Post 178 Oratorical Winner Wins 1st Division Contest

Post 178 Oratorical Winner Wins 1st Division Contest

Members of Post 178 Post Executive Committee congratulate Miss Ko for winning the 1st Division Contest. Photo by Ed Reed.

Emma Ko, a senior, home school, was selected the winner of the American Legion 1st Division Oratorical Contest in Denton on Saturday, February 12, 2022. Previously, she was selected a winner in the Post 178 contest in Frisco and the 4th District contest in Royce City. For winning the three contests, she received scholarships totaling $3,500.

Other 1st Division contest participants included orators from Post 655 in Haltom City and Post 71 in Denton. Each of the contestants delivered two orations, a prepared oration and a randomly assigned constitutional topic oration. Ms. Ko impressed the judges with her prepared topic, “The Humble Article,” and assigned topic, Amendment 3 concerning the quartering of soldiers in peacetime and war.

Ms. Ko will now advance to the American Legion Department Oratorical Contest on Monday, February 21, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas. There, four division contest winners from across the entire state will compete for the opportunity to participate in the national contest in Indianapolis, Indiana, in March.

American Legion Post 178  Continues Wreaths Across America Tradition

American Legion Post 178 Continues Wreaths Across America Tradition

Despite cold and a persistent wind, thousands of volunteers lined up at DFW National Cemetery to place wreaths on National Wreaths Across America Day. Photo by Ed Reed.

American Legion Post 178, for the eighth consecutive year, participated in the 2021 National Wreaths Across America Day activities at the DFW National Cemetery. Veterans volunteered to assist with unloading of approximately 8,000 boxes of wreaths on December 17 and the placement of more than 48,000 wreaths on December 18. Although the temperature hovered around 50 degrees and a strong north wind persisted, a substantial number of volunteers attended the event. Post members will also assist with the removal of wreaths on January 15, 2022.

National Wreaths Across America Day is the culmination of a yearlong mission to Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve and Teach the next generation the value of freedom. This mission is in part conducted each December with the placement of sponsored veterans’ wreaths on the headstones of those who have served our country.  By coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies at more than 3,100 participating locations around the country, Wreaths Across America strives to remember our fallen heroes. The day honors those who served. And it teaches our children about the sacrifices made by veterans and their families to preserve our freedoms. Remember. Honor. Teach.

National Wreaths Across America Day

National Wreaths Across America Day

Each December on National Wreaths Across America Day, the mission to Remember, Honor and Teach is conducted by coordinating remembrance wreath-laying ceremonies at more than 2,100 locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea and abroad.

The American Legion Post 178 will again actively participate in this year’s Wreaths Across America Ceremony and assist with the placement of 48,000 wreaths at the DFW National Cemetery on December 18. In addition to this event, post members will assist with wreath truck unloading on December 17 and wreath removal on January 15, 2022. Post 178 has participated in the national program since it was chartered in 2014.

In many homes, there is an empty seat for one who is serving or one who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Our service members sacrifice their time and safety every day of the year to preserve our freedoms.

REMEMBER our veterans that served and are serving America, HONOR the fallen veterans, and TEACH our youth about the service and sacrifice of our veterans and families.

American Legion Post 178 Delivers Christmas Cheer to Texas State Veterans Home

American Legion Post 178 Delivers Christmas Cheer to Texas State Veterans Home

Post 178 veterans John Allen, Tim Schmidt, and Marty Martel presented donations and a $2000 check to Amanda Gilbreath, Veterans Land Board Onsite Representative.

Since its charter in 2014, Post 178 veterans have gathered and delivered Christmas cheer to the one hundred women and men veterans at the Clyde W. Cosper Veteran’s Home in Bonham, Texas. This year marked the eighth consecutive year that donations and gifts have been delivered. 

This year donations were made by Oak Point and Brent Elementary schools in Little Elm, Texas. Jill Harrer, a Dyslexia Therapist at Brent Elementary, and daughter of members John and Vickie Allen, led donation collections. Donations included personal letters written to veterans by students at the North Texas Collegiate Academy. Nelson Middle School in Frisco also designed and donated a 50-foot banner with handmade poppies and veterans’ messages. 

Frisco residents, Scott and Deborah Dillingham, baked 400 cookies for residents and staff members. More than 30 boxes of items were delivered which included 10 quilts and 16 fidget quilts for memory care patients that were made by the “Quilting Angels” group from Frisco Lakes. Donations amounting to more than $5,600 were delivered on December 2 by veterans John Allen, Tim Schmidt, and Marty Martel. 

Post 178 and Auxiliary-Unit 178 always look forward to making Christmas a little brighter for these veterans.

American Legion Post 178 to Hold  Annual Constitution Speech Competition

American Legion Post 178 to Hold Annual Constitution Speech Competition

Eleven high school students from the Frisco area have registered to compete for college scholarships at the American Legion Post 178 Oratorical Scholarship Contest. The competition will be held on Saturday, December 11 at 9 A.M. at The Grove at Frisco Commons, 8300 McKinney Rd, Frisco, TX 75034.

Orators are required to write and memorize an original speech on some aspect of the Constitution, with emphasis on a citizen’s duties and obligations to our government. Additionally, the contest requires the orator to deliver extemporaneous remarks regarding one of four amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The specific amendment will be drawn on the day of the competition.

Four winners will be selected to proceed to the district contest in Royse City on January 8, 2021. They will compete with winners from other posts in the 4th District. The contest is open to the public and admission is free.

Learn more about the American Legion Peter J Courcy Post 178 at friscolegion.org.

Delbert Parsons Elected Commander  of American Legion Post 178

Delbert Parsons Elected Commander of American Legion Post 178

(L-R) Delbert Parsons accepts the gavel from Immediate Past Commander Fred Rogers after taking the oath of office . Photo by Ed Reed.

At its general membership meeting on November 15, 2021, Delbert Parsons was elected the new Post 178 Commander. Commander Parsons will serve until June 2022.

Commander Parsons is a charter member of Post 178. He served as Adjutant from 2015 to 2021. In 2018, he was presented the annual Jimmy D. Lemley Award for Outstanding Texas State Adjutant by then State Commander John Hince.

Immediate Past Commander Fred Rogers officiated the officer election and administered the installation ceremony. Rogers said “Commander Parsons will continue to provide the leadership of Post 178 and its fine tradition of serving veterans, youth, Frisco and surrounding communities as it has done since it was chartered in 2014.”

Commander Parsons served in the U.S. Marines from 1959 to 1963. He completed boot camp in San Diego and served in the 5th Marine Division. In December, he and Linda, who serves as the Auxiliary Unit 178 treasurer, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. They have two daughters whose sons are both veterans.

Welcome aboard Commander Parsons!