Most American Legion members don't appreciate how much time and effort is involved when a Legionnaire agrees to step up to the plate and run/accept a Post Office.  Taking on this extra responsibility forces you to organize your time so you can do the job the way it should be done while you continue to keep your household going.  Knowing this to be true, I want to thank Rich Patti for his commitment and congratulate him on a very successful year.  Commander Patti, you worked hard and left office with a Quota Post - sit back and enjoy your well deserved reward.

    Now we look to the future.  Let me begin by saying I am honored to serve as Massillon Post 221 Commander.  Everywhere that we travel for the American Legion, our Post is well known.  We have quite a reputation, and my cap - reading Massillon, Ohio - always elicits comments.  However, I realize that this year is going to be a challenge for me; time-wise and ability-wise.  I am certainly aware of my strengths and weaknesses and I can only say that I am committed to doing my best for the Post.

    Many of our members understand that we have problems to address.  The majority of those problems involve our post home; a very old, very large building that is expensive to heat, cool, and maintain.  We would probably be better off with a compact one story building.  So, we are searching for people with the knowledge to help us make good decisions.  Surely, among our 800+ members we have people with the talents and abilities to address and resolve some of our problems.  If you are a member of Post 221 and also a contractor, architect, electrician, demolition expert, etc. - please give us a call.  Your knowledge and experience could be just what the doctor ordered.

    In the meantime, the everyday work of the post continues; we work the programs of the American Legion - trips to visit the veterans at Brecksville, visits to veterans in local nursing homes, Legion baseball, flag education programs, Boys State and Girls State, etc.  Massillon Post 221 has always supported these programs and all will continue to be a large part of our/my efforts.

    It really does make a person feel good when you get involved and see the good things our programs do for local veterans, children, and the community.  If you are interested in helping out in any of these areas, please either call the post (330) 833-4545 or me (330) 477-9844.  Try it; you'll like how it makes you feel.

For God and Country,
-C. Richard Thatcher, Commander

    This is my first column as the 1st Vice Commander.

    Thanks to everyone that helped with Night at the Races; I very much appreciated your help and loyalty to this very important program.

    One of the jobs as 1st Vice Commander is to bring the membership of Post 221 to 100% each year.  I cannot do this alone, but with the help of members of this post we can and will obtain the goal and hopefully reach more than 100% membership for 2008/2009.

    Any member with ideas on how to obtain new members and encourage members who have not paid their dues in a couple of years to become active again will be most appreciated.  Talk to me about what those ideas are.

Serving Our Country:

LCPL Copp
BN MNT
2nd LAR BN A&S CO.
Unit 73505
FPO AE 09504-3505

Spc. Collins, Jeremiah
CCO 63rd ESB
SOB Diamondback
APO AE 09334

Lt. Col. Jeff Bair
CFTC - ACJ5
APO AE 09356

CPT. Rodney Baca
HQS, MNC-I OSJA
APO AE 09342

    Whenever an address appears in this column that a serviceman/woman has been sent a care package.

REMEMBER 9-11-2001
-Bill Matthews, 1st Vice Commander

    Congratulations to all the newly installed Officers of the Legion, Auxiliary, and the Sons of the American Legion.  I hope your year in office is enjoyable and your goals attainable.

    I try to be upbeat and positive but I have to admit some days are difficult.  On June 9, we had our installation dinner.  We enjoyed a great meal, listened to a wonderful and inspirational speaker ~ Department of Ohio Commander Mike Mormon ~ and witnessed our newly elected Officers pledge their dedication and loyalty to the Legion.

    It was a little disappointing to not have a bigger crowd.  Hope you will be able to make it to the next Massillon Post 221 event.

-Gail Miller, Auxiliary President

    It's membership renewal time once again.

    Believe it or not, 2009 is just around the corner.  Time sure does fly by.

    Please mail your $20 check (made payable to American Legion Auxiliary) to:

    Dixie L. Witter
    P.O. Box 34
    Massillon, OH 44648

    Thank you!  Hope to hear from you soon!

    Hi everybody,

    Was that a long winter or what?  But summer has finally arrived, so let's play golf.  This year's outing will be played on Saturday July 19th at 1pm at the Elms Country Club.  The cost is $35.00 for 9 holes, cart, food, beverage, and lots of laughs.  Please pay upon signing up at the Post Tavern.  Hope to see you there.

-Dick & Jack Longworth

    The American Legion Auxiliary - Unit 221 - would like to thank EVERYONE who helped us during our very successful "Poppy Days" - whether it was a donation of time or money or both.

    We would also like to extend a special thanks to T. Meldrums, Giant Eagle, Wal-Mart, and K-Mart for allowing us to distribute poppies at their establishments during "Poppy Days."

    The monies raised will allow us to help many veterans and their families this coming year.

-Poppy Co-Chairmen, Peggy Bigler and Martha Lee Thatcher

    The auxiliary is participating in a program that sends manufacturers' coupons to a military base in Germany.  The military personnel at the base are then able to use those coupons while shopping for grocery and household items at the P.X. - just like we do here at home.  Using those coupons saves military families the cents off amount on the coupons helping to reduce the amount they have to spend on groceries.  This is a really big help to our military families.  In addition, coupons can be used in an overseas P.X. two months past their expiration date.

    So if you would like to help us help the military, please SAVE, CUT, and TALLY these coupons.  After you clip the coupons, total up the face amount and calculate your volunteer hours - the time you spent clipping and totaling - and drop them off at the Post Tavern (put Rosanne Miller's name on the envelope and your name along with the value of the coupon and your volunteer hours).  The Auxiliary can count your volunteer hours and the monetary amount of the coupons on their yearly volunteer report.

    This is a way you can help our active duty military.  Those who have been stationed where the coupons have been sent say this is a very helpful program.

    Thanks in advance for your help with this project,

-Rosanne Miller, Past Unit 221 Auxiliary President

    The trip to Rising Sun was a great success despite the bus breaking down.  Thanks to all those adventurous travelers for their patience.  I would like to give a special thanks to Bob Zorger for all his hard work making the trip successful for the American Legion and S.A.L. charities.

    The squadron is planning a steak fry for August 23.  It is also a night that the Legion will be giving all drawings away.  It is also a NASCAR race night as well.  Please plan to attend and have a great steak and join in the festivities.

    The new officers for the 2008-2009 year are as follows:

    Robert Lunsford - Commander
    Jack Dedmon - 1st Vice Commander
    Robert Hookey - 2nd Vice Commander
    Francis Benjamin Jr. - Adjutant
    Robert Emmert - Finance Officer
    Justin Bretz - Sgt. at Arms
    Jody Stevenson - Chaplain

    DUES ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR 2009, PLEASE BE AN EARLY BIRD AND SEND THEM IN TODAY.  DUES $15-$10 UNDER 18-$18 DUAL MEMBERS.

    Our next meeting will be Wednesday, July 9th.  Please plan to attend.

-Bob Emmert, Finance Officer

    ALL MEN ARE ANIMALS; SOME JUST MAKE BETTER PETS.

    From Larry Kobie - 136 page book, "Cruise Book 1954", all Navy.  104 page book "In review USS Rochester 1955."

    From Donna Tsocheff - From her father's estate - yet another picture taken in October 1978 of 100 people, railroad workers convention, in front of Post 221 Massillon American Legion Post home.

    From Don W. Alclock & Mary Ellen Coffin Dar, her fathers.  Two WWI caps sent from California Legion Post 327, Seal Beach, CA.  One cap has Post 221 on it.

    From Andy Lucansky - One booklet - "Pearl Harbor Story December 7, 1941."  Good pictures.

    Did you know?
    Memorial Day, a day solemnly set apart in the U.S. to honor the memory of its soldier dead by decoration of graves with flowers and by appropriate memorial exercises.  The First Memorial Day was in 1869 when General John A. Logan, as Commander in Chief of the newly organized Grand Army of the Republic, designated May 20th as the day to honor union soldiers who had died.  The date is still retained in the north, but in the south, where the custom is also maintained, an earlier date usually April 26 is observed.  Today raves of Spanish American War and World War victims recelive like honors, at home or in France.

    To be continued.

-John Tsocheff

ATTENTION MEMBERS!  YOU MUST HAVE YOUR MEMBERSHIP CARD WITH YOU TO BE SERVED ALCOHOL.  NO EXCEPTIONS!
NO CARD -- NO SERVICE!
THE LEGION IS A NON-SMOKING FACILITY