by larryw | Nov 1, 2021 | American Legion Post 178, Community, Recognitions
The annual National Veterans Small Business Week, November 1st through November 5th, is a time to honor and celebrate the contributions veterans have made to American small business. It is a time to focus on veterans, the issues they face, and options for sustaining a small business. SBA posts different blog topics, holds social media conversations with industry pros, and provides resources to connect vets with the tools they need for their startup.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) issued a report in 2017 noting that 9% of all U.S. companies are veteran-owned. That adds up to more than two million businesses with five million employees and nearly $200 billion in paychecks each year.
The SBA Office of Veterans Business Development provides help and support for vets who want to start or maintain small businesses. These programs are aimed at many different sectors in the veteran community, especially women veterans and members of the National Guard and Reservists, but it is the time when veteran businesses (including future businesses) are given special attention.
by larryw | Nov 1, 2021 | American Legion Post 178, Recognitions
The Department of Veterans Affairs is usually the first agency one thinks about regarding the topic of wounded warrior care. Yet, the Defense Department also plays an important role in the funding, awareness, and treatment provided for wounded warriors whether currently serving or those who have retired/ separated from military service.
Warrior Care Month is observed during the month of November.
In 2008, Secretary of Defense Robert F. Gates announced the creation of programs to address the needs of wounded warriors. Those efforts have resulted in each branch of service offering its own version of help for those sick or injured in the line of duty.
The 2008 efforts also resulted in an entire month devoted to raising the awareness of these people, their sacrifices, and their families. Warrior Care Month is observed by the DoD each November with special programs, publications, events, and more.
by larryw | Nov 1, 2021 | American Legion Post 178, Recognitions
November is Military Family Appreciation Month—a time when America honors and recognizes those unique sacrifices and challenges family members make in support of their loved ones in uniform. No matter what rank or branch, or where life has taken them, our nation’s military families share the common threads of service and sacrifice.
We appreciate our veterans of the past and present for their noble and brave service to our nation, we offer gratitude for their sacrifice and for the security and protection of our freedoms. In honor to their commitment to liberty and country, we celebrate America’s veterans on Veterans Day, November 11. We passionately support our veterans and invite the members of our community to donate their time and make contributions to local veteran service organizations.
by larryw | Sep 26, 2021 | Recognitions
No one understands the true price of freedom made by our military heroes more than our Gold Star Mothers. Each year, the last Sunday in September is Gold Star Mother’s Day, a day set aside to recognize their grief, sacrifices, and strengths.
Gold Star Mothers are Mothers who have lost a son or daughter in the service of our country. A Gold Star Family is one who has lost a family member in the service of our country.
During World War I, families with loved ones who were currently serving hung “service flags” with a blue star for every immediate family member who was currently serving. If that loved one died, the blue star was replaced by a gold star. This allowed members of the community to know the price that the family had paid in the cause of freedom.
Starting in 1936, the United States began observing Gold Star Mother’s Day on the last Sunday of September. At the end of World War II, Gold Star Wives was formed. Today, the tradition extends to all family members. This is a day we recognize the pain, grief and sacrifice mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters must endure when a loved one dies in service to our nation.
Our military families serve this country alongside our military heroes. They provide support while their loved ones are away, they raise families in the absence of their partners, and they pick up the pieces when their loved one is killed or injured in the line of duty.
If you are a Gold Star Mother or Family, we honor your sacrifice and thank you for your service. If you know a Gold Star Mother or Family, please take time today to recognize them.
by larryw | Sep 21, 2021 | Boys and Girls State, Home, Recognitions
Thomas Davies accepting the Court Proclamation. (L-R) Commissioners Ron Marchant and Ryan Williams, Judge Andy Eads, and Commissioners Bobbie J. Mitchell and Dianne Edmondson.
Thomas Davies, a Wakeland High School senior, was recognized at the Denton County Commissioners Court on September 21, 2021, for being an American Legion Boys Nation Senator. Davies was the guest of Commissioner Precinct 1 Ryan Williams.
Davies was selected by American Legion Peter J Courcy Post 178. He, along with eighteen other delegates, attended the 2021 Texas Boys State. Davies was also selected as a senator from the more than six hundred Texas Boys State Statesmen to attend the 2021 American Legion Boys Nation in Washington, DC. Davies was one of one hundred Boys Nation senators selected from more than 20,000 Boys State Statesmen from across our great nation.
In Washington, senators received an education on the structure and function of federal government, introduced legislation, organized party platforms and conventions, and participated in the election of officers. The week of government training also combined lectures and forums with visits to federal agencies, institutions, memorials, and historical spots in and around Washington.
Judge Andy Eads read the proclamation which was approved by Commissioners Ryan Williams, Ron Marchant, Bobbie J. Mitchell, and Dianne Edmondson. The proclamation recognized Davies for his outstanding achievements and extended best wishes for continued success, happiness, and a lifetime of honor and service.
by larryw | Sep 18, 2021 | Air Force, Recognitions
The Air Force Birthday on September 18th commemorates the establishment of The United States Air Force. From the moment the Wright brothers found a way to soar with the birds, the military incorporated aeronautical pursuits into their missions. However, the Air Force did not become a separate branch of the Armed Forces until September 18, 1947.
The military established the Signal Corps as the first aeronautical force in the United States. During the Civil War, the first missions provided visional communications via flags and torchlight from aerial balloons. Even so, the Signal Corps did not become an official branch of the Army until 1863. Its creation made way for more aeronautical training and study.
Since then, military air service has gone through many names and commands. A few examples are Air Service of the US Army to the Air Corps and Army Air Force. Finally, in 1947, President Truman signed the National Security Act establishing the United States Air Force as a separate branch of the military.
As a result of pursuing advanced technology and superior airmen, the US Air Force emerged as the swiftest tactical force ready to deploy anywhere at a moment’s notice. On September 18, celebrate the airmen and women who are on watch every
