Commander’s Message

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Thanksgiving is upon us. This holiday is the gateway to the holiday season and a time designated for us to reflect with gratitude. I know that I am grateful for this family of folks in the American Legion. To think that two years ago, I had no idea I would be Commander for this amazing organization. Now, the organizations’ missions are my own. I aim to help move this Legion forward, for the next 100 years. I have made countless friends and had opportunities to serve that have enriched my life. I am truly thankful for The American Legion.

The communities we serve are thankful for the support. Our contributions matter and we all have so much to be thankful for.

As I go to events, I often speak of our duty to veterans, as well as to the “community, state, and nation”. Without fail, everyone in the room acknowledges that our existence is beneficial to veterans and our communities. With that agreement, I ask them all to take the next logical step and recognize that if we are not introducing this great organization to every veteran possible, then we are doing a great disservice to them and to the community.

My wish is that we strive to take care of our members and our neighbors. That is ultimately what makes this such a great organization. We need help and we need to help others, which is why I am going to make this plea through the holiday season.

I’m asking everyone that can afford to do so, to sponsor the renewal of a current member who could use the help. Our time with economic challenges isn’t over. Post 654 dues of $45 doesn’t seem like a lot to some of us, but with gas prices in some places, that $45 might be what fills the tank. That $45 is a significant percentage of the weekly grocery budget for some people. That $45 might be used to buy a Christmas present for a child. If you can, please call your Post Adjutant and offer to cover someone’s renewal this year.

If we can agree that our existence is beneficial to both the veteran and the community, I’ll ask you to help make sure that we don’t lose members this year, as that would be a disservice to the both the veteran and the community.  We are #OneTeamOneFight.

I am thankful for every last one of you, even if we’ve not yet met. I hope you are equally thankful for your American Legion Family and I hope that you will make someone else thankful for your gift this holiday season.

Please have a great Thanksgiving filled with blessings and love.

Happy Holidays to all!

Hector Giron

Commander Post 654