by larryw | Sep 24, 2023 | American Legion Post 178
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. 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 22, 2023 | American Legion Post 178, Community
(L -R) Ed Reed, Post 178 Commander, Ted Ruybal, Navy National Defense Cadet Corps Committee Chair, Larry Wilhelm, Texas Boys State Committee Chair, and Bill Drake, Color Guard Captain. Not pictured are Terry Gilbert, Vice Commander – Programs and Joanne Schumm, Vice Commander – Activities.
The American Legion Peter J Courcy Post 178 participated in the Frisco Veterans Resource Expo that was presented by Frisco Veterans Advisory Committee. The Expo was held at Collin College on September 21, 2023, for veterans, military spouses, guard members, and reservists to engage employers for outstanding career opportunities.
The Expo brought together a wide array of support and resources for veterans. More than 30 companies and organizations participated in the event. Companies included Amazon, AT&T, Frontier Communications, JP Morgan Chase& Company, and Toyota Financial Services Corporation. Others included Texas Veterans Commission, Texas Christian University, Dallas Baptist University, and Collin College.
The Frisco Veterans Advisory Committee consists of citizens actively developing and supporting community policy and programs that have established Frisco as a nation-leading veteran-ready community.
by larryw | Sep 19, 2023 | American Legion Post 178
Photos by John Brady
At the 104th State Convention in Austin, Tx, on July 16, 2023, winners of the 2023 Texas American Legion Publishers Association (TEXALPA) awards were announced.
The American Legion, Peter J Courcy Post 178 newsletter, Spreading the Word,” received the 2023 TEXALPA Chuck Donaldson First Place Award.
The post newsletter has been published quarterly since 2014 when Post 178 was chartered. The newsletter has won this award five of the last seven years. Terry Meyering has been the newsletter publisher since its inception.
The Post 178 Facebook page, facebook.com/ALPOST178TX, also received the 2023 TEXALPA Patsy Palmquist Second Place Award. The page is updated daily and contains information that is posted on the website. This is the first year the page has received an award. Members recognized were Eric Bonar, web site designer/developer, and Larry Wilhelm, content manager.
Also noteworthy is the Post 178 website (friscolegion.org) was awarded first place in the 2021 and 2022 The American Legion Media Alliance (TALMA) national media contest. The Public Relations Committee during those years which maintained the site included Ed Reed, Eric Bonar, Larry Wilhelm, and Terry Meyering.
by larryw | Sep 18, 2023 | American Legion Post 178
by larryw | Sep 15, 2023 | Anniversary
The American Legion has served wartime veterans through promoting patriotism, military service, national security, and dedication to current service members and veterans alike.
The American Legion will celebrate its 104th birthday on Friday, September 15, 2023.
The Legion itself holds events nationwide to celebrate its birthday. All focus on the organization’s mission, core values, plus recognizing both volunteers and those they help. These events promote the Legion’s advocacy for veterans, patriotism, and what the Legion describes as “Americanism.”
by larryw | Sep 15, 2023 | POW/MIA
National POW/MIA Recognition Day is an observance that honors those who were prisoners of war (POW) as well as those who are still missing in action (MIA).
It is observed in the United States on the third Friday in September, which falls on September 15, 2023.
National POW/MIA Recognition Day was proclaimed by the United States Congress in 1998. It is one of the six national observances when the POW/MIA Flag can be flown. The other five observances are Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day.
The POW/MIA flag was created by the National League of Families in 1972 and was officially recognized by Congress in 1990. It is a symbol of concern about United States military personnel taken as POW or listed as MIA. The POW/MIA flag is typically flown immediately below or adjacent to the national flag as second in the order of precedence.
On National POW/MIA Recognition Day, the flag is flown on the grounds of major military installations, veterans memorials, government agencies, federal national cemeteries.
In the armed forces, a single table and chair draped with the POW/MIA flag are displayed in mess halls and dining halls. It symbolizes the hope for the return of these who are missing in action.
by larryw | Sep 9, 2023 | American Legion Post 178
It has been more than two decades since 9/11. Honor and commemorate the sacrifices made that day by remembering the heroes, armed forces, first responders, and countless others’ acts of service to defend our nation’s freedom.
On the September 11 National Day of Service and Remembrance, Americans of all ages and backgrounds are again invited to join and lead community service projects to honor the lives and service of those we lost on September 11.
September 11 marks a tragic day in U.S. history, but the date has also been chosen to honor those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
Patriot Day honors the memory of the nearly 3,000 innocent victims who died in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Each year Americans dedicate this day to remembering those who died and to the first responders who risked their own lives to save others.
On December 18, 2001, President George W. Bush officially designated September 11th as Patriot Day.
The day has also been designated as a day that the U.S. flag should be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sundown, not just until noon as is done on Memorial Day. In addition, the people of the United States are asked to observe a moment of silence on Patriot Day in remembrance of the victims.
by larryw | Sep 5, 2023
by larryw | Sep 5, 2023
by larryw | Sep 2, 2023 | Anniversary
On August 14, 1945, it was announced that Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, effectively ending World War II. Since then, both August 14 and August 15 have been known as “Victory over Japan Day,” or simply “V-J Day.” The term has also been used for September 2, 1945, when Japan’s formal surrender took place aboard the U.S.S. Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay. Coming several months after the surrender of Nazi Germany, Japan’s capitulation in the Pacific brought six years of hostilities to a final and highly anticipated close.
