and Ed Reed attended the ceremony and jointly presented awards to two outstanding cadets. The American Legion Peter J Courcy Scholastic Excellence Award was presented to Cadet Sergeant Farhiya Hussein. Cadet Staff Sergeant Juan Patino was awarded The American Legion Peter J Courcy Military Excellence Award.
The Lake Highlands High School Wildcat program was established in 2019 and currently has approximately 100 cadets. The program includes numerous special teams: Raider Team, Color Guard, Drill & Ceremony, Rifle Team, and Saber Team. The battalion’s mission is “To Motivate Young People to Be Better Citizens.” More than 30 awards were presented during the ceremony which concluded with the longstanding military traditions of a Change of Command and Pass In Review.
by larryw | May 13, 2022 | American Legion Post 178
Larry Wilhelm, Executive Committee Member and Color Guard Captain and Delbert Parsons, Commander Post 178, present the American Legion Scholastic Excellence Award to Cadet Grace Yang.
Commander Delbert Parsons presents American Legion flag to Major Gary Billings.
The Lebanon Trail High School Navy National Defense Cadet Corps (NNDCC) held their 1st Annual Award Ceremony on May 10, 2022. Major Gary Billings, USMC (Retired), Senior Naval Science Instructor, invited American Legion Post 178 members to attend.
Delbert Parsons, Post 178 Commander, Larry Wilhelm. Executive Committee Member and Color Guard Captain, and Ed Reed, Vice Commander-Public Relations, attended the ceremony and presented an award to an outstanding cadet. Cadet PO3 Grace Yang was awarded the American Legion Peter J Courcy Post 178 Scholastic Excellence Award. After graduating from Wakeland High School later this month, Miss Yang will attend the United States Military Academy in the fall.
Commander Delbert Parsons also presented an American Legion flag to Major Billings. The flag will be hung in the naval science classroom along with the United States and Texas flags.
Major Billings established the Frisco ISD NNDCC program in 2021. The mission of the Cadet Corps is to motivate young people to become better citizens and effective leaders. The teaching goals of both the NNDCC and Post 178 Americanism programs have identical focuses: leadership, teamwork, personal responsibility, a sense of accomplishment, and service to the nation. American values and patriotism are also highlighted in both programs.
by larryw | May 10, 2022 | Press Release
The American Legion, Peter J Courcy Post 178 website (friscolegion.org) was awarded first place in the 2022 The American Legion Media Alliance (TALMA) national media contest. This is the second year in a row that the Post 178 website has won this award.
TALMA is comprised of current members of all branches of the American Legion Family. Four website categories based on membership size were judged on site design, links, and appropriateness of information as it related to the American Legion Family. Since Post 178 currently has more than 600 members, it was judged in the 250–749-member category.
Other categories included membership sizes of up to 249 and over 750. The Public Relations Committee, which maintains the site, includes veterans Eric Bonar, Larry Wilhelm, Terry Meyering, and Ed Reed. Delbert Parsons, Post 178 Commander, said “I am so proud of our public relations committee. It’s a challenge to win this award once, but twice in a row speaks to a great team effort.”
The website stood out in its ability to convey information in an appealing modern format. It masterfully combined visual appeal with ease of use and easily highlighted current news and updates.
by larryw | Apr 29, 2022 | Veteran Services
On April 26, VA announced the addition of nine rare respiratory cancers to the list of presumed service-connected disabilities due to exposure to fine particulate matter for Veterans who served any amount of time in
• Afghanistan, Djibouti, Syria or Uzbekistan during the Persian Gulf War, from September 19, 2001, to the present, or
• The Southwest Asia theater of operations from August 2, 1990, to the present.
VA identified, through a focused review of scientific and medical evidence, a biological plausibility between airborne hazards, specifically particulate matter, and carcinogensis of the respiratory tract; the unique circumstances of these rare cancers warrant a presumption of service connection.
Veterans and survivors who had claims previously denied for any of the below respiratory cancers are encouraged to file a supplemental claim for benefits:
• Squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx;
• Squamous cell carcinoma of the trachea;
• Adenocarcinoma of the trachea;
• Salivary gland-type tumors of the trachea;
• Adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung;
• Large cell carcinoma of the lung;
• Salivary gland-type tumors of the lung;
• Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung and;
• Typical and atypical carcinoid of the lung.
VA will contact impacted Veterans and survivors to inform them about their eligibility and it will provide information on how to apply.
To apply for benefits, Veterans and survivors may visit VA.gov or call toll-free at 800-827-1000.
by larryw | Apr 28, 2022 | American Legion Riders
ALRs from Post 178 and 321 prepare to ride in Gainesville’s 21st annual Medal of Honor parade.
The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States.
In 2001 Gainesville, Texas became the only city in America to host our nation’s highest decorated heroes to promote patriotism. On April 23, 2022, it completed its 21st annual Medal of Honor parade.
Seven Medal of Honor recipients attended the parade this year: Sgt. Allen James Lynch, Specialist Fourth Class Michael John Fizmaurice, Staff Sergeant Melvin Morris, Capt. James Allen Taylor, Capt. James E. Livingston, Petty Officer Robert “Bob” Ingram, and Hospital Corpsman Second Class Donald “Doc” Ballard.
Eight ALR members from Post 178 and 321 rode 70 miles to participate along with hundreds of other motorcyclists in this year’s parade. George Sutton, Post 178 ALR Director, said, “It was an honor to celebrate the heroism of the Medal of Honor recipients.”
by larryw | Apr 25, 2022 | American Legion Post 178
L-R Voter registrars Marty Martel, US Air Force, Retired, and David Break, US Army, Retired, register a new voter.
Recently, two Post 178 members visited the Memorial High School campus to register young voters. David Break, US Army Retired, and Marty Martel, US Air Force, Retired, volunteered to participate in the voter registration drive.
During the two-hour drive, numerous student inquiries were received and answered. More importantly, eight students were registered as new voters. The two Post 178 members were guests of Ms. Alicia Webb, Social Studies Department.
Memorial High School has been very receptive to Post 178 new voter registration drives.
