Memorial Day Message from the First Vice-Commander

Good morning my fellow brothers and sisters,

As we have done during the past year, the Post is conducting "Buddy Checks" for this Memorial Day season.  As a member of the Post, you will be contacted via telephone (or email if you haven’t listed a phone number with us) to check on your overall health and welfare.  A simple phone call will allow the Post’s leadership to identify our members that might need connection and/or assistance.  It is our responsibility to continue to watch over each other as fellow veterans as we all did at one time while on active duty in our respective branches of service.  

The dedicated volunteers have taken on this responsibility and will connect with all.  Last years campaign produced a hugely positive response of all who were contacted.  Of note, we assisted a few of our members that needed  something that one of the Post’s leaders were able to provide.  We also were able to just talk to members that we hadn’t reached out to in a while just for light conversation.  You may not know this, but one simple phone call can make a huge difference in someone’s life. We also try to espouse the benefits of being a member of our Post as well as the Legion.  As the 1st Vice Commander in charge of this valued program, I was extremely pleased and proud to pronounce last years a success!  So, on behalf of the entire PEC and the volunteers, Thanks for taking the time to speak with your fellow members this month.  

This past weekend, I had the honor of participating in the placing of flags in the local cemeteries including offering the prayer to all at the grave site of our namesake, John E. Jacobs.  Yesterday we were invited by the VFW to be a part of the Memorial Day ceremony at Belville Park in which we honored the embers of the Post that have completed their early duty and are now in the Post everlasting. It was bittersweet for me as yesterday was the 3rd anniversary of my Dad’s passing.  He was a Korean Conflict Air Force veteran and a member of the local VFW and Legion where he resided.  I have a folded flag in my home that was given to the family as he was laid to rest in the National Cemetery in Massachusetts.   Last evening I was watching television and received an email from my favorite coffee company which is Black Rifle Coffee letting me know of their Memorial Day message to all.  So, I got on the company web page and saw that the owner and founder, Mat Best, had a song and video on it called “The Folded Flag.”  I would recommend this to all to view.  One of the lines in the song is as follows:  “the truth hits hard in the folded flag.”   I sat back and looked at my flag and cried.  Many of you probably have a folded flag in your home that would produce the same sadness.  There is no doubt that after attending the ceremony and sitting down that God put that message of service, honor and remembrance on my phone for me to find and use as a reminder that some gave all…

I remain in comradeship, God Speed.

Jim Mac