To the editor:
First off, The American Legion Post 88 puts out the flags on holidays, not the VFW. These are contracted with the businesses for designated holidays, weather permitting. We have four three-member crews of voluntary members donating their pick-up trucks, gas and time to put out and take in 220 American flags along the streets, which takes about four hours of their time each day. On Veterans Day Post 88 has a Hunters’ Breakfast (4-8 a.m.) to raise money to pay for expenses on our Post Home. This is done with the help of the same volunteers, who start the day off at midnight, so when it comes time to put out the flags they are still cooking and serving breakfast, hard to be in two places at once.
Veterans Day morning, at the time to put out the flags, it was raining and had been for some time. Now, 220 wet flags need a special way to be dried as they can’t be rolled and stored wet, therefore it was decided not to display them on November 11, 2008.
Your comment “remember November 11th was Veterans Day” prompts me to ask, have you joined The American Legion, have you volunteered your time and truck to assist in this project as well as the other projects that The American Legion does, such as Flag Disposal Service, Boys State program, Legion Baseball, Blind Camp, National Emergency Fund, Healing Field, Veterans Cemetery, Veterans Home, Memorial Day Parade, putting flags on about 850 veterans’ graves in four cemeteries and many other programs. Volunteers also spend countless hours maintaining our Post Home at Skyway Industrial Park.
We can use your help as well as many other veterans that don’t belong to The American Legion or VFW, DAV and Amvets. Contact me at 455-4862 or Carl McGlauflin at 762-6971 or Burns Weeks at 769-5391 or any Legion member.
William Sewall, commander
The American Legion
Presque Isle
